SuicideGirls > Boards > Current Events > NEWS: Government Funding Abortion Misinformation Centers

legionnaire

United Kingdom

November 2003

JUL 18, 2006 11:07 AM

POLITICS: Government Funding Abortion Misinformation Centers

As if life weren't hard enough for women who are seeking medical advice about abortion. It's already stigmatized by our culture to the point where there are near daily accusations by prominent religious leaders and even government figures equating abortion with murder. Some women have to endure protesters who demonstrate in front of or near abortion clinics in an attempt to scare them away from the procedure. With all that, now even the government is against them. Federally funded "pregnancy resource centers," which are supposedly sources of medical information for pregnant women evaluating their options, have been found to be giving out false information about abortion, making the procedure and its effects appear to be worse than they are.

The pregnancy resource centers, which are often affiliated with antiabortion religious groups, have received about $30 million in federal money since 2001, according to the report, requested by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.). The report concluded that the exaggerations "may be effective in frightening pregnant teenagers and women and discouraging abortion. But it denies the teenagers and women vital health information, prevents them from making an informed decision, and is not an accepted public health practice."

A spokeswoman for one of the two large networks of pregnancy resource centers, Sterling-based Care Net, said that the report is "a routine attack on us that's nothing new."

Care Net's Molly Ford said the centers criticized by Waxman received federal grants for abstinence-only programs they conduct, but not for pregnancy counseling. "The funds are kept entirely separate," she said.

Ford said, however, that she agrees with pregnancy counselors who tell women that abortion may increase the risk of breast cancer, infertility and a condition described by antiabortion groups as "post-abortion syndrome."

"We have many studies that show significant medical problems associated with abortion," she said.

Those studies are at odds with mainstream medical opinion. An expert panel of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), for instance, concluded in 2003 that an "abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer." The experts said their conclusion was "well established" by the evidence.

You know what's awesome? I did this medical study that showed that smoking cigarettes and eating cheeseburgers totally makes your heart stronger. I mean, I saw this guy do it once, so my conclusions are well established by the evidence.

If abortion were associated were significant health risks like the development of cancer later on in life, it's much more likely that the National Cancer Institute's study would have unearthed that data than "independent religious researchers" who believe peer review is a plot to suprress the truth that abortion causes cancer. The NCI study did find that there seems to be sufficient evidence to believe that being pregnant at some point during their lives does have some tangible health benefits. But not that abortion is detrimental. Before any pro-life types drag out the accusations of a scientific conspiracy to keep this sort of information under wraps, please realize that the fastest and easiest way to success in the field of medical research is to discover and publish findings that overturn conventional wisdom. The scientists and doctors who ran studies looking to see whether abortion hurts womens' long term health would have been thrilled to find out that it does, because their names would have been in the headlines and it would have given their careers a big boost. That's just how science works.

The personnel who run these centers insist that any federal funds they receive for promoting abstinence-only sex education are kept separate from money they receive to fund their anti-abortion efforts. What I'm wondering is whether people who are either inept or intentionally deceptive in their evaluation of medical data concerning abortion can be trusted to keep those funds separate. My guess is no.

Etcee

Grandville, MI

October 2004

JUL 18, 2006 05:49 PM

Anyone who's ever spent hours in an Abortion clinic should know that the last thing these people deserve is unjustified hatred from those with 'opposing viewpoints.'

I'm sorry, but shit like this fries me. You try to scare someone into making a decision that supports your morals, instead of allowing them to make a decision that may be what is best for them? That's sadistic. Don't suppose to tell people what's best for their health when it's not actually their health you're concerned with, but rather that their personal decisions conflict with your fucked up moral code. Low. Very Low.

_mith

NickFaust

USA

April 2004

JUL 18, 2006 06:07 PM

The problem, basically, is that activity of this sort is supported by a Christian doctrine that essentially says that people do not have the right to act in ways that are counter to the "will of god" (usually that which is expressed by some asshole evangelical minister).

In short these people believe that any behavior is tolerable if it is in pursuit of righteousness.

Which is what make Christian fundementalists indistiguishable from the Islamic fundementalists that our government is so hot to do something about.

MrCrisp

Charleston, SC

August 2004

JUL 18, 2006 06:45 PM

NickFaust said:
The problem, basically, is that activity of this sort is supported by a Christian doctrine that essentially says that people do not have the right to act in ways that are counter to the "will of god" (usually that which is expressed by some asshole evangelical minister).

In short these people believe that any behavior is tolerable if it is in pursuit of righteousness.

Which is what make Christian fundementalists indistiguishable from the Islamic fundementalists that our government is so hot to do something about.

amendment: these people believe that any behavior is tolerable if it is in pursuit of their limited perspective of what righteousness is. the reality is that christian fundamentalists actually take it as a personal offense when other people (intentionally or otherwise) deviate from what they believe to be morally sound (which is an obvious innevitability). they even feel as if they have to govern the diverse masses according to their, again, limited perspective of what righteousness is. what's worse is that most of these dangerous and extreme christian fundamentalists have influence over our government. to me, that's much more dangerous than the islamic fundamentalism that has been deemed an enemy of our country.

Necia

San Francisco, CA

August 2005

JUL 18, 2006 07:38 PM

On the only positive note I can find here . . . I love Waxman and his reports.

joeywrists

Lake Grove, NY

March 2006

JUL 18, 2006 07:41 PM

i hate old guys that protest at abortion clinics if you can get pregnant or go through an abortion shut the fuck up about it

whitepuma

Australia

March 2004

JUL 18, 2006 07:58 PM

Mithrandir said:
Anyone who's ever spent hours in an Abortion clinic should know that the last thing these people deserve is unjustified hatred from those with 'opposing viewpoints.'

I'm sorry, but shit like this fries me. You try to scare someone into making a decision that supports your morals, instead of allowing them to make a decision that may be what is best for them? That's sadistic. Don't suppose to tell people what's best for their health when it's not actually their health you're concerned with, but rather that their personal decisions conflict with your fucked up moral code. Low. Very Low.

_mith

I completely agree here just coz something goes against ones belifes does not mean you have to force that on to another. The other thing that pisses me of is that these ppl have no idea what the woman is going through while trying to make this decision or weather or not the pregnancy will kill her. If the later is the case are these activitsts not advicating murder by being against abortion if the pregnancy will take the life of both the child and the mother. I say let ppl make their own decisions and leave it at that.

Fuck I hate relgion full stop and think its the bain of all existenc but do you see me forcing it down other ppls throat. NO.

PhLaXuS

Fort Lauderdale, FL

November 2005

JUL 18, 2006 08:53 PM

MrCrisp said:

NickFaust said:
The problem, basically, is that activity of this sort is supported by a Christian doctrine that essentially says that people do not have the right to act in ways that are counter to the "will of god" (usually that which is expressed by some asshole evangelical minister).

In short these people believe that any behavior is tolerable if it is in pursuit of righteousness.

Which is what make Christian fundementalists indistiguishable from the Islamic fundementalists that our government is so hot to do something about.

amendment: these people believe that any behavior is tolerable if it is in pursuit of their limited perspective of what righteousness is. the reality is that christian fundamentalists actually take it as a personal offense when other people (intentionally or otherwise) deviate from what they believe to be morally sound (which is an obvious innevitability). they even feel as if they have to govern the diverse masses according to their, again, limited perspective of what righteousness is. what's worse is that most of these dangerous and extreme christian fundamentalists have influence over our government. to me, that's much more dangerous than the islamic fundamentalism that has been deemed an enemy of our country.

Totally. I don't think it's a great idea, but I won't shove it down a woman's throat or ridicule/guilt them for having one. One of my good friends from a few years ago had this performed not too long ago. I think it's sad and she feels guilty and wants kids later in life, but doesn't believe she deserves them for what she did. It's really sad. Also, I don't know if she went to a "side-job" type of clinic or not, but she developed endometriosis after having it performed and now only has like a 50/50 chance of being able to have kids in the future. As upset as she is about it, she stands by her decision as she claims the kid would've never had a chance at a good life. She was addicted to drugs during the pregnancy and was alone and believes it would have turned out VERY badly for everyone had she had the child. I didn't know any of this until after she had it performed, but if she were to have asked me ahead of time, I just would have given her my opinion on the matter and told her it's still her decision.

It's the asshole Christian fundamentalists who claim abortions (and homosexuality) are just about the two worst things a person can do. They really need to read more of their own paperwork. It's not any worse than anything else...it's just really sad that some women are in the situation that they feel this is the only recourse.

The matter is only clouded (immensely) by the fact that the Catholic church claims aborted babies cannot ever get to heaven (or at least they used to -- I don't pay attention any more). That really sets some people off.

Necia

San Francisco, CA

August 2005

JUL 18, 2006 09:50 PM

joeywrists said:
i hate old guys that protest at abortion clinics if you can get pregnant or go through an abortion shut the fuck up about it

There's this one dude in a truck covered in anti-abortion bumper stickers who has been outside the Planned Parenthood in my neighborhood, I swear to God, for THREE YEARS STRAIGHT.

I've never NOT seen him out there (during clinic hours, anyway). I'm always half-tempted to be like, "Dude, so how much do you make, standing here with that sign all day looking like a deluded self-righteous jackass? Does that job come with benefits? Is this a pretty sweet gig, or are you just kinda hard up for employment?"