Decency dictates women have a choice

Hull’s letter was riddled with misinformation. While it is true that in 2000, 54% of the women obtaining abortions had been using some method of contraceptive (including the rhythm method Hull champions) only 14% were on the pill. Contraceptive use does prevent unwanted pregnancies and does reduce abortions. Oral contraceptives are also used to treat or prevent serious medical conditions. 

27 year old Savita Halappanavar was allowed to die in Ireland because of anti-choice policies like Hull wishes to force on America. Policies that make a fetus more important than a woman, and impose religious views on those who do not share them.

As for his claim that “many women forever regret their abortions and are traumatized by them”, there is no scientific evidence to support this assertion. In fact the Turnaway Study found “that there are no mental health consequences of abortion compared to carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term. “

The five-year Turnaway Study looks at women’s “mental health, physical health and socioeconomic outcomes of receiving an abortion compared to carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term.” Other findings women who carried an unwanted pregnancy to term are three times more likely than women who receive an abortion to be below the poverty level two years later.”

Science, good medicine and human decency dictate that a woman be allowed to choose what contraceptive methods are best for her based on the advice of her doctor and that if an abortion becomes necessary she be allowed to have one.