Abortion & U.S.
Dear AAPLOG Colleague,
We are a nation of Laws. The new healthcare Law allows taxpayer-funded abortions. Abortion is now a part of mainstream medical care, at least as far as the government is concerned. We need to deal with that reality. Regarding American foreign policy, the same perverse value is in place. After the recent G-8 meeting in Canada, Sec. of State Clinton, talking about making maternal health a priority of the G-8, said, “And if we’re talking about maternal health, you cannot have maternal health without reproductive health. And reproductive health includes contraception and family planning and access to legal, safe abortion.” In fact, many UN-associated organizations concerned with reducing maternal mortality (a essential priority) are focused on making access to legal abortion a cornerstone of their approach No matter that hemorrhage, infection, and BP problems are by far the main causes worldwide of maternal mortality. And that improved pre- and post-natal care an essential elements of solution. And no matter that Chile, which has very restrictive abortion laws, has one of the lowest maternal mortality rates in the world. (Incidentally, Chile has excellent data records and good primary maternal health services.) And no matter that underdeveloped countries do not have the medical infra-structure to take care of the complications of surgical and medical abortion, leaving women to die of hemorrhage, infection, and BP crises. In spite of the above, there is an obsession to legalize abortion in all countries as a major way to decrease maternal mortality. More likely, it will increase maternal mortality in many underdeveloped countries. And that is no “April Fool’s Day” joke. It is reality.
Jdc/aaplog