Misinformation and Myths about Abortion

[Hermit For Peace]

"There's so much misinformation, so many myths about abortion. Abortion will lead to substance abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts; abortion is bad for your health; every woman is going to regret it," said social psychologist Brenda Major, a distinguished professor emeritus in the department of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In reality, decades of research has shown "the vast majority of women feel they made the right choice, and they don't experience regret," said Major, who led a 2008 American Psychological Association task force exploring the science on abortion and mental health.

"Abortion does not cause depression, it does not cause suicide (or) suicidal ideation. It does not cause substance use. It does not cause anxiety disorders," said Steinberg, who has studied the mental health impact of abortion for years.

Yet this belief that abortion harms women's mental and physical health has been used to justify "waiting period laws, two-trip requirements (in which women have to come back twice) and telling women inaccurate information around medication abortion," Steinberg said.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/02/health/abortion-myths-mental-health-wellness/index.html

[Hermit For Peace]

"There's so much misinformation, so many myths about abortion. Abortion will lead to substance abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts; abortion is bad for your health; every woman is going to regret it," said social psychologist Brenda Major, a distinguished professor emeritus in the department of psychological and brain sciences at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In reality, decades of research has shown "the vast majority of women feel they made the right choice, and they don't experience regret," said Major, who led a 2008 American Psychological Association task force exploring the science on abortion and mental health.

"Abortion does not cause depression, it does not cause suicide (or) suicidal ideation. It does not cause substance use. It does not cause anxiety disorders," said Steinberg, who has studied the mental health impact of abortion for years.

Yet this belief that abortion harms women's mental and physical health has been used to justify "waiting period laws, two-trip requirements (in which women have to come back twice) and telling women inaccurate information around medication abortion," Steinberg said.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/02/health/abortion-myths-mental-health-wellness/index.html

None of this has any bearing on why those of us who truly care about unborn human life.

I don't think it's supposed to have an effect on what I now refer to as the Radical Religious Right (RRR for short). They are too far gone to even care about R E A L I T Y. They are lost in their religious thoughts about God.

What this article does tell me is that most women are just fine with the abortions they had and do not regret their decision. And personally, I felt let off the hook because of all the horror stories I've read about women regretting their decision. It's a myth.

The article also puts the spotlight on the RRR people, showing how they don't care about anything that has to do with the reality of the mother, they are beholding only to their God, no matter what.

This is out of step with the majority opinion in the country. The Radical Religious Right have a real fight on their hands, and it will never stop until they stop with all the moralizing and intolerance toward real live people, and especially toward women. And stop with trying to make their religious systems and their religious beliefs the law of the land. It will never work.

[Hermit For Peace]

Of all the different strains of argument I've heard put forward by my fellow pro-lifers, I almost never hear this one. Whether or not any of these things is true is wholly irrelevant to the crux of this debate - the fact that than an innocent life is being taken. Regarding abortion's legality, it doesn't really matter whether the decision shatters the woman later in life or if she decides to celebrate it; all that matters and all that ever should matter is that life in the womb.

Precisely this.

Note that none of the opposition to this position will take a stand as to where unborn life becomes "Innocent Human Life".

I've studied many religions and philosophies and I've been involved in spiritual organizations that were very inspirational with talk about God and Spirit and Jesus etc., and living life from higher principles.

I am also well studied in metaphysics -- 40 years worth. As for when life becomes human life, it's a complicated answer. In human terms, none of us really know. All we can do is go by what we think is right. And opinions differ on how to classify when a fertilized egg becomes cognizant and self-aware to the point where we consider it human. Or do we just consider a clump of cells human, like we would consider a seed growing in the ground, a plant?

I come from the perspective that all life is precious, but that humans were endowed with Free Will by our Creator. Reality is that all of us are making mistakes all the time, every day. None of us is perfect. For us to judge what other people do is not our call to make, unless of course we are referring to individuals who harm society in some way. That's a different argument.

Poking our nose into other people's private business, in the name of God or Religion or even based in our own personal biases, is crossing the boundary of another person's Free Will. That's what you are doing when you try to legislate how a woman should treat her body with regard to abortion. You are going against her God-given Free Will to choose how she lives her life, and in the end, you will always lose that debate because it's not your call to make.

[Hermit For Peace]

I come from the perspective that all life is precious,

A lot of blue avatars would disagree with you. They were against lockdowns, masks, vaccines, and I've even seen an argument that their desire to not be "triggered" in 2022,by being reminded of the pandemic is more important than saving lives with mask recommendations during (hypothetical) COVID hospitalization spikes (presumably a new powerful variant. They demanded the freedom to risk actual lives, and they view your clump of cells as a life, but deny you your freedom.

I know. This is who we're dealing with. They think we're crazy and we think they're crazy. How do you communicate when this type of personal bias is going on? When human emotions get involved we get irrational.

[Hermit For Peace]

The biggest myth about abortion is that it isnt mostly used as a method of birth control. 

Do you have any evidence to back up your claim that abortion is "mostly" used as a method of birth control?

Do you think having an abortion is a picnic?