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PiscesRecession Abortions on the Rise
Ronda Kaysen: Call it recession family planning. With the recession deepening, abortions and vasectomies are on the rise as more Americans decide that now is definitely not the time to add another seat at the dinner table.
Abortion clinics and hotlines are reporting a huge jump in the number of women calling in for abortions, and urologists are filling their schedules with vasectomy appointments. The recession, it seems, has hit the bedroom.
"As more and more women and families are struggling due to the crisis, it's affecting more than just low-income families. Now more middle-class and working-class families are facing the types of problems that we've heard from low-income women," Vicki Saporta, president of the National Abortion Federation, told the Associated Press.
One single mom in Syracuse decided to terminate her pregnancy because she's worried she'll lose her job as a registered nurse. "More so now that we are in a recession ... I felt I had to go through with the procedure because I cannot afford another child," she said. A Colorado woman decided to abort because her landlord was evicting her, as the house was going into foreclosure.
This marks a serious change in family planning. As recently as last summer, experts were speculating about whether a new baby boom was on the horizon. A record number of babies were born in 2007, and celebrity baby-bump watching was all but a national pastime. But that was before the implosion of the economy. Now, with the economic future looking far from rosy, the boom might be all but a thing of the past.
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Ronda Kaysen is a freelance writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, BusinessWeek.com, Architectural Record, Huffington Post, New York Observer, and AM New York. She lives in Brooklyn with her family. |
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- 13 Comments
Honestly this article makes me very sad for all those terminated babies and the future of our country. Since when is an abortion family planning?! What about the pill, condoms and other forms of actual birth control? Are use of those on the rise too?
This makes me sad. Calling abortion family planning is very unsettling. Birth control, condoms, IUD, vasectomy, tubal ligation…those could be considered family planning.
AM raises an interesting question. I’d like to know this too, as well as if tubal ligations are on the rise as well. While I am pro-choice, I agree that under most circumstances there are better ways to practice family planning.
Yeah it is an interesting question, are typical forms of BC on the rise as well. Abortions for me should only be used in extreme circumstances (BC failed, etc) not as family planning methods. 1. It can be harmful to yourself and 2. There are other options out there to protect yourself.
My husband said if I’m not pregnant this month then he’s getting the Big V.
This story is sad and pisses me off. Children are a blessing. If you feel you cant afford them or take care of them there are options out there to help you not getting pregnant and there is also adoption. Some women cant have babies and would kill to have them but yet theres ppl that think because they cant take care of the child no one else would be able. Selfish if you ask me
My hubby just got a V after our second child, we’re waiting to make sure it “took” so for another month at least it’s stocking up on condoms for us! There is a chance that we’ll want more children down the road (we are only in our mid/late 20’s) but if that’s the case we’ll try to adopt.
I’m pro-choice, but this is bullshit.
What about the pill, condoms, etc? Whatever happened to using protection and only resorting to abortion as a last resort?
WTF?
I’m glad people are being moreresponsible and not having children they can not afford or care for.
I think the article just used a poor choice of words…I don’t think it literally meant that people are using abortion as family planning. I don’t think anybody would’ve gotten pregnant last month on purpose if they thought they couldn’t afford another child this month. In which case that means that their method of birth control failed or they weren’t on birth control to begin with (and there are people like this whether we’re in a recession or not). Adoption isn’t for everybody, I personally wouldn’t be able to give my child up. Just because you might be able to do so, doesn’t mean everyone else can and it’s wrong for you to pass judgement.
So you couldn’t possibly fathom the idea giving your child up for adoption to a loving family who may not be able to have children of their own or who may want to extend their family…. but you have no problem with killing your child … yea that makes sense.
ych7FS comment4 ,
Good post. Nice to read. I’ve got a single thing to submit about t-shirts.
My husband will be getting a ‘V’ after our second child, there is just no way we can afford more than 2.