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The Adoption Option
Adoption Won’t Reduce Abortion but It Will Expand Women’sChoices
Jessica Arons October 2010
The Adoption Option
Adoption Won’t Reduce Abortion but It Will ExpandWomen’s Choices
Jessica Arons October 2010
In he debae over nding “common ground” on aborion, muchhas been made o he ac ha, when asked why hey chose ohave an aborion, many women say, “I can’ aord anoher childrigh now.” Given his response, some have suggesed ha provid-ing addiional suppors o pregnan women migh help reduce heaborion rae. Te hinking goes ha i women eel he economicobsacles are oo grea o carry a pregnancy o erm—especiallyan uninended pregnancy—hen policies ha ease hose burdensmay help a woman ulimaely have a child ha she wans ohave. An alernaive line o hinking suggess ha i a womanis rying o decide beween aborion and carrying o erm,addiional suppors may ip he balance and lead her o choosehaving he child.Te Cener or American Progress coninues o believe ha, per he public healh daa, widespread access o conracepionis he mos eecive mehod available or reducing uninended pregnancy, especially when coupled wih medically accurae sexeducaion. Uninended pregnancy is, aer all, he proximaecause o he vas majoriy o aborions. We also believe ha he governmen should no be in he business o promoing one moralviewpoin over anoher, nor should i ry o persuade individualso make paricular healh care decisions ha have no bearing on public healh oucomes. Neverheless, we do believe in aking a comprehensive approacho addressing reproducive healh needs and we eel ha i isan imporan policy objecive in is own righ o provide beter suppors o pregnan women, regardless o any poenial subse-quen eec on he aborion rae. We will hereore be examining,hrough a series o issue bries, a variey o meaningul ways inwhich we can beter address he needs o pregnan women.When a woman says she can’ aord a child, she is no jus hink-ing o he nine monhs o pregnancy, he rs ew monhs aer hechild is born, or even he rs ew years o lie. She is mos likelyhinking abou he nex 18 years—or beyond—and how she willclohe, bahe, eed, house, nurure, and educae anoher humanbeing or ha enire period o ime.She may already have one or more children o care or—indeed6 ou o every 10 women who have aborions are already moh-ers. She may be he primary careaker or a disabled or elderlymember o her amily. She may wan a amily one day bu eel eco-nomically or emoionally unprepared o sar one now. She mayhave a parner who is willing o help raise a child or no. She maybe working, unemployed, or rying o nish her educaion so shecan beter suppor hersel and her loved ones. I working, she mayhave secure employmen or she may be one sick day away oma pink slip. She may be in perec healh, have a chronic illness,sruggle wih addicion, or suer inimae parner violence. Shemay have healh insurance or she may be uninsured. She migh consider adopion or hink i is ou o he quesion. In shor, a muliude o acors may aec her decision o con-inue or erminae a pregnancy. And “I can’ aord a child righ now” can encompass a number o hese acors. Diapers and or-mula are clearly no sufcien. Sysemaic changes o healh care,he workplace, he adopion sysem, and ohers are necessary ohave a real eec on he lives o pregnan women.
Parenting with Dignity: A Series Exploring Real Supports for Pregnant Women
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The Adoption Option
Jessia Arons explores why adoption is a pregnancy option that few women choose nowadays.
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