A recent La Times Article gives the following information about pregnancies as a result of rape:

Surprisingly few hard facts and figures were available about the prevalence of rape-related pregnancies. Many news outlets, including this one, cited a 1996 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, which estimated that more than 32,000 women experience a rape-related pregnancy each year. The report also concluded that 5% of rape victims become pregnant, which would mean that 640,000 rapes occur each year.

Now as a percentage 5% is rather low, BUT let’s dig a little deeper into this shall we?

It should come as no secret to anyone that many rapes (and resulting pregnancies) go unreported. I found data suggesting that more than 60% of rapes are NOT reported and thus not included in the “official” statistics.

So if 640 000 rapes a year are REPORTED, that means that the total number of rapes occurring each year would be approximately 1.6 MILLION.
Assuming as in the data above, if 5% of those rapes caused a pregnancy that would result in 80 000 pregnancies. Do you think those 80 000 women just love being repeatedly blown off by the GOP as insignificant?

It’s also worth noting that 80 000 rapes a year is equal to roughly 220 a day which is equal to 9 every hour. Let me repeat that: There are NINE rape related pregnancies which occur every hour of every day. Yet the GOP are still content to think this is a rare and unusual event.

I’d also like to point out the “low pregnancy rape” theory is not an original creation of the GOP. It’s long been a religious right talking point:

First, let’s define the term “rape.” When pro-lifers speak of rape pregnancies, we should commonly use the phrase “forcible rape” or “assault rape,” for that specifies what we’re talking about. Rape can also be statutory. Depending upon your state law, statutory rape can be consensual, but we’re not addressing that here.

A relatively new category is “date rape.” For some reason this is supposed to be different, but, forcible rape is rape, regardless of whether it occurs on a date or behind the bushes. If a college woman is raped on a date, she should undergo a medical examination and treatment, just as she would in the aftermath of an assault rape. It is not a separate category.

Assault rape pregnancies are extremely rare. Most pro-lifers have heard this comment, but too often cannot back it up with facts. A candidate for office in the State of Arkansas made this comment before the last elections. He was roundly criticized and ridiculed by the opposing candidate and the media. Unfortunately, there was no evidence that he offered substantive proof to back up his claim that rape pregnancies were rare.

How many forcible rapes result in a pregnancy? The numbers claimed have ranged the entire spectrum of possibilities. Some feminists have claimed as high as 5 to 10 percent, which is absurd. One problem has been the lack of available studies and accurate statistics. Often women do not admit to having been raped. On the other hand, it has been known that women, pregnant from consensual intercourse, have later claimed rape. Is it possible to know the actual facts?

For the record, the comments above were written in 1999.