re: #226 lawhawk

Thought experiment. If we did somehow come to agree on a complete ban of abortion, would birth rates really increase? Or would people shift to more contraception? GGT noted above there wasn’t any real change in birth rates after Roe, so that raises an interesting question about causality and relationship between abortion and birth rates.

The followup question is what percentage of the people who oppose abortion under all circumstances also oppose contraception (let alone insurance coverage requirements for contraception)?

If anything, the opposition to abortion and contraception would increase burdens on women, and undermine their rights across a broad spectrum of issues - whether its employment in the workforce (if you’re forcing women to have to carry unwanted pregnancies, you’re forcing them to decide between jobs (and advancement) and child rearing). That leads to lower women participation rates in the workforce, which may well be an unstated goal of these opponents who want to turn the clock back to before WWII. It would lower wages for women, and lower standard of living for women generally.

The data I referenced said there was a change in birth rates …so, I’m not so sure about that and I don’t have the stamina to do more research right now.

What will change is the level of illegal abortions. Some women will be more vigilent about contraception, but in areas in which comprehensive education is not mandated in public schools, ignorance will return to Comstock Era levels. White children available for adoption might increase, might not. The foster care system will be burdened as these children will not be born to families that can support them. Crime will increase and more little girls will die in illegal abortions.