Abortion

[story645]

In media, how come nobody ever has an abortion?

TV shows, movies, fanfics, people get pregnant all the time. And they might talk about abortion, but nobody ever, ever, has one. Except in an Everwood episode that had less to do with the pregnant character and more to do with the two doctors. Oh and two of the characters in Sex and The City, but that

Comments

[delleve]

I think a lot of people probably see abortion as a kind of a last resort if they don't want to put their future child up for adoption. I think writers don't address abortion more often because there are so many big pro-life supporters out there and they don't want to lose their viewership because people think one of their favorite characters are "baby killers".

And, yeah, it's tv. Having an abortion as a plotline wouldn't really serve a very big overall arcing plot. There'd be no kids to find out that they're really adopted or whatever.

Sorry this comment is so poorly constricted, but I've been doing math for the last six hours. My brain is not really functioning anymore. o_o

[story645]

Well abortion is a last resort for most of the population. Everyone I know who's had one didn't feel like they had another option/felt like this was the best option. "baby-killers" probably is part of it, though I've seen some studies that say that most of this country is pretty much moderate on abortion. They'd never have one/think it's morally wrong, but aren't going to decide that for anyone else.

Yeah abortion is more character introspective, though you could wring drama out of it if you tried.

The comment is fine. Very articulate and everything. *hugs* on the math, I know how painful that is.

[thistlerose]

And of course, any woman who intends to have an abortion either changes her mind or miscarries.

I think the writers and producers are afraid of the controversy, to be honest.

Plenty of women who have had kids also have had abortions.

I read a study once, that said the majority of women who have abortions are already mothers.

[story645]

I've never seen the miscarry arc, just the change mind one, but of course. The controversy is part of it, but I feel like if you're going to give it as an option, someone should once in a while carry through on it.

I think I used that study for my report on late term abortions.

[thistlerose]

Now I'm tempted to tackle it. Problem is, I've no idea who. Or why. And I don't write issue fics. We'll see. Maybe I can get someone to mention it in passing.

[story645]

I'm wondering if you can do it without making it issue fic. Maybe just war fic, and one of the front line aurors. Can't afford to get pregnant, can't risk it. Feels that more people will die if she can't fight. I don't know. It is hard.

[anonymous]

World estimations of the number of terminations carried out each year is somewhere between 20 and 88 million.(likely 55 to 60)

Over 3,500 per day / Over 1.3 million per year in America alone.

50% of that 1.3 million claimed failed birth control was to blame.

A further 48% had failed to use any birth control at all.

And 2% had medical reasons.

That means a staggering 98% may have been avoided had an effective birth control been used.

People have to stop using abortion as birth control.

I'd like to see effective birth control made available to all who can't afford it.

[story645]

50% used birth control. That usually includes effective birth control like condoms or the pill. Nothing is perfect. The 48% is interesting, cause my question is "was any form of birth control available?"

I don't think that most people use abortion as birth control the way we typically think of birth control considering the average person who's had an abortion has only had one, maybe two. People who've had enough for it to really qualify as birth control are few and far between, because it is torture and has such lasting repurcussions.

[redcoast]

Hmm. Well, one sentiment I've heard very widely from pro-choicers is that, while they support abortions, they themselves would never have one.

I actually tend to update lj more during finals cause I just use lj to put off homework. It's really quite counter-productive.

Hee! Me too.

[story645]

I'm pro-choice and mine is "while I support it, I hope to never have one" Abortions are painful and scarring and that kid/that what if haunts a lot of the women who've had any.

[redcoast]

I'm personally pro-life, so you can imagine what my take on this particular trend is. ;)

[story645]

*shrugs* To each his own.

As bad as this might sound, I'm probably pro-choice mostly cause so many of the women in my family have had abortions that this was kind of the philosophy that I was raised on, and I just grew up on reasons for why a woman would have one, and just I feel like I don't know, like being pro-life would somehow make a judgement on them. I don't know, it's hard. I'm definitely one of those who people who wishes that nobody ever had to choose abortion, but I also respect that it's a decision that each person needs to make for themselves.

[rowena742]

It's not the writers; it's the network execs. The same thing happens when shows try to do storylines involving teenage girls and sex: there's almost always a pregnancy scare, because the suits get terrified that their sponsors will get boycotted by "concerned parents" because the show "supports" not waiting until marriage. Writers who want to portray sex realistically get driven up the wall by this sort of thing, and will discuss it at length after the show's ended.

[story645]

It seems though like some shows have gotten better, instead making sure that the characters used condoms or some other form of birth control in the show. I could see how it'd be the execs, though I feel like enough of this shows up in fic for it not to be a purely authority thing.