There are people who think abortion (outside of specific exceptions for rape/incest/medical necessity) is morally impermissible. One of their defenses is that one can just not get pregnant.
This is a bad argument.
First, using protection is incredibly important, and everyone should do it, and anyone who doesn’t is being an idiot.
Most people’s sex drive is comparable to their food drive. It’s not something you can just ignore. If it’s not met, it starts to overwhelm your entire life. You won’t die from not having sex, but constant, consuming hunger is a horrible way to live. Even if you aren’t hungry often, there are times when hunger can be inflamed and magnified.
I have a lot of sympathy for people who got pregnant accidentally. Being very horny, and being seduced by someone, is as mind-altering as being drunk. Even when totally sober, while under the influence of those hormones it’s like being intoxicated. Normal decision-making processes are short-circuited. I’m pretty sure this is by design (damn you Azathoth!).
It doesn’t even have to be an intentional seduction. Two people attracted to each other can spiral into a deep mind-deranging lust if they follow natural incentives without extraordinary strictness of control.
So telling someone “Your brain and decision making was compromised, to the point that being on drugs can be less deranging, and this is because your body is designed to betray you at exactly this time in this way, but we’re gonna pretend you intentionally sat down and signed a contract while in a reasonable state of mind, so get fucked” is absolute bullshit. Every discussion about abortion rights should be done under direct acknowledgement that the participants were literally not in their right minds. Trying to treat them as if they were is straight-up fraud.
There are other possible arguments for/against abortion rights. But “people who don’t want to carry a child can just not get pregnant” is a terrible one.
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2 Responses to “Just Don’t Get Pregnant”
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This assumes only “in the moment” protection exists, like condoms, but there are many protections you can use/implement before you get into this altered state of mind.
The pill, the contraceptive implant that lasts 3 years, the iud etc
And the morning after pill allows you to prevent a pregnancy if you (somehow!) haven’t thought of these preemptive measures. It’s called the morning after but you actually have 72 hours after sex to take it, so the argument is not terrible at all.
I’m pro choice but I don’t know what to say here.
I’m pro choice with a cut off towards the end of the 2nd trimester, unless mother is in danger or baby won’t survive. UK has a good system and a cut off of 24 weeks. That allows for any decisions to be made, and also to see if the baby will have any Down syndrome or such.
Babies can survive outside the womb after 24 weeks so a c-section will deliver the baby and the woman can leave the baby to the state. I don’t see why an abortion would be preferable unless one subscribes to eugenics. The procedure is same or less invasive to the mother.
In the 3rd semester also studies have shown that babies learn to recognise their mother’s voice and they respond to it, so they have a state of consciousness, they have become a person and can survive outside the womb. I don’t subscribe to life at conception.
I don’t expect you to publish this because though you’re still part of the far left even you protest against some aspects. I’m the left of a decade ago.
* English is not my first language
> there are many protections you can use/implement before you get into this altered state of mind.
I agree! I use one of those myself, it’s great. But some people can’t. :(
Morning after pill is a very good idea as well. I feel some sympathy for people who get pregnant accidentally, even if it is dumb. Also, morning after pill can be unavailable to (for example) teens that are in red states with sex-negative parents.
> I’m pro choice with a cut off towards the end of the 2nd trimester
This is very common. I realize I am an extreme outlier in my opinion of how long abortion should be allowed. Almost everyone on the left thinks I’m too extreme on this topic. But this post wasn’t an argument about a timeline, it’s entirely applicable to arguements for a first-trimester-only abortion allowance. I was expressing sympathy for the accidentally pregnant, and disdain for those who say that one can “just not get pregnant”.
> I don’t see why an abortion would be preferable unless one subscribes to eugenics. The procedure is same or less invasive to the mother.
I do actually subscribe to giving our children the best and healthiest lives they can. But abortion is far FAR less invasive than a C-section. C-section is major surgery!