New interesting abortion poll

Nurses General Nursing

Published

  1. Select one or more of the following options

    • 190
      For legalizing zygote abortion in all/most cases
    • 114
      Against legalizing zygote abortion in all/most cases
    • 190
      For legalizing embronic abortion in all/most cases
    • 134
      Against legalizing embronic abortion in all/most cases
    • 130
      For legalizing fetus abortion in all/most cases
    • 188
      Against legalizng fetus abortion in all/most cases
    • 62
      For legalizing partial birth abortion in all/most cases
    • 238
      Against legalizing partial birth abortion in all/most cases
    • 33
      Other options that this poll has not taken into account

1,279 members have participated

Instead of polling whether one is pro-choice or pro-life, I am going to do something different. I will try to use a less emotionally charged and hopefully more accurate terms - For/Against-Legalizing-Abortion (this thought was triggered by another member on this board in the partial abortion poll).

Here is the twist. The poll will ask you your feeling on abortion at different stages of development before the the mother gives birth. We stick to the clinical description so we are going to have zygote, embryo, and fetus. Oh, in the fetus case, the poll also put a special case for partial abortion.

Just so everyone is on the same page, follow are the definition of zyote, embryo, and fetus for the purpose of this poll.

Zygote - From conception to about 2 weeks. Toward the end of the zygote stage, it is probably about a millimeter in diameter. This is the stage before it is completely embedded in the uterine wall.

Embryo - Around week 3 to week 8. It is when the zygote is completely embedded in the uterine wall.

Fetus - Around weeks 9 till just before birth.

You can pick more than one choice in the poll also.

One more thing, when you vote "For", for example, it means you are for legalization abortion at that stage of development under all or most circumstances. If you feel it should not be legalized in most case with one or two exceptions, then pick "Against". If you have exceptions, then state your exceptions in the thread.

What else, when you vote "For" whatever, it just means you are for legalizing it, it does not necessary means you are "pro" it in terms of taking an active role to encourage it. So you may be for legalizing fetus abortion but you might even take an active role to discourage it, but the final decision is up to the person. So this poll is a little bit different, it is asking for "legalizing" it or not, not whether you are "pro" or "anti" abortion.

I hope I am not confusing everybody here.

-Dan

Specializes in Stepdown, ECF, Agency.

No, acrtually, I am the one who got slammed for expecting to get the education I paid for at a state funded school, one that is supposed to be neutral concerning political opinions. Many people share your opinion, and I respect your right to have it. Too bad I don't get this consideration back.

Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.

That's the nice thing about this site, we can agree or disagree with respect. I am PRO CHOICE not PRO abortion.

It's really irrelevant why a woman has an abortion. Bottom line is she finds herself pregnant, the baby isn't wanted OR the woman is not in a position to care for the baby. In any case, if the baby were to be born, it would most likely live a miserable life - that's worse than abortion.

Sometimes babies can be adopted if the mother chooses to carry to term, but many babies are those from alcoholic mothers or heroin addicts, crack mom's etc... so those babies aren't "desirable" because they are likely to have health or growth and development problems - so they stay in the hospital until they can be farmed into the foster home system.

What if the mother is just a stupid teenager who thought she could get away with unprotected sex "just this once". So what? Irresponsible yes, stupid yes, but it happens, and not just to teenagers. The outcome is the same, an unwanted baby. There is definitely a stigma to those women who choose to carry to term and then give their baby up for adoption. Most women can't handle the "how could you do that?" questions, "aren't you worried the baby won't find a good home?" or "haven't see you in a while, how is the baby?" BIG social stigma. The mother is now judged to be a unloving, uncaring person, after all "How could any woman just give her child away?"

Its a losing scenario for the pregnant woman who doesn't want the baby. So she chooses abortion.

There probably are those woman who use abortion as a form of birth control, because there are extremes in everything. The majority are just woman who see no other way out than to have a abortion, because if she has the baby and gives it up, family, friend and co-workers now think she is a monster.

Abortion is just sad any way you slice it. I see it as a necessary option - it saves babies from being found in dumpsters, or beaten to "shut them up", or "failure to thrive" because mother can't support it" or whatever.

Don't sit in judgment of others until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

Blessings

Specializes in Stepdown, ECF, Agency.

Thank you, I agree with you.

However one feels about abortion, I think it is really important that women start listening to each other and actually considering the experience behind the opinions. We need to find better options for preventing both unwanted pregnancy and unwanted abortions. We need better access to RELIABLE birth control.

These are not simple problems and it is a huge error in judgement as well compassion to think that women who have abortions do not think carefully and feel many different emotions before and after having an abortion. To reduce women to cardboard cutout, two-dimentional, mindless, selfish, baby-eaters is an insult to all women and an insult to the belief-trumpeters' ability to think.

It is easy to get behind a two-dimentional image and trumpet far and wide that these (add ethinc, genderal, or other slur) are evil evil. It is easy, but it is not smart, not patriotic, not compassionate.

Please, lets just drop the hate and talk.

I just want to be clear on the fact that I was a teen mom for two of my four children-i had no money-i was with a severely abusive man- i had to quit school-and they were(at the time) unwanted pregnancies---so i do know what it is like to have to make the tough decision to keep a baby---i did choose life for my children and it has been a long and bumpy road---but i now look at my now two teenagers and could not imagine life without them--sometimes responsibility is the best gift ever. :heartbeat

Specializes in Med surg, Critical Care, LTC.
I just want to be clear on the fact that I was a teen mom for two of my four children-i had no money-i was with a severely abusive man- i had to quit school-and they were(at the time) unwanted pregnancies---so i do know what it is like to have to make the tough decision to keep a baby---i did choose life for my children and it has been a long and bumpy road---but i now look at my now two teenagers and could not imagine life without them--sometimes responsibility is the best gift ever. :heartbeat

I'm so happy to hear it all worked out for you, and I agree, sometimes responsibility is the best gift, however, not everyone can see the forest through the trees. You made the choice right for you, and I applaud your decision, but not everyone see's that as an option.

I had an abortion when I was a teenager, initially, I wanted the baby, when I told the baby's father, he beat me up. My father was physically abusive, so I was afraid to tell my parents I was pregnant. I had an abortion. For me, that was the best decision. Now, as an adult with life experience behind me, I can certainly see other possible options, but at the time, I couldn't see any other choice. I've always wondered what that child would have been like. I don't, however, beat myself up for my decision.

A nurse friend of mine got pregnant while she and her husband were separated but trying to "work it out". He did not want the baby, ended up skipping town. She didn't want the baby as her youngest was 13 at the time, and she didn't want to have to start "all over" as a single parent. Besides, she was struggling with teenagers to boot. She decided to have the baby and give it up for adoption.

OMG!! You would have though she was a mass murderer or something. The hospital grapevine was "buzzing" with "what kind of nurse gives up her child", her church was less than supportive. She was ostracized - and ended up leaving the area. So, she did what "pro-lifers" want, but still got beat up over it. Was is because she was a professional? a nurse? already the mother of two teenagers? Who knows. Talk about a no win situation.

I keep in touch with her, and I backed her decision 100%. I didn't fault her for it, who am I to judge her?

She is happily divorced, her kids now grown, and she is in a stable relationship. She does not regret her decision, but she has a lot of anger toward those who judged her decision. I don't blame her.

Blessings

Specializes in Stepdown, ECF, Agency.

thank you for these stories. I am sorry that you had to go through that. I am sorry that your friend had to go through that.

I think a good poll would be "have you had birth control fail?" I don't believe the rates are as effective as they claim, and I don't think that so many abortions are caused by women being flighty and irresponsible. Some, probably, but not most.

Specializes in Stepdown, ECF, Agency.

I think that is beautiful, Statphleb. You are strong and couragous to be a mom in these circumstances, and a person of good character to stand by your beliefs. Blessings to you and your family.

Some people don't have your strength, or vision. Some don't have your belief system. Many don't have support of their parents, or community, that other people have. Everyone has a different situation.

I do not support abortion. I could never kill an innocent baby.

I basically think abortion is wrong in all ways. If a mother dosen't want a child, she should put it up for adoption.

Specializes in Stepdown, ECF, Agency.

Thanks for your opinion, Tim. I respect your right to hold that view, many, many people feel exactly as you do. I'm sure it makes a lot of sense from your 16 years of experience on this planet.

Fortunately for you, you will never have to make a decision about whether or not to have an abortion, and, since you are a man, it is much easier for you to make enough money to support any children you might conceive. Congratulations!

I hope that you and your family are happy and warm this Christmas.

We are all entitled to our opinions, and I can respect that. All I know is- I will do all I can to keep this country from going backwards into the 'good old days'. /sarcasm

I'll march on washington, sign petitions, raise money to protect women from having to revert to hangers, herbal abortions (an option women in my mother's country use) or baby-dumping. I will respect that others don't want abortion legal, but I will do what I can to keep it that way. In this country women have a choice. That is a big part of what makes it a great country.

I don't like the fact that people can stand on a street corner and spout hate rhetoric. But I understand that they can do it, it is their right as free Americans. Even though it would be an affront to my ears, I know that if the law made them stop or made it illegal, it would open up an even bigger can of worms. So I let it be, and I am still happy to be a citizen of this free country, and a woman who has a choice.

Specializes in Stepdown, ECF, Agency.

Thank you for this post and thank you for your activism.

It is my opinion that since I bear the ultimate responsibility for raising the child (the father doesn't, the government doesn't), and since I am in a unique position to know what circumstances the child will be born into, and since being pregnant involves a unique commitment of my own body and resources, that I, alone, have the right to decide whether to have an abortion or not. No government deserves control of my body. That is the ultimate invasion.

Furthermore, legally, granting the government the right to decide also opens the door for them to decide to make me abort. It has happened in China. It could happen here.

Having said that, I think abortions choices are made in often tragic, desperate,situations, and it is a difficult and saddening choice for many.

Let's hope that we can all work toward solutions that help reduce the descision to abort, while leaving our freedom and access to health care intact.

Thank you for this post and thank you for your activism.

It is my opinion that since I bear the ultimate responsibility for raising the child (the father doesn't, the government doesn't), and since I am in a unique position to know what circumstances the child will be born into, and since being pregnant involves a unique commitment of my own body and resources, that I, alone, have the right to decide whether to have an abortion or not. No government deserves control of my body. That is the ultimate invasion.

Furthermore, legally, granting the government the right to decide also opens the door for them to decide to make me abort. It has happened in China. It could happen here.

Having said that, I think abortions choices are made in often tragic, desperate,situations, and it is a difficult and saddening choice for many.

Let's hope that we can all work toward solutions that help reduce the descision to abort, while leaving our freedom and access to health care intact.

:yeah: You brought up a great point. I would love to see as much energy and vigor directed towards lawmakers to put in place better programs for women and mothers. I know SO many young women who stop going to school or work because of childcare issues. Instead of pushing women towards marriage which is an uncertain fix to a serious problem, there needs to be pressure on business owners to make their workplace child friendly. How can so many people rail against the death of children (abortion) yet after these children are born- silence is all you can hear after that. Or not- when these women need to get on public assistance the outcry starts up again. No one wants to pay for someone else's 'mistake'. At the same time I'm thinking- wait....didn't you encourage/steer this woman into motherhood by denying her a choice? How can she enjoy motherhood while living in a shelter or being in an abusive relationship because if she moves out she will be on the streets?

Where is the outcry for women in those situations? It is ok for babies to be born into poverty- as long as they are born...that is what some people seem to only care about, or at least that is all they fight for. Once that mom & child get into the system they are all of a sudden a burden. The precious mom becomes an outcast for not using birth control or finishing high school/college or getting married to the baby's father.:confused:

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