Abortion rates have risen among poor women, report finds

[alp227]

According to a report released by the Guttmacher Institute yesterday, abortion rates in the U.S. have dropped in the past decade among almost every subgroup of women – except for the impoverished. From the years 2000 to 2008, low-income women accounted for 42.4 percent of abortions. The report attributes this exception to poverty and the country’s recent economic recession.

While abortion rates in the U.S. have dropped 8 percent for most groups, poor women saw a 17.5 percent increase.

According to authors of the report,

“…The ongoing economic recession may have made it harder for poor women to obtain contraceptive services, resulting in more unintended pregnancies. In addition, when confronted with an unintended pregnancy, women who might have felt equipped to support a child or another child in a more stable economic climate may have decided that they were unable to do so during a time of economic uncertainty.”

More at Washington Independent; Guttmacher report

Hmm, what's the Religious Wrong reaction to this? Exploding heads and panic, or Beavis and Butt-head snickering?

[provis99]

1. if the religious right were really serious about reducing abortion.

They would ensure that poverty was wiped out. But they hate poor people more than they hate abortion, so fat chance of that happening.

[Indydem]

2. How does one eliminate poverty?

No matter what you do, you are just moving the bar. There will always be "poor" and "impoverished" people because it is a measure of percentages.

[My Good Babushka]

3. We could start by eliminating poverty

among people who work 40 hours a week. Seriously. I don't know why any society would put up with that. If you work 40 hours a week and still qualify for poverty programs like food stamps and subsidized housing, that is just another corporate subsidy. If corporations can't afford employees maybe they don't deserve them.

[TheWraith]

4. "Poorest" is not the same thing as poverty.

Someone can be the "poorest" of a sample group, but if they make enough money to securely and reliably pay their bills, have a decent home, and provide for their kids, they're not exactly in poverty.