To ask if anybody on here is pro-life?

[Teeandee]

When it comes to the subject of abortion I've noticed a high number of people on here are very pro-choice and support abortion. Is there anybody else, like me, who doesn't?

Everybody is entitled to their opinion of course and I don't think badly of anybody who has had a termination and I don't judge. It's only my personal outlook and life experiences that shape my view and was wondering if I really am in the minority here?

Acorn totally respect your view but I don't agree that pro life groups only seek to educate having been roughed up, spat on, screamed at and harassed escorting women in to the BPAS (for screening) when I worked with Rape Crisis

I have been called 'worse than Hitler' had a car driven at me and been sworn at by a nun - non of them educated me

@holasoydora I’m 27, I’ve been ‘fertile’ for 14 years & I’ve had 0 unwanted pregnancies. It happens, to perfectly sensible people - failed contraceptives is not unheard of, we all know that. But 4,5,6,7 abortions during your fertile years is highly unlikely due to contraception failure every time & more likely due to not giving a shit at the time & seeing it as a solution to a problem. That’s what I & others I imagine disagree with. Does that mean I think a woman going for her 7th abortion should be denied the right? No. I just don’t agree with the irresponsible behaviour that leads to that many abortions.

**Ghostly
I know. You’re right that some people get harrassed. My statement was misleading. I think those people you are referring to do absolutely nothing for the pro life movement. Totally against that vile behaviour. Although there are plenty pro life group who do positive work

I don't define myself as pro-life or pro-choice. I personally believe that life begins at conception so morally I really struggle with abortion as I see it as taking a life.
That said I am not without sympathy for people who find themselves in difficult circumstances. I think there is a case for more personal responsibility, that choice about what happens to your body has to be considered earlier, if you really can't have a baby to the level of knowing you'd abort then you need to be using multiple methods of contraception at least. I know that is grossly over simplifying very complex and often heartbreaking situations so I do accept there are shades of grey. I really have no support for those who picket outside clinics, you can support a view of abortion that wants the baby to be considered a life and factored in without demonizing all women who find themselves in the situation.
I wouldn't want to roll the clock back to the days of backstreet abortions so while I have a real moral issue with abortion on a personal level I think making abortions illegal again is not really an option.
I would like to see changes in practice though. A better system and more tolerant view of adoption in society with that promoted as a realistic alternative - pie in the sky thinking there. The date lowered though and more pre (with considering alternatives raised) and post abortion counselling.

So pro-life people accept abortions should be legal?
My understanding was they didn’t. I am glad that pro-lifers do then.

holasoydora
It's not a misogynistic phrase at all.
If someone doesn't wish to be a parent then use contraception. Yes contraception can fail, but there are morning after options and abortion. Multiple contraception failures is more likely not using contraception. If someone isn't mature or responsible enough to sort their sexual health and contraception out then they arent responsible enough to be having sex.

People being repeatedly lax with contraception, not using contraception and then being surprised they've got an 'unplanned' pregnancy are being irresponsible.

I know of a few people who've had 'surprise' babies whilst choosing to repeatedly have unprotected sex. If they had repeated abortions to deal with it then I would absolutely support their right to a safe and legal abortion whilst fundamentally disagreeing with their irresponsible attitude towards conception.

op: I don't think badly of anybody who has had a termination and I don't judge

Also op: these are the woman I have distain for

Typical pro-lifer.

I am pro-choice. I don't think whether you think you would have one yourself matters - it is that you don't think you have any right to suggest or demand what other women do

Got no time for “typical prolife” “typical pro choice” chat. Highly educated and intelligent people and arguments on both sides. Also- arseholes on both sides.

Like other pro life people. If I were prime minister tomorrow I would not make abortion illegal. We live in a world and a country where people want access to it. I would,however,love more people to become pro life. Whether that’s to encourage others to support a lower limit or whatever.

I'm pro choice, as early as possible but as late as necessary. Nobody should have the right to deny a woman a termination, if they can't sign off on one due to moral or religious reasons then direct the woman to someone who can. I'm also in favour of bodily autonomy & if a woman of any age asks to be sterilised then her choice should be respected, she should not be forced to take hormonal methods or have lumps of metal inserted if this is not what she wants, it should be her body, her choice.

Highly educated and intelligent people and arguments on both sides

I haven’t seen that here.

I am surprised pro-life now means people who think abortion should be legal. This used to be the pro-choice position. Hey ho.

I had a pregnancy scare. Condom split, minipill didn’t work.

A pregnancy scare usually means someone thinking they are pregnant for whatever reason but then they do a test and they're not. If that's the case your mini pill did not fail and you would have no way of knowing if unit had unless you became pregnant?

@Helmetbymidnight

I judge people who have repeat abortions but take no steps to prevent the pregnancies in the first place or after the fact and continue to have unsafe sex and conceive yet another unwanted baby, absolutely.

I also judge men who don't use protection and then throw a strop about not being ready or wanting a baby once one has been conceived and expect the woman to endure an abortion.

I don't judge women who abort to save their own lives, or when their babies are severely disabled and are likely to endure extreme suffering from birth and are unlikely to survive outside of the womb.

After considering all of the replies it would appear that perhaps I'm not completely pro life because of how I'm swayed by the extenuating examples I've outlined above.

I'm definitely absolutely against abortions being had unless completely necessary IE to save life or prevent physical suffering.

A pregnancy scare usually means someone thinking they are pregnant for whatever reason but then they do a test and they're not. If that's the case your mini pill did not fail and you would have no way of knowing if unit had unless you became pregnant?

I got positive tests then started bleeding very soon after. So a chemical pregnancy. It was a “scare” because I had an unwanted pregnancy but didn’t end up having to deal with it.

Helmetbymidnight
I think (thankfully) there's a distinction being made between people holding personal pro life views (with their own lines) for their bodies whilst also believing other women should have the same freedom to choose and the anti-choice types who think their opinion should limit other women.

I quite like the debate being refrained as being either pro choice or anti choice. Regardless of your personal decisions on abortion, it comes down to whether you believe other women should be able to exercise autonomy.

There is always talk of the 'people who use abortion as contraception' on these threads. Professionally I have met a couple of people who I assume fall into this category. They have lead chaotic lives significant difficulties. It's really easy on Mumsnet to talk about using contraception etc but it's not that simple in the real world for everyone.

So although other ‘pro-lifers’ here (bizarrely) think abortion should be legal ie they are pro-choice,
you are the type of pro-lifer who believes women should be forced to give birth, even very young girls, even rape victims, even women in severe financial or mental health difficulties.
You judge people who have terminations for the wrong reasons even though you pretended you didn’t.
It’s good to see people like you- it reminds us that the fight is not over yet.

OP you judge women who have repeat abortions- these are some of the women you said should be made to carry their babies to term and give them to loving families to adopt yes? So you would turn women into enforced surrogates instead. Do you really think that's the better moral position?

Yeah pro-life is such a meaningless phrase- pro choice or anti choice makes more sense- doubt it will catch on tho!

Yeah pro-life is such a meaningless phrase

Yes completely meaningless when you have a poster on this very thread who is calling themselves pro-life whilst admitting that they wouldn't allow abortion if the pregnancy will probably kill the woman, only if it definitely will. I mean WTF is pro- life about that?

@TwistedStitch I didn't say they should be made to do anything, I don't believe anybody should be made to do anything.

I said adoption was in my opinion a better option, others don't have to agree.

The thread is about our individual opinions, not forcing the hand of other people to conform to my ideals.

I’m pro-life OP. Very much so.

Perhaps pro life isn't the right way to describe my own views.

I'm against abortion unless in extreme circumstances, is probably a better way to describe it.

Some people are more fertile than others, so the argument that because you personally have never fallen pregnant following a contraceptive failure doesn’t mean no one has.

And on the “using abortion as contraception” line, I’m sorry but I really don’t buy it. People who have multiple abortions may have other complicating factors - chaotic lives, damage from their own upbringings etc etc. How can you possibly know how lightly or seriously they’re taking each decision? How traumatised or not they are by it? Why they failed to use contraception?

Who are these women repeatedly choosing to put themselves through an invasive, physically painful medical procedure? And why?

And even if there really are these women casually having a painful procedure on a whim (which I really personally don’t believe there are) - what is the “pro-life” alternative? Do you really believe they should be forced to continue a pregnancy and go through birth?

exactly nerrSnerr - people often can not see any life other than their own - they judge from their life point - I can't imagine women having multiple repeat terminations are especially blessed with calm stable lives (well I know so from my work!)