Abortion Pro Choice

Pro-Choice or Pro-Abortion?

Opponents of reproductive choice like to use the term "pro-abortion" for the rest of us. It's a backhanded way to be insulting, which is convenient, but the word is inaccurate. Here's why.

You see, being pro-choice is not the opposite of being "pro-life." That's what seems to baffle anti-abortion folks. They only want women to have one "choice"-giving birth once they are pregnant-so they try to paint us into the opposite corner. We must want women to have only one choice too-having an abortion. Thus, "pro-abortion." Right?

Of course, that isn't true. We favor choice itself, not a particular choice. In fact, we may even favor "life" ourselves. Many pro-choice people are personally opposed to abortion, wouldn't have one themselves, and would prefer that it didn't exist. They just don't feel that they have any right to make choices for other people.

If "pro-life" means "I think that all pregnant women should continue their pregnancies to term, with maybe a few exceptions, and I might even support laws requiring them to do so," then "pro-abortion" would have to mean "I think that all pregnant women should abort their pregnancies, with maybe a few exceptions, and I might even support laws requiring them to do so."

But nobody takes that position. So nobody can correctly be called "pro-abortion," and there is no opposite of anti-abortion.

Instead, what we are saying is "I think that all pregnant women should have choices about their pregnancies, with no exceptions, and I support laws requiring both abortion and continued pregnancy to be available."

In short, we are "pro-choice." It's the only accurate word.

All pro-choice people also support choice in the area of contraception and pregnancy prevention as well. It's the "pro-life" movement that resists birth control choices, making the term "anti-choice" even more accurate than "anti-abortion."

(c) 2000 Margaret Sykes

Major pro-choice players include:

CARAL
California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League site includes news and how to get involved. Not just for Californians.

Catholics for a Free Choice
Organization working in the Catholic social justice tradition. Temporary web site with a few good articles.

Feminist Majority Foundation
Website covers feminist news and issues, including reproductive rights.

Medical Students for Choice
Medical students and residents who work to make reproductive health training part of U.S. medical education. Good articles.

National Abortion Federation
NAF is "the voice of abortion providers" in the U.S. All about issues, clinic violence, plus abortion fact sheets.

NARAL Choice for America
Network of grassroots funds which grant or loan money to U.S. women for safe, legal abortion.

Planned Parenthood
PP provides health care and sexuality education and advocates for choice.

Pro-Choice Public Education Project
PEP is a super resource for information and pro-choice activism.

WCLA
Westchester Coalition for Legal Abortion website has news, articles, and newsletters.

© 2000 Margaret Sykes