One thing that has really stuck with me since last week's presidential debate is McCain's dismissal of the claim that the health of the mother should be an exception to an abortion ban. I mean, he didn't just dismiss it, he disregarded it as a concern, claiming that it was an excuse used by us lefties that could mean anything. You know: Geez, this morning sickness sucks. Guess I should use that old "health of the mother" exemption and go get myself an abortion. Geez, I'm inconvenienced by this pregnancy thing, guess I should use my health as an excuse...
So I looked up a few things- using that intellectual curiosity that it seems at least one Republican (thanks, General Powell!) still values. I knew that the U.S. has one of the worst maternal mortality rates for developed countries, that it's something like 29th in the world...
I don't have an exact citation for that, but I do for this one: according to UNIFEM, the UN organization that is dedicated to women's issues globally, 500,000 women die every year from pregnancy and childbirth complications. 99 percent of those deaths are in the developing world. That means 5,000 mothers in the developed world- like the U.S.- still die from pregnancy-related causes.
Do you get that? 5,000 women, who presumably have access of some sort, albeit in a private hospital or a free clinic, die from pregnancy complications. That's not a small number, and it's certainly bigger than it should be in a world that can send people into space. But evidently, and McCain's words are proof, women's issues, even those regarding their ability to give birth to children, are not issues. We are not invested as a world, much less a country, in protecting women, vulnerable or otherwise. We will, however, dismiss them, silence them, let them die.
Perhaps even more upsetting is the fact the complications from which so many women still die are mostly treatable: preeclampsia, for instance, or gestational diabetes in the U.S., and diseases like obstetric fistula in the developing world.
And within the U.S., guess who the women are that are dying from these problems? It's not the Cindy McCains of the world, that's for sure. It's the women in poor communities who cannot afford prenatal care, who cannot go to their monthly check-ups, and who may not know that such things are essential to their health.
But I guess that's not important enough, Mr. McCain. I guess it's just an excuse.
UPDATE: Thanks to my sharp father-in-law for noticing my faulty math...Fixed it!
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4 comments:
I'm loving your commentary, keep it up!
Wow, I wish I was that well spoken about an issue, any issue.
Maybe Eric Dion Baker is correct, I am going to like this blog.
Thx Kim - I *knew* you would dig this! And her writing, wow - I have let MaryAnn know that while we disagree on a few points (maybe more), I do have a tremendous amount of respect for her, her accomplishments, and her writing. I just think it would be fun to talk in person sometimes so we could break up the intesity a little...anywho...
So MaryAnn - I saw this post and I have mixed feelings about it. I will start with our common ground and agree with you that our country as a whole has a huge problem with the Venn intersection of healthcare, the lower class, and pregnancy. When those three things come together, it is absolute chaos, and every man, woman, and child for themselves. That situation desparately needs attention, and it will likely be the government and non-profits that heal our nation's wounds there.
Also, I will agree that there are very serious women's health issues regarding pregnancy, like the diabetes and high blood pressure we are both know very well. And yes, 5000 deaths for developed nations, including but not limited to the US, is still far too high, especially for a country that can send a man to the moon and let him walk around. Again, this also needs more medical attention.
My only slight spot of contention with you is the "health of the mother" exception. Saying "we are not invested...in protetcing women...we will dismiss them, silence them, let them die" is a bit of an extreme spin. I say that because there are women who have legitimate health issues. You did, as did my wife, and I'm assuming your issues, like ours, never drove you to consider abortion, would you agree? However, and I think that McCain should have clarified, there is a segment of the population who does abuse this caveat. Here in Nebraska is Dr. Carhart, a major player on the abortion scene (professor, performs partial-birth, lobbyist, you get the picture). My wife volunteered at the pregnancy counseling clinic right next door, so we are particularly attached to these issues. The abuse comes in to play because in a partial-birth scenario, a health reason is to be given. Some have issues we spoke of above, but for most, it's morning sickness, headaches, and swollen ankles. Those qualify as "health issues" for partial-birth abortions. That is where I believe McCain was coming from.
But again, for me, that's only 6% of the abortion issue. Hopefully our two sides can soon come together and do something about the 93% that are "inconvenient" or "unwanted". How do you think we go about solving *this* problem?
Okay- quick question, Eric: is birth control, like the pill, acceptable to you? I'm only asking because I know some groups consider that to be wrong as well. (All I know is, the next person to be on birth control after I get off the one I'm now will not be me. I've had enough of it and my body's done it's part...)
If we want to prevent unwanted pregnancies, I think there are two options: education on how pregnancy occurs in the first place (because so many don't know that sex can equal baby), and easier access to birth control, like the pill. The cheapest I've ever seen it is $7, and that can be a lot.
I think prevention is the best medicine, but I don't think we can assume that people aren't going to have sex. I think we are seeing what happens when people don't know what happens when you have sex- and I think we drastically overestimate people's knowledge about how easy it can be to get pregnant. I don't think it hurts to tell people you can get pregnant from sex any time you have sex, rather than just saying, don't do it.
That's my general solution. I mean, I think the girl who knows that any time you have sex you can get pregnant will that much more easily stand up to her boyfriend when he says it's not possible to get pregnant after the first time. And guys need to know this, too, so this scenario doesn't happen.
In my mind, knowledge is power. You know more, you make better decisions. I personally think preparing for as many situations as possible is better defense than being narrow-sighted and assuming something won't happen. So when Katie's a teenager, and if she's presented with the possibility of some boy trying to sleep with her (because every hetero girl goes through this), I want her to know the facts, so she can make the best decision for her.
And, perhaps most importantly, I want her to know that she can come to us if something happens or if she ever needs help. If she has questions, I want her to feel she can come to us with them, rather than create an atmosphere of taboos. I don't want to set up barriers or walls; I want my daughter to have the skills to make good decisions and exercise good judgment. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but I try and do that when I teach, too. I just think it's healthier. It touches on some other ideas I have about culture...but I'll save that for some other post.
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