This Morning's White House Call on Abortion Reduction: After-Action Report

Women of color disproportionately have unintended pregnancies that may end in abortion because of poverty, health care disparities, religion, disabilities, age, geography and a host of other reasons. We are pleased that President Obama's Administration joins us in the call for reducing the need for abortion. This wording is very important because campaigns to reduce abortions without reducing the unintended pregnancies create bad consequences and fewer options for women. Many women make the decision whether to become a parent or not based on many factors such as lack of health care, education, affordable child care and housing, violence in their lives, family support, jobs, etc. These are Reproductive Justice issues that must be considered when discussing strategies for reducing the need for abortion. I represent the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, a coalition of 80+ women of color and allied organizations working for reproductive justice for women of color, poor women, incarcerated women, and all who experience human rights violations that complicate decisions about if and when to parent. Speaking personally, I also was a teen parent -- through incest -- who decided to keep and raise my child, but did not want to give my child up for adoption. Those who blithely assume adoption is an option may not be sensitive to the complicated issues women confront when faced with an unintended pregnancy. It is important that women have the social supports they need in order to decide to parent. The saddest thing in the world is a woman who has an abortion who really wanted the child. We have to help women who want to become parents do so, just as we have to help women who do not want to continue pregnancies obtain safe, legal and affordable abortion services.

Loretta Ross of GA 2:23PM April 06, 2009