Who is Doing More to Prevent Abortion – Those Who March and Protest or New York City Schools?

Choosing Common Sense - Well That Does Make Sense

In criminal law not all offenses are considered equal.  Jaywalking is not murder.  Shoplifting is not bank robbery.  And in the world of social issues birth control is not abortion.  For those who are sincerely opposed to abortion preventing unwanted pregnancies, which are the major cause of elective abortions should be a top priority.

So New York City schools have started a pilot program whereby family planning services and contraception are made available in the schools. 

A New York City pilot program to distribute morning-after pills and other contraceptives to high school students has encountered little resistance from parents since it began early last year, health officials said Sunday.

And why should anti-abortion rights groups cheer the program?  Well the answer is pretty simple.

“In New York City, over 7,000 young women become pregnant by age 17 — 90 percent of which are unplanned,” Alexandra Waldhorn, a health department spokeswoman, said. “We are committed to trying new approaches, like this pilot program in place since January 2011, to improve a situation that can have lifelong consequences.”

Notice that the program contains a parent opt-out.  So everything would seem to be in place for an effective, successful abortion reducing practice.  But there are opponents.

Greg Pfundstein, executive director of the Chiaroscuro Foundation, an anti-abortion group in New York, questioned whether parents were really giving informed consent.

He also cited a 2010 British study, published in The Journal of Health Economics, which suggested that the increased availability of emergency contraception caused some teenagers to increase sexually risky behavior.

Interesting, Mr. Pfundstein’s position is that parents don’t know what they are doing, so government has to take over management of the their children’s lives.  Not exactly a Conservative position is it? 

But let’s suppose Mr. Pfundstein’s other point is correct, that increased availability of contraception causes more teenagers to increase sexually risky behavior.  That is not good, but isn’t it better than an abortion?