Oooookay... I have been staying out of this one, because it immediately became an emotionally charged feeding frenzy, but since it has been WEEKS and it STILL won't die, here's the deal:
Representative Todd Akin spoke thoughtlessly when he implied that there is such a thing as "legitimate rape." This took an emotionally charged topic and set it off the deep end, not only ensuring that nobody would listen to him for the rest of his career, but causing a lot of fallout as well. This incident is a perfect example of why most people in the public eye should not answer questions on the fly.
As long as one assumes that he wasn't referring to false rape claims (which DO happen, believe it or not, Law and Order SVU...), his intent was probably to use the word "violent rape," or some other term to distinguish between a single violent assault and cases of statutory or incestual rape. First off, let me say that HE DID NOT MAKE THIS UP. The idea seems to be (from all sides of this disagreement) that this guy is just some idiot who thinks that "people who are raped have different storks," (-excerpt from Bill Nye's vile profanity-laced tirade that I was treated to this morning, which not only ensured that he has lost my financial support for the rest of my life, but that I might be legitimately swearing off of facebook... more on that later.) Hey, did you know that you can still believe in science even if you are a Christian? Crazy, right?
Here are the facts (I have tried to use relatively unbiased sources, but I am sure that these percentages are not completely accurate... safe to say they are a decent starting point, though):
One in six women will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime. About 50% of those will include vaginal penetration. So that puts our base number at 1 in 12 or a little over 8%
There is a 5% chance of a woman becoming pregnant from a one-time unprotected sexual encounter. (http://www.rainn.org/get-information/statistics/sexual-assault-victims)
About 10% of women are infertile. (http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/infertility.cfm)
More than 50% of women of childbearing years are using oral contraceptives/IUDs. (http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_contr_use.html)
Some rapists use a condom to avoid DNA detection or STDs - maybe up to 15%. (http://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/22/nyregion/rapists-and-condoms-is-use-a-cavalier-act-or-a-way-to-avoid-disease-and-arrest.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm)
Now you can't add all of these percentages together, because a woman might be both infertile AND using birth control, or a might be vaginally raped with a condom. A fertile non-birth-control using woman might be vaginally raped by a non-condom-wearing attacker. It might happen. I am sure it has happened. But Rep.Todd Akin said, "...From what I understand, THAT'S REALLY RARE..." Not - "That doesn't happen." Looking at this info, even if you don't agree with it, you have to admit that his statement of rape-related pregnancies being rare is relatively accurate, or at least has some standing in reality.
Now from what I understand, a woman's chances of becoming pregnant lower when she is being put through acute physical or emotional trauma. I don't feel like looking this up because I am not immediately finding it on google, but it stands to reason that if trauma is a significant cause of fetus mortality (http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Abstract/2009/07000/Trauma_in_Pregnancy.25.aspx) that it would also be a hindrance to becoming pregnant. I think that is what he is saying by the stupidly phrased "female body has ways of shutting that whole thing down."
So, think what you might about Akin's remarks, the fact is that they are based in a widely held belief. People use rape as a reason to justify abortion. In my opinion, THAT is what is "indefensible."
The whole sticking point of abortion issues are - WHEN does a person become a person? If you are pro-choice, you have a sticky decision to make. You, like our government, must take into account arbitrary deadlines (179 days = not a person, but on that 180th day... Bam! Now it's a person) You must decide when a fetus is wanted and when it is not (killing a pregnant first trimester woman is a double murder?) But if you believe that a fetus is a person the moment that it is conceived, then your job is simple. Is abortion taking a life? Even a potential one? If so, it is immoral, and if it is immoral, that is absolute. It is no less the taking of a life if the woman was raped. We do not justify taking one life in the place of another unless both sides can consent.
My heart is heavy with the society that we have created. It is extremely disturbing that 1 in 6 women will be sexually assaulted in thier lifetimes. I already know of at least 10 women in my own life who have been the victims of assault. As a society, instead of putting band-aids on the gaping wounds that our actions are causing, we need to start the healing. We need to teach our sons how to be men. We need to teach our girls to be smart in the men that they choose. We need to have compassionate care for all women, and we need to get rid of the stigma that still attaches itself to the victims of assault. We need to condemn sexual predators for what they are, not laugh it off when the rapist is attractive or well-liked. We need to be a society that abhors evil, and one that provides compassion for men and women who are in trouble for whatever reason. A pregnancy should not be a punishment (well, you did it to yourself, so now live with it!), but neither is abortion the answer that we are looking for. Instead of focusing so much on laws, we need to start focusing on hearts. When responsibility mingles with compassion, that is going to be the morally right place to start.
