Abortion/recreation

About

The phrase recreational abortion appears to refer to abortion necessitated by becoming pregnant from recreational copulation, especially where such pregnancies (and abortions) are done repeatedly because contraceptions are not used. As a political myth, it is essentially the same as the claim that women use abortion as birth-control^A.

This does not appear to be a real phenomenon. Despite repeated references to its existence, we have never seen any statistics cited, much less sources. Given this, it appears to be nothing more than a troll phrase, since it offers only shaming and no actual solutions to a problem which doesn't seem to exist while drawing attention away from genuine solutions such as proper sex education, raising educational levels in general, and empowering women to make their own decisions via legal equality (reducing gender inequity).

It should be noted that when sex education is lacking (or abstinence-based, which is essentially the same thing) women may not be aware of the contraceptives available to them, or even how to avoid pregnancy when in intimate situations. Some communities also place restrictions on contraceptive availability, decreasing the chances that adequate contraception will be used during sex and therefore increasing the chance of an unwanted pregnancy. Inadequate sex education and lack of contraceptive access contribute to the problem in general, and are likely responsible for isolated cases of repeated medically-unnecessary abortions.

Links

Reference

• Action Canada: a pretty good list, with well-written explanations
  • MYTH: People use abortion as a means of birth control / people won’t bother with contraception if abortion is easily available.
  • MYTH: People have abortions for frivolous reasons.
• Bronx Abortion
  • Myth: Women use abortion as a method of birth control.
  • MYTH: Women have abortions for selfish or frivolous reasons.

to file

• 2017-01-17 Abortion shouldn’t be used as birth control: repeats the myth, building solely from one example
• 2016-02-04 Abortion as Birth Control: discussion of one reader's anecdotal evidence
• 2014-01-27 Meet the Wingnut Candidate: Susanne Atanus (by Ed Brayton) «"Abortions should not be used for birth control," she said during an endorsement session...»
• 2013-02-25 Dear Politicians: There Is No Such Thing As a "Recreational Abortion" "As someone who has had a dilation and curettage (D&C), I can firmly state that whatever the circumstances, it was by no means “fun,” a term most people would be inclined to associate with “recreational activities.”"
• 2010-02-13 Sure, it's legal, but is recreational abortion immoral?: "And at the very end of the pregnancy, they get partial-birth abortions. Meanwhile they take dozens of grizzly photographs of the procedure along with the dead fetus and then send them to the man's house. Lastly they send a letter and several pieces of evidence to the wife to document the husband's infidelity and ruin his marriage."
• 2009-08-16 Elective Recreational Abortion: IS in Obama's Government Health Care Rationing Bill: Forced Taxpayer-Funded Entitlement: claims that abortion is covered by a bill Obama supported (possibly Obamacare?)
• 2007-12-30 Learning Dutch lessons on teen pregnancy
• 2004-09-15 Recreational-Abortion Enthusiasts Applaud Repeal Of Partial-Birth Ban: brief satire describing viewpoint of mythical "abortion enthusiasts"