Study: Law Lowered Abortion Rate in Texas

[superconnected]

Abortion rates declined significantly among Texas girls — though some got riskier abortions later in pregnancy — after the state enacted a parental notification law, researchers say.


The findings could have a strong influence on the abortion debate. Texas is the biggest of 35 states that require minors to notify their parents or get their consent before obtaining an abortion, although a judge can usually grant a waiver.

Researchers at Baruch College at City University of New York studied the records of teen abortions and births for the two years before the Texas law took effect on Jan. 1, 2000, and for three years afterward.

Abortion rates dropped for girls ages 15 through 18, even though the 18-year-olds were not subject to the law. But the drop was more pronounced among the younger girls. Their rates fell 11 percent to 20 percent more than the rate among the 18-year-olds did.


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2617&ncid=2617&e=7&u=/ap/20060309/ap_on_he_me/abortion_parental_notification

[geomon666]

1. Why is that assumed to be a good thing?

Did the pregnancy rates go down too? Cause if they didn't that means these little girls are bringing these babies to term.

[JerseygirlCT]

4. Exactly what I was thinking

So it's a good thing that these girls were probably forced to carry the pregnancy to term b/c their parents wished it so? It's a good thing they lost control of their own bodies?

Where exactly is the progress here?

Why are we so stubbornly backward on this? Don't provide adequate birth control or education. Then limit abortions -- yeah, that solves the problem, doesn't it?

[Lars39]

2. How many women were kicked out of the house, or beat up or both?

[KamaAina]

3. The devil is in the details...

In the study, girls 17 1/2 or slightly older were one-third more likely to have an abortion in the second trimester than girls already 18 when they became pregnant, indicating many waited until they turned 18 to escape the notification requirement.

Abortion later in pregnancy carries a much higher rate of deadly complications, though the overall risk is still extremely small.

So, let me see if I've got this straight. The antis' law causes more late-term abortions? Nerts.

[superconnected]

5. I remember a friends pregnancy when she was 17

When her parents found out they kicked her out.

They didn't believe in abortion. In the end she had the kid and gave it up for adoption. She wanted an abortion but ended up living between friends houses, and dropping out of school, and not getting one in something like the first 5 months. When she went it was too late.

[RaRa]

6. Watch something else happen over time

The crime rate will go up. It happens everywhere there is less access to abortions. When Roe gets overturned, watch the quality of life variance between the states that do and don't allow abortions.

[Traveling_Home]

7. Deleted by author nt

[niyad]

8. isn't that exactly contrary to another study last week? anybody have the

link?

[DELUSIONAL]

9. I'd have to read the study -- not a reporter's version

to make an informed opinion.

BUT -- how many abortions took place in Mexico?? or back street/alley abortions?

According to doctors who remember the prehistoric days of roe v wade -- many abortions were off book or off record. Plus in Texas there was an underground transit to Mexico and none of these abortions ever were recorded (money was paid and no records kept).

My guess is that the girls who DO NOT follow the law have dropped off the radar.

[TaleWgnDg]

10. Hhhmmmmm . . . so if a state (here, Texas) threatens pregnant

Hhhmmmmm . . . so if a state (here, Texas) threatens and intimidates pregnant teenagers to tell their parents, then those pregnant teenagers WAIT to get an abortion until it's not as medically safe to get an abortion. Oh, wow. Doesn't THAT make sense, huh?




So much for all the *bible belt states*, huh?

.

[TaleWgnDg]

11. BTW, this AP headline and much of the story content is VERY biased.

[sutz12]

12. The beauty of the system

If they make abortion illegal, people stop counting them. Voila! Abortion rate goes down. :puke:

How about the mortality rate?

How many young girls lose the ability to be mothers later in life because of botched back alley abortions?