88% of abortions occur during the 1st 12 weeks of pregnancy; less than 1% during the 3rd trimester.

[Tejanocrat]

3rd trimester abortions occur for many reasons, including because the woman did not learn until the 3rd trimester of a fatal defect in the fetus (or a 3rd-term-developed health complication for the woman).

Why should abortion not be a decision between a woman and her doctor under such circumstances?

[TheFarseer]

1. You're totally right

and most people are ignorant to this fact. I wonder how many would oppose severely handicapped babies being born and raised in special orphanages at significant tax payer expense.

[MrScorpio]

2. 59% of abortions could be eliminated if women had greater access to contraception and education

More knowledge and control over their bodies, I'm positive is the best toll for reducing the rate of abortions in this country, not restricting access to medical care.

I see that the rate drops off dramatically from 9 weeks on. This clearly shows that, and please forgive the cliche, an once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

And you are so correct about 3rd trimester abortions. These are clearly procedures given to women who wanted to have children, but made a heartbreaking decision to end their pregnancies.

If the anti-abortion/pro-life crowd really wanted to reduce abortions down between 80-90%, they would jump on board to a. help prevent unwanted pregnancies and b. help prevent birth defects with better and cheaper access to health care.

The facts are so overwhelming it's mind boggling that most of this crowd stand in absolute opposition to both positions.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

4. Don't forget the effect of a decent job and reliable health care...

Although I guess you could say that access to health care and contraception are the same thing. But look at how abortions declined under the Clinton Administration, and all that happened was that working class people had more money.

[MrScorpio]

5. Excellent point

All these factors help adjust the pregnancy rate to more wanted ones than unwanted ones.

Examples of why progressive policies are much better than regressive right wing ones.

[baldguy]

3. Abortion should be a decision between a woman and her doctor under ALL circumstances.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

6. I can't believe that people think women have late term abortions for "convenience"

Yet there are many out there who believe just that, thanks to relentless forced birther propaganda. This requires one to believe that (a) there are women who will go through several months of pregnancy and then impulsively decide to terminate and (b) that said women will find doctors willing to terminate healthy late-term pregnancies. Both these types of people are mythical and it says something pretty disturbing about the mentality of the people who believe in their existence.

[Tejanocrat]

7. Is Biden our ONLY candidate who opposes 3rd-term reproductive choice and no choice for poor women

who receive publicly funded health care?

[Stop Cornyn]

12. Yes

[FreeState]

8. k&r for equality

One more very important reason we must do everything we can to elect a Democrat as the next POTUS.

[AtomicKitten]

9. I have transcribed surgery reports in California for over 30 years.

Not once have I ever come across anything in the ballpark of a so-called "partial birth abortion," and, yes, that would have to be done in an acute care facility.

The only time that kind of late term intervention would happen is if the mother's life is in jeopardy. Most catastrophic chromosomal abnormalities are evident and acted upon much earlier on in the pregnancy.

The term "partial birth abortion" is and has always been a red herring.

[BreweryYardRat]

10. Hell, without massive health problems, I don't think they're even LEGAL in most states.

The right-wing needs a huge dose of facts crammed down their throats.

[Digit]

11. I have posted previously on my own situation which happened years ago

I was 5 months along when the fetus died inside of me. Unfortunately, I was being cared for by a rabid prolifer and did not even realize it. I knew the instant it happened which is kind of weird, but I had a "connection" with the life growing inside of me up until the time I felt the "disconnect".

I called my doctor and we had a sonogram...no heartbeat. He continued to leave it inside of me, "just in case". Meanwhile, more sonograms showed my uterus was growing smaller, and pregancy tests came out negative....no heartbeat still.

After a month of this agony, I called my old gynecologist. Another sonogram...uterus getting yet smaller, and no heartbeat.

Finally, when it began taking a toll on my mental health, I begged them to intervene and at first they tried to induce. Arghhhhh, the pain!

Then they did a D&C. My old doctor told me it was too mascerated to determine the sex as my body had been absorbing it for quite awhile. I had known it was a boy and had wanted confirmation of this.

If I had continued on with the nutcase ob, I might be dead right now.

Oh, I went on to eventually have a healthy daughter years later, so no need to feel sorry for me.

I just wonder where something like this would land on the "I had an abortion in a later trimester" bullshit.

[Tejanocrat]

13. Thank you for posting this. It sickens me when I hear people justify votes to ban 3rd trimester

rights on the phony argument that it just affects women who needlessly put of their decision to terminate their pregnancy.

I can't believe that any self-identified liberals tolerate Biden's vote to criminalize third-term abortions (and his votes against all abortion rights for women on public health care).