Reply #55: In Canada and Western European w/ national healthcare coverage, abortion is covered. Here's an

[kath]

interesting article on the subject:
http://open.salon.com/blog/grannypower/2009/08/05/abortion_controversy_threatens_healthcare_reform
Excerpt:
Check out this information from the Center for Disease Control in 2004: "In this report, the abortion rate for the United States was higher than rates reported for Canada and Western European countries."

Does this sound strange? Canada and Western European countries have national health coverage, including coverage for elective abortions. The USA doesn't, yet its abortion rate is higher. One side note, abortions decreased more rapidly during the Clinton Administration than it did during the Bush II Administration.

So let's stop all the arguing for a few minutes and look at the facts.

With guaranteed healthcare coverage, people will have more accessible income to spend to care for their families. They will have a sense of security that they don't have now. When and if an unexpected pregnancy happens, will they be more or less likely to get an abortion in this situation?

Or in a society that has healthcare security, will women have better access to birth control? Will they have a regular doctor who can advise them on reproduction, either as teenagers or women beyond middle age, but still of childbearing age?

Folks, the writing is on the wall. Women living in a society that provides some healthcare security don't have as many unwanted pregnancies nor do they opt for abortions as a consequence.
(more at link)