However, I wonder whether the availability of convenient contraception has led to changes in cultural attitudes to sex and children, which in turn makes people more likely to have abortion because they have more sex and are less willing to accept unplanned children.
Given the problems e.g. the Victorians had with foundlings, the fact that historical societies have had by our standards an absurd birth rate (either Julian the Apostate or Justinian complained about problems Constantinople had with a falling birth rate - comfortably more than a dozen), the risible effectiveness of abstenance only sex education, and many other factors, I think that the answer is that this simply isn't relevant.
And while I'm at it, I'd be fascinated by a cite for: One thing said by anti-contraception advocates is that a large proportion of the women who have abortions were using contraception whereas very few were practising NFP, FAM or LAM.
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dancing_serpent
(no subject)
Date: 2009-11-12 10:31 am (UTC)Given the problems e.g. the Victorians had with foundlings, the fact that historical societies have had by our standards an absurd birth rate (either Julian the Apostate or Justinian complained about problems Constantinople had with a falling birth rate - comfortably more than a dozen), the risible effectiveness of abstenance only sex education, and many other factors, I think that the answer is that this simply isn't relevant.
And while I'm at it, I'd be fascinated by a cite for:
One thing said by anti-contraception advocates is that a large proportion of the women who have abortions were using contraception whereas very few were practising NFP, FAM or LAM.
The best evidence I have indicates that a low abortion rate goes hand in hand with use of contraception, and that “The evidence is strong and growing that empowering women with the means to decide for themselves when to become pregnant and how many children to have significantly lowers unintended pregnancy rates and thereby reduces the need for abortion,” whereas "abortion occurs at roughly equal rates in regions where it is broadly legal and in regions where it is highly restricted"