[Hodar]

Wouldn’t it be nice if the female body would only allow conception based upon a conscious decision? No unwanted pregnancies, no “accidents” - every child would be planned and wanted.

If I were a Mad Scientist ... that would be my crime against humanity. Some genetic twist such that the default state was sterilization, and that only with a deliberate, conscious action; conception would be possible. Say, a large dose of Vitamin C (cheap, abundant, non-toxic) taken a few hours before conception.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Great. Let’s re-argue this argument again and see if we can lose the Akin race by 20 points instead of 10 points. There is no value to having this debate at this point. Save it for after the election.

[DManA]

Why do you people keep digging this hole deeper?

[Lorianne]

The percentage of rapes that result in pregnancy is low because the percentage of women who are ovulating at the time of rape is low. The chances of being raped at all, much less at the precise time of ovulation is extremely low. You probably have more risk of getting hit by lightening.

This is so stupid.

You do not need to say any of this to maintain a 100% pro-Life position. It is just not neccessary and it HURTS the pro-Life cause.

[JimRed]

It has been pointed out that stress, such as that caused by a rape, can delay or prevent ovulation. He probably heard that but didn’t get it quite right.

And “legitimate” probably refers to the number of rape cases (the non-legitimate ones) that are buyer’s remorse followed by an accusation.

He was still stupid to put it the way he did, but not with evil intent.

A better way would have been “should an innocent child die for the misbehavior of another person?”

[cuban leaf]

I listened to an “expert on rape” on NPR last week discussing his remarks. It was an amazing hit piece against him and calling out the absurdity of his claim. What was comical was that she mentioned in passing that she got a lot of calls from doctors who wanted to support what he said but she blew them off.

I thought, “Huh? There are doctors that say there is truth to the ‘shutting down’ comment? That certainly sounds like something a curious person would want to pursue.”

But then, she was not curious. She is a paid attack dog on a liberal and publicly funded “news” source.

[txrangerette]

Please let it die.

The enemies of FREEDOM are keeping it alive, why must any of us??

This guy Akin retracted it and said his original statement was not accurate.

It was so stupid to bring up this “theory” about the liklihood or not of rape resulting in pregnancy. Stupid, stupid, STUPID!

Do not double down on STUPID.

[newheart]

A 1988 textbook, the second edition of “Human Sex and Sexuality” by Edwin B. Steen and James H. Price, estimates a 2 percent pregnancy rate. A 2012 textbook, “Comprehensive Gynecology,” 6th edition, gives an estimate of between 2 percent and 5 percent and states that “in the experience of most sexual assault centers, the chance of pregnancy occurring is quite low.” Estimates depend on flawed methods, with inevitable biases. An experiment to give an accurate figure is, of course, impossible.

Please read the last line of that quote. "An experiment to give an accurate figure is, of course, impossible." So how exactly is it that WND can title this piece with the words "Akin not far off base.."? For crying out loud if you can't verify those numbers you cannot make the statement that a woman who endures forcible rape isn't likely to get pregnant. There are so many factors involved in the occurence or non-occurence of a pregnancy, that I would guess that the issue of "forcibility" (or legitimacy as Akin would put it) is not very high on the list.

Those politicians and commentators who are calling for Akin’s head have signaled where their priorities lie.

Hogwash. Perhaps for politicians and commentators on the left that might be true. For those on the right, it is not about preserving the rape or incest exception, is about removing a pro-choice Senator McCaskill, and ensuring a pro-life majority in the Senate.

I have said this before. Thanks to the media, Akin will go down in history as the guy who tried to argue that there is such a thing as legitimate rape. Whether you think that is true or not, it pales in comparison to the reality that by refusing to withdraw and give up the nomination to someone like Sarah Steelman, he may have just facilitated the rape of the Republic.

[Paved Paradise]

Apparently, some people just don’t GET that even ovulating women aren’t necessarily going to become pregnant. As the doctor has stated, there is much complexity to this process. It appears as if it isn’t just progressives who get all emotional over certain issues. Nobody is condoning or supporting rape. I don’t know what Akin really MEANT, but fortunately most rapes do NOT result in pregnancy. And let’s face it, the Choice Crowd just uses this as an excuse. Even if we could have a law that said “only in the case of abortion/incest,” they would NOT go with it. They want abortion on demand...when they want it and where they want it.

[Truthsearcher]

Not far off base? Is that a backhanded compliment? So he’s still off base, just not *that far*?

Wrong but not far, is that the new “fake but accurate”? That’s a great slogan for a senate campaign, vote for the not far off base guy.

[Uncle Chip]

“From what I understand from doctors, that’s (conception as a result of rape) really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something, I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.” – Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo.

The more that people actually look at the words that Akin spoke, the less offensive they appear. For example how many people since his words were spoken overlooked the above words: "to try". Very few of the histrionic hyperbolizers on this issue unfortunately.

[reasonisfaith]

Good post.

What would make a conservative poster on this site call for silence on this, when there’s no way our discussing it will have any effect on the mainstream narrative?

[soycd]

And the point trying to be made is what? akin made his point and he is out of politics for good after he loses bigtime.

[hecht]

Once again Akins supporters go on to say he apologized for a misstatement, and then go on to try to prove his statement correct.

He said what he meant and meant what he said. A morons a moron 100%

[Mr. K]

It doesn;t matter

He was stupid to let a liberal whorenalist interview him on the subject.

You won’t see McCaskill going on Hannity, would you?

Why does anyone in the GOP even talk to the libtards?

[zeugma]

Here are two articles posted to FR recently.

Stress signal causes abnormal implantation location and pregnancy loss

 and

Stress Puts Double Whammy On Reproductive System, Fertility

 

Now, unless one is willing to say that rape is not stressful, then perhaps the body does have a natural defence against it. Naturally, it isn't foolproof, but it would seem that it does lower the risk of unwanted pregnancy in the wake of a forcible rape. I can't say that I'm surprised at all that this is the case.

Concerning Akin, given the garbage that spews out of Biden's mouth on an almost daily basis, I'm not really interested in lynching this guy because if his inarticulate response to an asked question.

 

[Dajjal]

Pro-Life bump

[Springfield Reformer]

Ping for reference

[Brian Kopp DPM]

I think everyone who has been in the pro-life movement a long time knew exactly what Akins was saying. Akin was simply repeating what John Wilke MD had said. Wilke was distinguishing “legitimate” (i.e., forcible) rape from statutory rape, which though illegal is usually consensual and therefore does not induce the stress, psychological and physical trauma that forcible rape creates. And we had all heard for years that pregnancies following rape were rare.

Pregnancy is less likely after rape, leading ob/gyn says

CWN - August 28, 2012

Dr. Thomas Hilgers, a Creighton University obstetrics professor and director of the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction, has revealed that statistics show women are less likely to become pregnant when they are raped than when they engage in consensual intercourse.

Noting that “the emotional impact of rape often clouds a legitimate and truthful discussion,” Dr. Hilgers said that a study of rape victims in Nebraska found that only 1.6% became pregnant, whereas a random sample would have found 2-4% of all women pregnant after an act of intercourse. He concluded that “complex mechanisms of human ovulation and its interaction with stress” could explain the discrepancy.

Dr. Hilgers made his observation in the context of a debate provoked by statements from Rep. Akins, the Missouri candidate for the US Senate, who has come under intense criticism for saying that a woman’s body has methods of preventing pregnancy after rape. Dr. Hilgers emphasized that although some such forces may be at work, they are not under the woman’s control.

Dr. Hilgers also stressed that pregnancies resulting from rape account for only a tiny proportion of all pregnancies, and for less than 0.01% of all abortions. He added: “Furthermore, of those rape victims, 98.4% of them will not be helped in any fashion by abortion; and, for those who are aborted, they are then potentially confronted with a double dose of psychological trauma.”

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Pregnancy, Rape, and Abortion

  Pregnancy, Rape, and Abortion

  Posted by admin on Thursday, August 23, 2012 · Leave a Comment 

  This is our latest press release, and I would like to provide it to you for your information:

  

  August 22, 2012 (Omaha, NEBRASKA) – According to Thomas W. Hilgers, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist who directs a reproductive ultrasound center that specializes in the study of naturally-occurring ovulation events at the National Center for Women’s Health in Omaha, Nebraska, “the question of rape always stirs the emotions whenever it is introduced into the abortion debate. Unfortunately, the emotional impact of rape often clouds a legitimate and truthful discussion.”

  In the State of Nebraska from the years 2005 through 2011, there were 26,521 abortions reported to the Nebraska Health & Human Services Division. Of those abortions, 65 were performed for the indication of “sexual assault.” This is a rate of 0.2% of all the abortions performed. Hilgers says, “In other words, 99.8% of all the abortions performed in the State of Nebraska (and this would be relatively representative of other states as well) are performed for reasons other than rape. It should also be pointed out that, during the same period of time, the abortions performed for the indication of ‘incest’ numbered two and the incidence was 0.01%.”

  During this period of time, there were 4,111 forcible rapes and sexual assaults reported in the State of Nebraska for those 65 abortions. “Presuming that all of the forcible rapes have been reported, this is a pregnancy rate of 1.6%, which is considerably lower than one would expect for a random act of intercourse, the pregnancy rate of which should range from 2% to 4%,” said Hilgers. “This concurs with recent statements that the pregnancy rate from forcible rape and sexual assault is lower than it is in normal fertility. Furthermore, of those rape victims, 98.4% of them will not be helped in any fashion by abortion; and, for those who are aborted, they are then potentially confronted with a double dose of psychological trauma.”

  Our studies of human ovulation by ultrasound (which number over 3,000 separate cycles) and also our study of the natural fertility system show that ovulation can be delayed by stressful events, and that this actually is quite common. Thus, the idea that a woman’s body can “shut down” ovulation and prevent pregnancy is also a true statement. Of course, this is not under the woman’s control. It is an effect of the complex mechanisms of human ovulation and its interaction with stress,” said Hilgers.

  “We have the responsibility of finding the rapist and prosecuting him to the full extent of the law and being very firm about it,” Dr. Hilgers said. “We also have the responsibility to the woman who is the victim of rape. But when 98.4% of rape victims do not become pregnant but suffer the emotional trauma of the rape, then crisis intervention and support is extremely helpful and important. More emphasis on this type of support needs to be provided.”

  Dr. Hilgers is an obstetrician-gynecologist who specializes in reproductive medicine and surgery. He is also the Director of a nationally accredited Reproductive Ultrasound Center and the Director of the National Center for Women’s Health in Omaha, Nebraska. He is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology in the Creighton University School of Medicine and the Director of the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction.

  Pope Paul VI Institute & National Center for Women’s Health