Posted on 11/06/2025 12:23:43 AM PST by Morgana
Destigmatized abortion increases the pressure for women to abort. If abortion is supposed to be a morally neutral option, then it makes sense to expect women to abort if we conceive in difficult circumstances. The circumstances could be conceiving while in poverty or in an abusive relationship, or any number of situations, but the pressure becomes especially clear when we conceive children with disabilities that can be detected prenatally.
For example, when discussing options with a woman who receives a prenatal Down syndrome diagnosis, a significant number of physicians and genetic professionals will self-report that they emphasize the negative aspects of the diagnosis in order to subtly encourage her to abort, or some of them will just straight tell her that she should abort. Similarly, in this study, when genetic counselors talked to women about what options they would have should they receive a prenatal diagnosis, 37% mentioned the option to continue the pregnancy, whereas 86% mentioned the option to abort.
In his recent article on abortion and ableism, Charles Camosy brought up the same problem. Camosy cites several pieces of research regarding ableism in the medical community, notably including the fact that physicians consistently rate the quality of life of their disabled patients worse than the patients themselves do. It is not difficult to imagine how such an outlook would affect physicians advising parents who have never had any particular experience with disability.
We’ve published a couple of accounts from parents, in their own words, about the kind of discrimination and pressure they experienced from the medical community when they did not want to abort their children with Down syndrome. These parents also talk about the comments they received even after their children were born, suggesting they must not have gotten the prenatal test; otherwise, surely, they would have chosen abortion.
This experience, and the frustration and anger over it, is not unique to parents who hold anti-abortion views. This article was written by a woman who supports abortion rights. She talks about the inappropriate questions she received long after her son was born from doctors and therapists and teachers. Essentially, they wonder why, in a world where prenatal testing is common and abortion is accessible and destigmatized, anyone would choose to carry a pregnancy of a child with a disability.
Of course, this line of thought is horribly ableist and dehumanizing to people with disabilities. It also speaks to the kind of stigma women can experience when we don’t want to abort in a society where abortion is morally neutral.
If you are interested in sharing your experience with prenatal screening, please complete this survey. (on link)
Dear FRiends,
We need your continuing support to keep FR funded. Your donations are our sole source of funding. No sugar daddies, no advertisers, no paid memberships, no commercial sales, no gimmicks, no tax subsidies. No spam, no pop-ups, no ad trackers.
If you enjoy using FR and agree it's a worthwhile endeavor, please consider making a contribution today:
Click here: to donate by Credit Card
Or here: to donate by PayPal
Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794
Thank you very much and God bless you,
Jim
in our early years, my wife refused to prescreen for the purpose of eliminating birth “defects” — will never forget, and will always revere her devotion to life
Our neighbor’s sister raised two boys and one had downs. The healthy boy lived to about his early twenties and died in a plane crash
The woman also outlived her husband. Her downs son cared for her for about 25 years until she passed.
How do you screen for down syndrome? Unless The tests have changed there is no 100% test to diagnose the syndrome in uterine or to rule it out. 90%? 95? 99% accurate?
The only way you could be 100% sure is if the diagnosis is made at birth.
So are these babies being aborted at birth?
“How do you screen for down syndrome? “
In the old days there was Amniocentesis which was very abrasive.
Now there is a blood test called MaterniT 21
From Google
MaterniT 21 Plus is a non-invasive prenatal test (NIPT) that uses a blood sample from the pregnant woman to screen for fetal chromosomal abnormalities, including trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 18, and trisomy 13.
Purpose
To detect fetal chromosomal abnormalities that may lead to developmental disabilities
To provide early information for prenatal counseling and decision-making
Procedure
A healthcare provider will order the test and collect a blood sample from the pregnant woman.
The blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology.
Results are typically available within 5-7 days.
Accuracy
MaterniT 21 Plus has a high accuracy rate for detecting trisomy 21, 18, and 13.
The test is over 99% accurate for detecting trisomy 21.
The accuracy may vary depending on factors such as the mother’s age and gestational week.
Results
Results are presented as positive or negative for each chromosomal abnormality.
A positive result indicates that the fetus is likely to have the tested abnormality.
A negative result does not guarantee that the fetus is free of the tested abnormalities.
Additional Information
MaterniT 21 Plus can also detect sex chromosome aneuploidies, such as Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome.
The test is not a diagnostic test and cannot confirm a fetal abnormality.
If a positive result is obtained, further diagnostic testing, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS), may be recommended.
Cost
The cost of MaterniT 21 Plus varies depending on the provider and location.
It is typically covered by insurance for pregnant women who are at increased risk for chromosomal abnormalities.
Who Should Consider the Test
Pregnant women who are 35 years of age or older
Pregnant women with a family history of chromosomal abnormalities
Pregnant women who have had an abnormal ultrasound result
Europeans, especially nordic countries, are well down this slippery slope. Iceland iirc has no Downs population left due to pervasive abortion practice.
In contrast I know people who refused the prenatal test on the grounds that they wouldn’t be considering abortion regardless, so the results would be irrelevant. I also know people who have a Downs child and consider him to be a great blessing.
I remember the shocked look on our midwife's face when my wife said no.
People who decide to abort a Downs syndrome child are foolish because these children are a blessing and just as wonderful as any child. I have a Downs niece and she is pure sunshine in today’s world. I wouldn’t trade her for any other person in the world.
This is where faith in God vomes in and the big FU to man.
Like the covid mRNA “non-vaccinating vaccine” shot from an aborted fetus.
Thanks Bishops....for your failed manhood before God.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.