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Posted on 08/22/2012 3:08:34 PM PDT by JediJones
First, let's define the term "rape." When pro-lifers speak of rape pregnancies, we should commonly use the phrase "forcible rape" or "assault rape," for that specifies what we're talking about. Rape can also be statutory. Depending upon your state law, statutory rape can be consensual, but we're not addressing that here.
Assault rape pregnancies are extremely rare. Most pro-lifers have heard this comment, but too often cannot back it up with facts. A candidate for office in the State of Arkansas made this comment before the last elections. He was roundly criticized and ridiculed by the opposing candidate and the media. Unfortunately, there was no evidence that he offered substantive proof to back up his claim that rape pregnancies were rare.
How many forcible rapes result in a pregnancy? Some feminists have claimed as high as 5 to 10 percent, which is absurd.
Finally, factor in what is certainly one of the most important reasons why a rape victim rarely gets pregnant, and that's physical trauma. Every woman is aware that stress and emotional factors can alter her menstrual cycle. To get and stay pregnant a woman's body must produce a very sophisticated mix of hormones. Hormone production is controlled by a part of the brain that is easily influenced by emotions. There's no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy. So what further percentage reduction in pregnancy will this cause? No one knows, but this factor certainly cuts this last figure by at least 50 percent and probably more. If we use the 50 percent figure, we have a final figure of 225 (or 370) women pregnant each year.
(Excerpt) Read more at christianliferesources.com ...
Kind of a silly article.
Assumes all rapes are reported, and then uses not particularly logical reasoning to whittle down the numbers more.
OTOH, the 30,000 number for annual rape pregnancies commonly reported is also likely to be seriously flawed.
For it to be accurate, a women must be twice as likely to get pregnant from rape as from an act of consensual intercourse. This seems unlikely. It also requires that 8x as many rapes occur as are reported, which also seems high. Which means these numbers are probably cooked to some extent.
It is almost certain the real number is somewhere between 225 (or 370) and 30,000. We’ll probably never have solid numbers on such a politically charged issue.
a·bor·tion
Noun:
1. The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy.
2. A miscarriage.
Dumb is as dumb does, and Akin's voting record is very nice from what I've seen. If you're going to throw out every politician for a smarter replacement, they'd all be gone. This firestorm is not happening because of Akin's intellect or lack thereof. If that was true, we'd have a much longer list of people to reject. Bottom line, the smartest people don't go into politics because they can make more money elsewhere. We have to fight with the army we've got. And if their voting record is good, that's good enough for me.
Apparently you would prefer to go with the dictionary definition and don’t feel there is a distinction between a miscarriage and an abortion.
To me, there’s a HUGE distinction and I would never equate them as being the same. An accidental miscarriage versus the deliberate ending of a human life are quite different in my book. Which, btw, isn’t Merriam-Webster.
But now another emotionally charged issue can be stirred up. Why not heap more guilt onto women who have had miscarriages....
You are absolutely correct. Why are we even discussing this??? Its absurd. Anyone who believes this can be spun to our favor is delusional.
I have an idea. Why don’t we post articles that prove that most women who are raped were “really asking for it”. Yeah, THAT will show ‘em!!!
Just pointing out a fact. A word means what it means, not what you (or I) think it ought to mean.
The meaning of abortion as miscarrioage is actually the original meaning, going back to 1500s.
The present primary meaning is quite recent.
You obviously didn’t read the whole article - the doctor (notice, this is written by an MD) comes to the conclusion that pregnancy occurs fewer than 500 times per year - and all the calculus is spelled out. He cites clinical studies that put the number at 200.
I’ve read your responses on other threads - if you have some evidentiary basis for you disagreement, please present it.
I have never fathered a child and I have never raped (by any definition) anybody. My only first-hand knowledge comes from my experience in breeding livestock. I know that different forms of stress on the female can severely impact the likelyhood of conception. I do not know if the same is true in humans - but it seems plausable, and this article claims that the effects I have observed in livestock can also be seen in humans.
Focus people. The proper question is:
Is the best treatment for a rape the murder of a baby?
Want to know the real reason why rape pregnancy is rare?
Because many women use birth control. And those that don’t get treated with post coital contraception. That’s why.
We will hear about this for months, nd it is NOT the fault of people like Hannity. It is the idiot kin for even getting into something like this, and the Democrat media. The Dems are going to brush Romney and Ryan (but mostly Ryan) with this. It is bad. McCaskill will beat Akin in a landslide.
Even if rare, I would still allow women who have been raped to abort. Of course if I had my way, the rapists would be castrated, emasculated, and executed too.
No - the poster did not say that miscarriage is the same as abortion. Stop with that kind of disingenuous argument. It is just dishonest.
What the poster said was the woman makes the decision (like she makes the decision to abort). The implied statement is that her body responds to her abhorrance and the distress of the rape. This was all very clear in what was posted. You dihonestly twisted it to your own ends.
Please argue honestly or not at all.
Akin may be really dumb, I don’t know I am not an expert on the subject matter of this controversy. But he sure is NOT acting like a Republican. Any self respecting Republican would have apologized profusely whether he did anything wrong or not, and caved in, backed down and turned tail and QUIT by now. Akin is not acting like your typical gutless spineless courageless Republican, he is acting more like a Democrat in this regard.
Even if rare, I would still allow women who have been raped to abort.
Would you have me puncture her skull and suck her brains out with a wet vac? Perhaps since it’s “too late” she’s safe.
>>I would still allow women who have been raped to abort. <<
My sister was raped. She would not allow a woman who had been raped to abort.
Two wrongs don’t make a right and like it or not, the baby IS half hers.
You posted: Akin is now on the record as saying he was medically wrong to say that the “female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
Let me get this straight - when he makes a statement you don’t agree with, he is ignorant and stupid (I don’t know that you have ever posted that he is such - but your tone clearly implies it). But when he says something you agree with, he becomes an authority on the SAME subject. Hmmmmm, interesting.
I would posit that Akin’s opinion, either pro or con, on this subject are of very little illustrative value. and should not be used to debate the merits of the current topic - which is: “Does the human body respond to forcible rape in a way that would decrease the probability of pregnancy?”
The author does not assume that all rapes are reported - he specifically mentions the under-reporting of rape.
Where does his “whittling down” become illogical? I thought his math was sound - and logic is math.
We’ve all complained about Republicans being spineless then one shows some backbone and everyone wants him out!
Make up your GD mind people!
Two wrongs don’t make a right and like it or not, the baby IS half hers.
The baby is also full the property of God, and made in His image.
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