Is the rate drop for good or just for now?

I was reading through msn as I do daily to get news updates and came across an article that relates to my blog.  The article writes that the rate of teen pregnancy is dropping. In almost everyone's eyes this is a good thing. I worry though is this low rate here to stay ? Or will it rise again just as quickly as it came down.

There are obviously many factors when it comes to teen pregnancy. Some girls come from low income homes and arent given the opportunity to reach out and get contraceptives. Some girls parents dont really sit down and talk to them about the consequences of having unprotected sex. Some girls feel neglected in their home lives and think that getting pregnant will make them feel loved and special. Whatever the situation is, teen pregnancy is still occuring.

Sometimes I wonder when they do these polls, regarding teen pregnancy if they take into account teen pregnancy abortions. If a girl is ashamed about being pregnany and does choose to have an abortion, she its really going to be truthful in a poll about pregnancy? I can just see now how the numbers can easily be skewed.

I dont know how it would feel to be a teen mom. Being a mom at 22 is hard enough, try still being in high school and without a job. I can only imagine the number of abortions that teenage girls have. I cant say what I would do I was in that position.
 Anyway here is the link to the article Ive been discussing. It has more info that what I briefly mentioned. Its a good eye openinger of whats going on today.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39761335/ns/health-kids_and_parenting

Times have changed.

With my 22nd birthday quickly approaching its made me think about life a lot lately. I sit and I think how much my life has changed. My son is my world and I wouldnt change a thing. But there are the times when I sit and wonder how my life would have been different if a.) I had an abortion or b.) I never got pregnant in the first place.
We all know there are risks when it comes to having sex, but everyone thinks it wont happen to them. I know that was my mentality. But the statistics are really stacking against ya. I was at the mall the other day, and in the course of being there for maybe an hour I saw at least 10 pregnant woman. All ranging in ages from young high school looking girls to adults. With pregnancies being so common, I wonder how common abortions are too.
If I was to have choosen not to have my child, where would I be now? Would I be so settled down as I am now? Would I be engaged and planning a wedding? Or would I still be in my rebeliuos phase and going out way to often.
Its hard to answer. People change. I know I have taken on a lot of responsibilty at a young age, but it was the best decision for me. Its a challange every day, but it makes me a better person and hopefully a better mother as well.
Abortion is a choice some people feel they need to make due to different circumstances. Its a choice people have to live with for the rest of their lives.

Everyone's got an opinion..

While walking out of Milner Library today I grabbed a copy of the Daily Vidette. And what is it that I see on the front page? An article on abortion.
The first Sunday is October is regconized as Respect Life Sunday.
The purpose of the day is to have a silent protest for the pro-life side of the abortion arguement. Local pro-choice groups heard of the protest and wanted their voices heard. Both sides of the issue lined up on different sides of College Ave. with their respective signs for the issue. Below is a link to the page to read more on the article.
http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32828:protestors-represent-both-sides-of-abortion-debate&catid=36:newsbloomingtonnormal&Itemid=53

Been awhile

Its been a while since my last blog. I dont like to slack like i have been this past week or so. Being busy is an understatement though. My sons had an ear infection, Ive been feeling under the weather, on top of that our dog decided to eat about 15 chicken wing bones so we got to rush him to vet. Needless to say Ive been a little distracted lately.
Now its time to buckle down and get focused again. First things first to get updated and current on the blogging as well as commenting on my classmates blogs. Next comes writing the paper and revising the questionairre for tomorrows class workshop.
Busy Busy Busy
I dont wmean to cut this one short but with all the work I still have let to do I shouldnt procrastinate any longer. I do promise to blog again soon.
Ill be sure to make it more interesting as well.

Time Magazine Article

Ive been spending some time lately reading through articles and looking at different polls to get a feel of both sides of the abortion argument. I came across an article in Time magazine that really interested me.


http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1956645,00.html
 
The article mentions how the rate of abortion for caucasion and hispanic women are on the decline in recent years. However, the rate of abortions for african american women hasnt changed much at all over the past 15 years.


Theres a few statistics from the article that really grim but also a reality check.

Two-thirds of single moms are poor. Fewer than half of them finish high school. And only a tiny fraction (2%) of girls who are mothers before their 18th birthday will finish college before their 30th.

With all the odds stacked against them, so many young girls are still having unprotected sex and getting pregnant. The numbers alone are enough to scare someone celibate. But the one thing that all teenage girls seem to think is "oh it wont happen to me."

The reality is that it can happen with anyone. How they choose to handle it is their choice and its something they will live with for the rest of their life.

More Information.

With abortion being such the hot topic it is you would assume that more people understand what the procedure entails. I was doing some research and came across this website. It has information ranging from pro choice and pro life arguments. As well as survivor stories and legal arguments and so much more. This website seems to be a good guide for lots of useful information. Without being too long and drawn out Ill attach the link below so you can see for yourself. Take some time and look through. Theres a lot of helpful and also unbias information provided.
http://www.abortionfacts.com/

Whats new...Women care more...

I was looking through some of the surveys taken by the Pew Research Center and found one that caught my attention. The survey talks about how women care more on the issue of the abortion than men do. Also abortion is a larger issue when it comes to voting for the women over the men. Not too surprising though. Most men dont have an opinion on something unless it directly affects them.

 A recent blog of mine touched on the restrictions wanting to be placed on abortions. For example, parental permission would be needed for girls under the age of 18 wanting to get an abortion.
  To the left is a copy of some statistics taken by the Pew Research Center.  Woman have a history of being more oppinionate in political issues, but especially in issue regarding to a womans body or issue.









http://people-press.org/commentary/?analysisid=88

Another Week..Another Post

Sorry for the shortness of this blog but the baby is feeling a little under the weather today. Ha Im lucky im getting enough time now to get this blog in. Gotta love nap time. But anyways, with some of the free time I have had today I was searching through some of the statistics for the website Polling the Nation. Theres one particular poll Id like to focus on.

Question: Would you favor or oppose a state law requiring parental notification by the physician before a woman under age 18 can get an abortion?


Source: Public Policy Institute of California

Date: Mar. 2010

Results:
favor 68%
oppose 29 %
don't know 3 %
http://poll.orspub.com.proxy.lib.ilstu.edu/document.php?id=quest10.out_29&type=hitlist&num=0

I guess I can say I was surprised how many people who voted were in favor of a young woman under the age of 18 needing parental permission to receive an abortion. People trust us enough to drive a vehicle at 16, which not only involves our safety but the safety of our passangers and everyone else on the road. And yet a girl would need permission all the way up to age 18 ? Teenagers now adays are having sex yonger and younger as well as having babies younger. The MTV show 16 and Pregnant has glorified teenage pregnancy. The show makes it look like fun to have a baby.
A couple years ago in Glouschter, Massachusettes there was a huge scandal about a "pregnancy pact". 18 young girls supposedly made a pact together to all try and get pregnant at the same time so they could all raise their babies together.
Its just funny how parents can let their children make the decision to have sex in the first place but when it comes to the decision of having an abortion they have to have their permission. If that is the case, then shouldnt it be that the girls need permission from their parents before they have sex..

Quick Note.

So today I was lounging around thinking about what homework I had left to complete before the weeknd came. As I was laying there the subject for this blog came to mind. A lot of people that are on the pro-life side of the abortion debate believe that "plan b" is an abortion pill. The plan b pill, for those that dont know, is taken afer a night of having unprotected sex. The pill prevents the fertalilaztion of the egg.  My question is, do the extreme pro-lifers feel that birth control is wrong as well. The purpose of the pill or any other form of birth control is to prevent the egg from becoming fertalized. Are they so morally strong in their idea that the prevention of a pregnancy is practically the same as the termination of one.

Gaining Knowledge

I must start by saying that for the first time EVER a class held at the library was helpful. Ive had classes meet at the library over the years but I never seemed to retain any of the information. It all seemed pointless. Meeting with Chad Kahl yesterday was truely helpful. He was beyond prepared and knowledgable in his field. He showed us resources that I know I will use in this class as well as other politics classes. I feel like I know more sources now to reach out to and receive useful information from.

I haven't had that much time yet to look through and really get into the nitty gritty of the sites, but once I do I will be sure to post some new blogs about what I found and my opinions on the polls as well. The sites given to me will be very helpful for research and other questions possed in the abortion debate.

Sorry this is such a short post, just wanted to jot some ideas down and wish everyone a happy labor day weekend.  Signing off for now, but sure to be back soon with more !

The "New" Normal..

Its been a few days since I last blogged so I felt it was a good time to update. Over the weekend I took some time to really explore the website Gallup.com and the polls they have compiled over the years. One the of the newest polls taken has caught my attention and I'd like to take some time and talk about it. The title of the poll is The New Normal on Abortion: Americans More "Pro-Life." This poll differs from the original one I blogged about because there is no gray area in the poll. The question posed was whether people were pro-life or pro-choice. The results of the poll showed that "slightly more Americans call themselves "pro-life" than "pro-choice," 47% vs. 45%, according to a May 3-6 Gallup poll. This is nearly identical to the 47% to 46% division found last July." Its interesting to me how how the numbers for each are now that that gray area of "abortion should be legal but only in certain situations" is taken out of the equation.

One thing that I was somewhat surprised by statistically was when certain age groups were polled. I am the person who assumes that most people in the age range 18-24 would be more liberal and pro choice on the matter of abortion. When asked if they were pro-life or pro-choice 47 % of 18-29 year olds said they were pro-life. Which is surprising to me because with a Democrat in office the polls usually have a more liberal reflection in them. This number has risen since 2008 when only 42 % said that they were pro-life.

I guess its never really to safe to assume what statistics may be. I can honestly say that I am surprised by the last statistic I mentioned.  Only time will tell what other polls will show.

Gallup Poll's

Abortion has been a controversial topic of conversation for awhile now. Some people are completely pro choice, others are pro life, and there are those who are in between. This issue to me has no right or wrong answer. There is no black and white solution to this problem. It is one of the issues that there will always be an opposition. I of course have my personal beliefs on the matter, and just like me, im sure many people out there aren't swayed by others and statistics. I wasnt very surprised in the results from a poll completed by gallup.com. The poll asked the population if abortion was legal in any, certain, or all circumstances. 54 % of the people believed it should by legal in certain situations. This statistics hasn't changed much over the past ten years. 24 % of them answered that it should be legal in any situation. This particular statistic has gone day over the past few years. Lastly, 19 % of the population polled felt that abortion should be illegal in all situations.  Too me its a little funny how so many people have an opinion on an issue that only effect a fraction of people. This issue is like I said previously, one that will never go away. Until someone is pregnant and in the situation of having to decide to keep the baby or abort, they will never know how truely agonizing the decision is.                   http://www.gallup.com/poll/1576/Abortion.aspx#1

Introduction

This is a a whole new world to me. My name is Jessica Sanders. Im currently in my senior year at ISU. So close and yet still so far from graduation. Ha. Im not like most seniors in college. I have a bit more on my plate than most. In a sense this added responsibilty makes me somewhat of an expert in the particular issue Ive choosen to blog about. Last year I found out I was pregnant, my fiance and I werent sure what the best course of action was for us to take. We happily choose to keep the baby and he was born on May 17, 2010. The decision was easy for us, but its not always as easy for everyone else. Everyone's situation is a little different and the circumstances are against them. So if it wasn't too obvious by this point, Im choosing to blog about the issue of Abortion. Ill state my side at a later date but for know the forum is open.

Attached is a picture of my little man.