By Malori Maloney
Before fall semester ended and winter break commenced, the Rev. Ron Wasowski, C.S.C., proposed three aspects of common ground on the divisive issue of abortion.
The Rev. Wasowski argued the following points: "the life of every individual human being begins at conception," "there is no logical scientific argument that any event other than conception is the beginning of every individual human life" and "both sides (must) clearly and publicly explain their value systems and how those value systems lead them logically from the unassailable scientific fact that human life begins at conception to advocacy of either abortion or life."
Though I maintain an opinion quite different from Fr. Wasowski's, I do not wish to debate his statements and rather, I would like to propose a different sort of common ground.
Of the individuals who are truly invested in their stances on the great abortion debate, I believe all wish to decrease the incidence rate of abortions. Nobody, whether "pro-life" or "pro-choice," wants more people to have abortions.
So instead of arguing whether a woman should be permitted to choose whether she wants to sacrifice nine months of her life carrying a child to term (not to mention the years that follow the birth), let us focus on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies.
As much as some social conservatives would not like to hear it, countless studies indicate that comprehensive sex education and the availability of reproductive health resources have a marked influence on reducing unwanted pregnancies and consequently, abortions.
According to a 2008 study by the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit organization aimed at promoting sexual and reproductive health, nearly half (46 percent) of women who have abortions had not used any contraceptive method when they became pregnant. Of these women, one-third had perceived themselves to be at low risk for becoming pregnant.
Of course, the Vatican dictates that contraceptives are unacceptable due to the idea that sexual intercourse should be reserved for those intending to procreate (or those who are at least "open" to procreation) within the confines of a marriage.
However, many unmarried people, Catholic or otherwise, engage in sexual activities and in order to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions that may follow, those who choose to have sex should do so responsibly.
If you are a sexually active woman and you don't want to become pregnant, use contraception. If you are a sexually active man and you don't want to impregnate your partner, use contraception.
If you are a sexually active person and you don't want to contract an STI, use contraception. If your religious beliefs prevent you from using contraception, they probably also prevent you (at least in theory) from having sex outside marriage or without the intention of procreating.
We mark the anniversary of Roe v. Wade today, but instead of taking sides, let us work together to reduce abortions by reducing the unwanted pregnancies through means that research has demonstrated to be the most effective.
?Malori Maloney is a senior psychology major.
