How to Stop Abortion? Make the Other Choice Possible:

This month I attended a Pro-Life service at our church. There was great music well-performed, readings, and reports from members of our parish’s Pro-Life Ministry. Their practice of praying outside of abortion clinics had changed the minds of women who were on the verge of getting abortions. The numbers were small, but significant, especially considering that they translate to human lives saved.

As I reflected on this strategy of prayer, I concluded that it is not enough. We need to do more to change the abortion landscape in our country. I think of St. Theresa of Calcutta. Who prayed more than she? Yet she was daily hands-on working to solve the problem she was called to address. The same could be said of any of the great saints who addressed major societal problems—Mother Cabrini, St. Elizabeth Seton, Sister Catherine Drexel. In each case, their model was prayer backed by action. Or, if you prefer, action backed by prayer.

What Are the Abortion Market Drivers?

When doing research on business and industry, scholars are constantly looking to identify “market drivers,” i.e. those needs, wants and attitudes that are behind the demand for a product or service. If we take this approach to studying the demand for abortion we might get ideas on how to change the marketplace.

I believe if women with unexpected pregnancies were interviewed in depth about their situation, we would find they are concerned about finances and the disruption of their lives (certainly) but are also worried or even scared of the physical aspects, and feeling isolated and alone. And so, I propose the following concrete steps to mitigate these abortion market drivers.

Universal Health Care:

In the United States, lack of access to health care is the hidden influencer in every economic decision. A woman facing an unplanned pregnancy must, first of all, consider how she will take care of herself, the child in the womb and the child once born. This market driver could be immediately neutralized if we had government-sponsored health care for all as is the case in all other advanced countries. Once this worry is taken away, the decision for life becomes more possible. I know government-sponsored health care is a political issue fraught with controversy. There are many in our society who resent having to pay for other people’s health care.

Sex is Important:

In all of the brouhaha over sexual conduct in our day, one fact I never hear mentioned is that sex is important. Talking about the Church’s teaching on sexual morality is a non-starter. Frankly, most people in our society care not for the Catechism’s guidance on sexual behavior. But the importance of sex is a fact that cannot be denied.

Our popular culture (movies, television, pop music, porn) depicts sex as a morally neutral recreational activity, on a plane with bowling or playing Yahtzee. But sex is important because ones sexual behavior affects other people. It has important consequences for both parties: STDs, STIs, unintended pregnancy, not to mention the emotional harm to young women from engaging in anonymous sex divorced from love.