With approximately half of all pregnancies in Colorado being unplanned, the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation says it is trying to move beyond the controversial abortion issue and figure out ways to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies. Meanwhile, a pro-life group said yesterday’s announcement is somewhat disingenuous and misinformed.
NARAL has released “Planning, Protect, Prevention: Reducing Unintended Pregnancy in Colorado.” The report launches the organization’s expanded public policy focus to include preventing unintended pregnancy in an effort to reduce the need for abortion, according to a press release.
“It is time to stop letting divisive rhetoric around abortion preclude necessary conversations about the need for sound policies to reduce unintended pregnancy, promote education and improve access to birth control and prenatal care,” said a statement from NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation executive director Emilie C. Ailts.
But Keith Mason, founder of Personhood USA — the ballot initiative seeking to define a fertilized egg as a person in the state constitution — says he doesn’t agree with NARAL’s presupposition that unplanned people are problems. In fact, he said that for all he knows, he might have been an unplanned pregnancy and is glad he got the chance to be born.
“Planned or intended persons are no more valuable than unplanned; they’re all human beings with infinite value and worth,” he said.
Ailts fought back against this claim, pointing out that unintended pregnancy has financial ramifications for state-run Medicaid and other welfare programs. Additionally, she said unintended pregnancies are tied to inadequate prenatal care, premature births, reduced educational and employment opportunities, and increased child abuse and neglect.
“These all affect the health and stability of our families and greater communities,” she said. “It’s time to collaborate to find solutions to prevent unintended pregnancy.”
If NARAL wants to reduce abortions, the group should join pro-life groups to stop abortions altogether, countered Mason. He said NARAL’s attempt to reduce abortion means the group thinks abortions are bad, and should therefore look to reduce the number of abortions to zero.
Recommendations
In order to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies, NARAL and Prevention First Colorado Coalition have put out a list of recommendations. The recommendations include:
• Declare the reduction of unintended pregnancy a public health priority;
• Conduct a statewide evaluation of access to condoms in pharmacies and grocery stores;
• Expand access to programs that help pregnant and parenting teens finish high school;
• Aggressively implement Colorado’s comprehensive sex education law.
Mason blasts recommendations
Mason blasted the recommendations, saying abstinence-based education is the most effective way to reduce unwanted pregnancies.
“I think that pregnancy is directly linked to promiscuity,” he said, “And that’s what we should be looking into.”
