Re: “What happens when abortion access is restricted,” Oct. 7 letter to the editor.
In response to my Oct. 5 letter to the editor, letter-writer Fred Buschhoff challenged me to describe my plan to deal with the women who seek abortions if Planned Parenthood’s footprint in America became diminished by the current drive to federally defund it. I should note that there is ample evidence to suggest that abortion rates may decrease when access to legal abortion is curtailed.
My plan would be to address the root causes of abortion. I would advocate for improved access to family planning and adoption services. I would also reduce the economic vulnerability of women and families. Women would choose life if we bolstered access to quality prenatal care, increased support for educational programs devoted to unwed pregnant women, ensured women had a “living wage,” enhanced access to quality and affordable child care, and improved family leave policies. This “whole life” approach requires ongoing private/religious charitable efforts and state/federal governmental action.
Thomas J. Perille, M.D., Englewood
This letter was published in the Oct. 12 edition.
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