Hi Dr. Poppema, I met you two years ago when you spoke at Choice USA's Gloria Steinem Leadership Institute in 2006. Your session there was my favorite and I admire you so much for what you have done and continue to do. I remembered how spoke with such honesty and when I saw you had an article on here, I immediately read it. Thank you for sharing your experiences and for explaining why those ridiculous statements are myths, not reality. You're awesome!

for pointing out the rare cases when a woman does use abortion as birth control, it is justified because her health can't handle normal birth control. I met a friend online who did this. I've heard this argument against women's choice from people as close as one of my relatives. It's an easy conclusion to make - if you have no experience with these things. Thank you for reminding us that women's health needs are different and more complex than what the average schmuk will think.

I am a strong anti abortion advocate. I don't have a problem with agreeing to all of 4 of the myths you have busted. But the issue is a moral one entirely. I am strongly in the camp that believes that its not a choice, its a child. So these other issues don't mean much to me.

I do believe in choice but only before conception. If you want the priviledge of a sexual relationship, accept the consequences. That's how it's been since the beginning of time.

From my point of view, the "choice" is between killing an innocent human being and being incovenienced for 9 months.
(I'm talking about women who are aborting for reasons outside of rape and medical issues- that is another topic.)

My two children were adopted. My wife and I were begging to find a child to love, and they are not easy to find. There is a surplus of loving couples who long to have a child to love. Every child can be and should be wanted.

Here is the question I have for the pro abortion side - When is it a human being and when is it not? Premature babies are surviving as young as 5 months, so I would hope abortionists would at least insist on abortions no longer than 5 months from inception. That might be a temporary compromise both sides could agree to although any abortion would remain a murder in my eyes.

I believe in obeying the law of the land and I believe in the healthy discussion of this topic, with an open mind. Unfortunately, the laws of this country have forced an unwanted moral position on all of us who believe that murder is occuring in massive numbers each day.

The gigantic gap between those who believe its a child and those who do not will make this topic never ending or resolvable, I am sure. It will be decided by political will.

John in Seattle

"How can you say that life begins at birth? The DNA is present at fertilization!! I won't even bring up the HEARTBEAT!!"

Bah DNA?! Heartbeat?! You honestly expect me to believe that only living human beings have beating hearts and human dna? Really? How about my arm? It has human dna. If you cut it off, it may still be functioning like a um...human arm with human dna...that doesn't give it any rights after being separated from my body. Well obviously, something with a heartbeat, working lungs, a circulation system, nerves, skin, hair, nails , human blood, and human bones and has completely human dna is a living, human being with full rights to personhood right?

BAH!

If you hooked up a lifeless body to a machine and kept the heart going, the lungs pumping and everything working except the brain...it's quite obviously dead. The ONLY thing that means squat is stuff in a person's brain if you want to determine if someone is a living human being.

I'll tell you what.

A person without a functioning brain is a person without a soul, since there is no other part of the body that could possibly contain such a thing. However, you should keep in mind that not everyone believes in such a thing as a "soul" or that it really matters if people have them or not. That being said, as a pro-choice person, I can understand banning late abortions that occur under normal circumstances, but the earlier in the pregnancy one gets, the less likely you are to find an actual human person...well I don't think that you'd find a fetus with a functioning brain before week...22 or so (which is after the vast majority of abortions occur). Now if you can prove that a fetus can think and feel before that period, then maybe you have a reasonable argument of some sort, but I have heard of no such thing. Obviously, if you can prove that a fetus or whatever has a functioning brain capable of feeling emotion and/or processing thoughts at conception, then maybe you have a good case for arguing that "life begins at conception". Otherwise you're just being idiotic.

Sorry I sounded like an activist, but I get annoyed when people use meaningless characteristics to base their anti-choice opinions. After all, I would appreciate solid logical arguments, as would everyone here I hope. After all though, just because something "might" or "probably will" become a human being "at some point" does not mean it has any rights until it is an actual living human being. Now if you're going to tell me that breathing and having a heartbeat determines if you're alive or dead, I'd say you're usually right but not necessarily....if I hook you up to a machine that takes care of those functions while you don't have a heart or lung that doesn't make you any less of a human being. However, if your brain is completely shot, I'd have to say that you are dead, even if the rest of your body still works.

Sorry for the long comment. I just thought I'd share my two cents.

I had an abortion 7 years ago and it was the worst thing I ever did. Let me clear up one myth doctors provide. They do not meet with you- they don't even look you in the eye-they walk in while your on the table and walk out when they are done- there is no doctor-patient relationship. You cannot understand your "patients" when you have no real time with them. Women need to be protected from abortion, not given access to it. I was lied to as were many other women. I was told it was a blob of tissue- well 2 days after my abortion I passed my fully formed baby and I was 9- 10 1/2 weeks. It's very sad that people want the right to do these things.

This is a fabulous and much-needed article. It's wonderful to see that someone is actually paying attention to the truths of women and abortion. However, some of the comments that followed are just insane.

"If you want the privilege of a sexual relationship, accept the consequences."

I take issue with many of these statements people have made here but this is appalling!! Since when should a child be considered a consequence??!!! The act of bringing new life into this world and raising a child is the highest privilege and should never be considered a consequence! A person should never be forced to have a child when they are not ready to take on the responsibility 110%. The right to have a child, not the right to abort, should really be the issue of discussion. There are too many people who do not take the privilege of parenting, of raising, nurturing and teaching a child, seriously or responsibly. With all the neglect and abuse of children in this country, it's time we start focusing on the children that are here, right now. What is with all the people who care more about the unborn rather than with the children here whose parents pay them no attention, certainly do not teach them, may even physically, emotionally, mentally or sexually abuse them? Do something to help the lives of these children so that they may have a chance.

And stop acting as if adoption is such an easy answer because (1) sadly, there continues to be a HUGE stigma associated with adoption in this country and (2)the adoption process need a serious makeover. Many laws heavily favor the birth parents and many potential adoptive parents have had their hearts broken with having an adoption finalized and then finding themselves embattled in the court system because the birth parent(s) decided after birth to change their minds. Not an easy thing to go through once, and just devastating to have to go through twice. But it happens and is extremely discouraging to many would-be adoptive parents.

And most of all, stop treating women as if their lives have no meaning or significance! Their lives matter!

Reading this made me really happy, so thank you.

Regarding some of the above discussion, the only thing I want to say is that when life begins is a completely personal judgement. No matter how strong your feelings are on the matter either way, you can't change someone else's mind. To me, what exists in the first trimester is nowhere near personhood. Arguing about heartbeats won't change my view - lots of things have heartbeats and we kill them anyway. Demonstrating personhood requires more than that. It's up to the individual woman to decide what constitutes personhood and act on her own moral compass because cultural consensus is just not possible.