Last month, the Associated Press released surprising news for the pro-life community. According to a survey it conducted, abortion rates since 2010 have dropped an average of 12 percent across the country. Even more remarkable is the fact that, among all the states, Hawaii is leading the way with an almost 30 percent reduction.
Is it finally time for the pro-life community to rejoice?
It is clear that a number of factors could have contributed to the drop in abortion numbers.
Some who advocate for unborn life have attributed it to a shift in society’s attitudes. The president of Americans United for Life, Charmaine Yoest, in several news articles has suggested that people today are more informed about the true nature of abortion. “There’s an increased awareness of the humanity of the baby before it is born,” she said.
On the other side of the debate, pro-choice advocates give much of the credit to sex education and easier access to contraceptives. They cite reports that teen pregnancy rates have declined significantly over the years.
Still, something does not add up.
Having just finished my first year in college, I know the “hookup” culture still runs rampant. Seen as casual encounters, hookups range from make-out sessions to intercourse.
In her 2013 New York Times story, “Sex on Campus — She Can Play That Game, Too,” Kate Taylor quotes sociologist Elizabeth A. Armstrong who said, “women at elite universities were choosing hookups because they saw relationships as too demanding and potentially too distracting from their goals.”
Several people I met this past year shared that sentiment. Hookups were a way to have fun without having to settle down. The hookup culture, in its vague nature, is so widely acknowledged that my school has required freshmen to take an online course about hooking up, alternatives and resources.
While abortion rates have dropped, the hookup culture is as popular as ever. It would be naïve to ignore how contraceptives contribute to that.
In Hawaii, the Plan B pill — a contraceptive drug taken after sex that may act as an abortifacient — is available over the counter for everyone, and anyone over the age of 13 can be prescribed birth control without parental consent.
Therefore, because of our sexualized and contraceptive culture, Catholics and pro-life advocates should stop and think twice when they read headlines that report “Dropping Abortion Rates.”
While news about fewer abortions is positive, it can also be misleading because it generally refers to surgical procedures and not abortions that are drug-induced.
Hormonal contraceptives target ovulation and fertilization to block conception from occurring. However, some forms of contraception can contain abortifacient elements, which kill the living embryo by preventing the new life from implanting in the uterus wall. Without implanting, the embryo cannot move past this first stage of life.
So what can we take away from this news?
We should take comfort in knowing that fewer women are choosing to have surgical abortions. We should continue our work in spreading awareness about the dangers of abortion, the alternatives mothers have, and the humanity of the unborn. We should recognize the reality of contraceptive use and educate more people about this possible form of abortion.
Most importantly, we should continue to be open and talk about sexuality and what our faith teaches, especially with younger generations. As Catholic families, friends, and parish leaders, it is our duty to have this conversation from the perspective our faith — one that is accepting of faults, but true to church teaching, and most of all embodying God’s love.
Gabriella Muñoz is a sophomore at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she is a board member and vice president of the Georgetown Right to Life Club. She is from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Pearl City and was valedictorian for Mililani High School’s class of 2014.
