The Facts About What It Means To Be Pro-Choice

What does it mean to be pro-choice?

You’re in class, at a party, or having dinner with your friends and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a debate about birth control, sex education, or abortion. Or you’re speaking to students about Vox and you find that some of them are confused by or uncomfortable with the term “pro-choice.” You know that you’re pro-choice, but you’re not sure how to explain what that means or how to defend your position to others.

So, what does it mean to be pro-choice? To be pro-choice is to believe that a woman has the right to decide for herself when and whether to have a child. It means believing that a woman can make that decision on her own, based on her personal beliefs, health, and life-circumstances, without government interference. And it means working toward a world where all women’s reproductive options are legal, safe, and accessible.

Being pro-choice also means supporting responsible sexuality education and access to birth control so women and men have the tools to make and implement their own private decisions and take charge of their lives.

Does pro-choice mean pro-abortion?

No. Pro-choice means supporting access to all reproductive options – whether it’s motherhood, contraception, abortion, or adoption – and supporting the right of all individuals to make their own personal decisions about when and whether to have a child.

If I believe abortion is wrong, does that make me anti-choice?

Not necessarily, many who would not choose abortion for themselves are still pro-choice. They recognize that each person’s situation is unique and that others may not share their religious and moral beliefs, viewpoints, or life experiences. And they understand the danger posed by laws that impose a single moral view on others.

If you believe that abortion is wrong for you, but respect the right of others to make that decision for themselves, then you are pro-choice.

Why do women have abortions?

Women who report having abortions generally give three reasons for doing so: three-quarters say that having a child would interfere with work, school, or other responsibilities. About two-thirds report that they cannot afford to have a child. Half do not want to be a single parent or are experiencing relationship problems with their husband or partner. And each year, about 14,000 women have abortions because they become pregnant as a result of rape or incest.

When do most abortions take place?

Nearly 90 percent of all abortions in the U.S. take place in the first trimester. Very few abortions – 1.6 percent – are performed after 20 weeks and even fewer - .04 percent – are performed after 26 weeks. And at that stage, abortions are done in cases where it is necessary to save the life of health of the woman, including cases of severe fetal anomaly.

*Source: copied in full from a Planned Parenthood National Federation and Vox: Voices for Planned Parenthood document