ABORTION SEEKERS OFTEN POOR AND ALREADY MOTHERS

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MED_ABORTION_BY_THE_NUMBERS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-10-20-13-34-52

Nearly 1 million women get abortions every year. Most say they made that choice because they couldn't afford a baby or having one would interfere with a job, caring for existing children or other responsibilities.

Who are these women?

-More than half - 54 percent - say they were using birth control around the time they got pregnant.

-Most are unmarried, in their 20s and 30s; 18 percent are teens.

[ReasonableToo]

1. I wonder how many were on antibiotics...

...and did not know that antibiotics decrease the effectiveness of the Pill. I don't remember that mentioned in sex-ed.

[Progressive dog]

2. Only one antibiotic has been shown to reduce effectiveness of the pill

It's only used for TB, but there are other medicines and herbs that do.

[Lars39]

4. I've got a bottle of augmentin right now that has the warning sticker.

It's hit or miss whether such stickers show on the prescription bottle, and definitely hit or miss whether the prescribing health care giver thinks to mention it.

[laundry_queen]

6. This is true.

I have had numerous bronchitis/sinus issues in the last year and I also have hormone-triggered migraines and I'm on a continuous-dose birth control pill to control the migraines. Every time I go on these antibiotics, 6 or 7 days in I start getting migraine auras, many in a single day (after not having ANY for a year until I got sick). I looked at the info sheet I got from the pharmacy and sure enough, there was a warning buried in all the info, about it affecting the the reliability of the BC pill. The next time I needed anti-biotics, I mentioned my previous issue, and my doctor didn't even KNOW that particular antibiotic interfered with the pill, but precribed something 'milder' to hopefully help me avoid migraines this time. Sure enough, on day 6 I started getting a bunch of auras. So I called up the pharmacist and they say that particular antibiotic isn't known to mess with the BC pill. Well, it messes with SOMETHING hormonal. As soon as I went off, the migraines went away too. This has happened 3 or 4 times now. Before, when I was busy being pregnant or nursing and wasn't on the BC pill (and didn't have periods) I didn't get migraines on anti-biotics, but I do now. It's weird. I don't think they've studied exactly what the interaction is. I do know several people who were on the pill that got pregnant while on antibiotics (and weren't told about the interaction).

[Xedniw]

9. +1

+1

[Igel]

7. That's one kind of ignorance.

One study I read a few years back said that a hefty percentage of those "on birth control" when they become pregnant didn't actually follow the directions. In some cases they weren't even taking anything but decided saying "no birth control" would look bad for some reason.

Few remembered that there was a built-in fail rate for nearly any form of birth control.

I'd have liked more factors listed. Education, geography (by state), urban/suburban/rural.

[still_one]

3. How about those with terrible. both defects, they never mention that

[zingrr]

5. FL purging Medicaid rolls of poor women

Part of Gov Scott cost reduction plan is to purge disabled women 18-64 from medicaid rolls. over 10,000 have been purged from medicaid rolls the past 2 years. cost savings of $100,000,000.

somebody needs to speak up for the disabled, handicapped and mentally challenged in FL.....

[surrealAmerican]

12. I get that your post count may be too low ...

... to post a new thread, but this is not really related to the topic of this thread.

Welcome to DU.

[Xedniw]

8. The war on women is connected with the war on the poor

I wrote something related: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021586781

[xchrom]

10. I'll give this 1 kick. Nt

[Xedniw]

11. I'll help you with this.

It is disturbing to me that a thread about the harsh reality of women's lives can't get enough posts or recs to survive. My guess is that we have a lot of privileged types on this board who don't have a clue.

[xchrom]

13. Thanks. Nt

[nolabear]

14. I've said this before but I highly recommend the BBC series Call the Midwife.

Set in London's East End in the 1950s it is a truly remarkable look at what it's like to be poor and to have no access to birth control. It's a charming program, but also reminds us about the physical horrors and grinding poverty that come with bearing child after child after child.

Good thread. Thanks for posting.

[xchrom]

15. Thank you. Nt