Action Alert!

'preventive' medicine, continued

By Phil Lawler ( bio - articles - email ) | Nov 16, 2010

We’ve already noticed the drive by Planned Parenthood to have abortion recognized as a form of “preventive medicine,” thus qualifying the procedure for Obamacare subsidies. The implicit premise is that pregnancy is a disease. There are several things wrong with that argument.

First, of course, pregnancy is not a disease. It is a normal, healthy condition.

Second, abortion does not prevent pregnancy. It ends a pregnancy that has already begun.

Third and perhaps not quite so obvious, an abortion in one pregnancy does not prevent another pregnancy. On the contrary, the Guttmacher Institute (a Planned Parenthood affiliate) reports that “about half” of abortions are repeat procedures. Having an abortion seems to make it more likely, not less, that a woman will experience another “problem pregnancy.”

So what does this “preventive” medicine actually prevent? Only this: the birth of a healthy child.

 
 h/t Jill Stanek

Phil Lawler has been a Catholic journalist for more than 30 years. He has edited several Catholic magazines and written eight books. Founder of Catholic World News, he is the news director and lead analyst at CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

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  • Posted by: Frodo1945 - Sep. 16, 2017 11:50 AM ET USA

    Good for you Phil, and good for STM. That is good news. May you be successful in re-evangelizing New England!

  • Posted by: Cory - Sep. 10, 2017 12:24 AM ET USA

    Envy is a sin but I must confess to feeling envy at the students and teachers alike at St Thomas More. St Thomas More look after everyone at this college dedicated to you that they may never in what matters. In your own words : God first!

  • Posted by: doughlousek7433 - Sep. 09, 2017 9:37 AM ET USA

    Congratulations! It is refreshing to see that the faith is still strong in some of our colleges and universities!

  • Posted by: londoncfo2911 - Sep. 08, 2017 7:46 PM ET USA

    This lifted my heart to know there are wonderful Catholics prepared to share their time and talents for such a great effort.

  • Posted by: Dennis Olden - Sep. 08, 2017 7:14 PM ET USA

    After I retired, some 20 years ago I was blessed to attend classes at Thomas More as an auditing student. It was then and I'm sure still is a wonderful place.I wish I could audit Professor Esolen's and Phil Lawler's new classes there! May God bless this new endeavor.