It is a tragedy that some parents feel they are not capable of raising their children, and that sad reality is what leads many to either to abortion — the intentional, direct killing of a preborn child — or to adoption, in which they allow their child to be raised by another family. Both abortion and adoption may be chosen for similar reasons by parents experiencing unplanned pregnancies, yet very often, abortion advocates claim that adoption is the worse option of the two.
Adoptee says “adoption is not a solution to abortion”
Joanne Bagshaw, a therapist and professor of psychology, wrote an op-ed for Psychology Today about her experience as an adopted child, and spoke about how much it bothers her to see adoption being presented as an alternative to abortion, as well as the systemic issues that can lead women to choose adoption.
“With the new restrictive abortion laws being passed, I’m seeing a resurgence of this message: Choose adoption, not abortion,” Bagshaw wrote. “However, adoption is not a solution to abortion. Adoption is a choice about whether or not to parent. My birth mother, like many birth mothers, preferred to parent me, but couldn’t because of a variety of reasons that included mental illness and lack of family support.”
She continued:
The decisions we make about reproduction are the most personal decisions we will ever make. Who should make those decisions? You, with or without your doctor? The government? And how much of a choice is abortion or adoption when you don’t have any other choices? Access to safe, legal, and free or affordable contraception and abortion, informed and sensitive adoption policies, comprehensive sex education, and ethical and compassionate immigration policies that don’t criminalize asylum seekers are all examples of reproductive justice issues. […]
— Read More: www.liveaction.org
