Why is induced abortion common in environments in which modern contraception is readily available? This study analyses qualitative data collected from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with women and men from low-income areas in five countries - the United States, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru and Mexico - to better understand how couples manage their pregnancy risk. Across all settings, women and men rarely weigh the advantages and disadvantages of contraception and abortion before beginning a sexual relationship or engaging in sexual intercourse. Contraception is viewed independently of abortion, and the two are linked only when the former is invoked as a preferred means to avoiding repeat abortion. For women, contraceptive methods are viewed as suspect because of perceived side effects, while abortion experience, often at significant personal risk to them, raises the spectre of social stigma and motivates better practice of contraception. In all settings, male partners figure importantly in pregnancy decisions and management
So availability of contraception is not enough to prevent abortion.
It was assumed when contraception was available that people would just use it. And most people do use it.
It's just that there are significant numbers of people who don't.
And people do not weight the advantages and disadvantages of contraception and abortion.
In other words, they just don't put a whole lot of thought into their sexual activity.
It's just assumed that if they use contraception, they won't get pregnant. Which of course isn't true, over the course of a lifetime. Most women can expect one unexpected pregnancy.
Which is why abortion exists.
It's back-up contraception.
But contraception is treated as virtually foolproof, because people do not want to admit of the risk of pregnancy, small as it is, otherwise it would dissuade them, and they don't want to be dissuaded. But that's no reason not to hold them to their personal responsibility.
