You're at a party, in a class, or having dinner with your friends and suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a debate about abortion or being 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. Here are some tips to help clarify the issue:

What does it mean?To be pro-choice is to believe that a women 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.  Being pro-choice also means supporting responsible sexuality education and access to birth control so women and men have the tools to make their own private decisions to take charge of their lives.

Does pro-choice mean pro-abortion? NO! Being 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. The right to choose abortion does not infringe on the rights of persons who are opposed to having abortions.

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 experience. 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’re pro-choice.

Why do we need the right to choose?

• A woman who wants to have only two children will need to use birth control for at least 20 years of her life.
• More than 6 million women in the U.S. become pregnant each year. Nearly half of these pregnancies are unintended.
• Restrictive abortion laws don’t prevent abortions, but many do result in unsafe abortions especially for women who are poor, or young, or isolated, or not well informed.
• Forty-three percent of American women will have at least one abortion by the time they are 45 years old.
• Abortion is a personal, private matter. If the decision when or whether to have children is not a private one, than what is?

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