Diane Carman (from the Denver Post): "The same politicians who are lecturing us about the morality of abortion are neglecting the growing crisis in women's health care and contributing to the demand for abortion services.
"Here are the facts: Only 56 percent of the women in need of publicly supported contraception services in Colorado are getting them, and 14 percent of pregnancies here end in abortion.
"When it comes to teenagers, only 49 percent get the contraception services they need. And a full 23 percent of teenage pregnancies end in abortion.
"Money is no excuse. According to the Guttmacher Institute and studies by the American Journal of Public Health, every dollar of public money spent on family planning services saves federal and state governments $3 on Medicaid costs for pregnancy and childbirth.
"Want more statistics?
"Women of reproductive age spend on average 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men. A woman who wants two children will use contraceptives for more than two decades. And then, when she experiences menopause, a wide range of prescription drugs to treat symptoms are not covered by insurance plans either.
"Don't get me started on Viagra.
"So given the second-class status of women in South Dakota and Colorado, it's easy to see why Rounds refused to submit to interviews after he signed the country's most restrictive abortion law Monday. It's the same reason candidates here avoid discussing abortion as the campaign for governor continues.
"As long as they ignore the facts, they can go on politicking, claiming the moral high ground and never taking responsibility for what might result from the restrictive policies they support."
Category: Denver November 2006 Election
5:55:12 AM 
|
