Feminism, Abortion And Contraception - 1217 Words

I recently spoke with the doctor who delivered me into this world nearly eighteen years ago. He s been a friend of the family years, even before I was born. Now retired, he had delivered newborns for over thirty years. I recently asked him what the ratio was between older and younger women giving birth these days. He replied, â€Å"More older women than you d think... every once in a while, you might see some poor 16 year old girl having a rough time, but usually 20 to 30 year old women with an occasional 40 year old having another kid.† That was the answer I was expecting. Between 1970 and 1986 the women in the United States 30 to 39 years of age having their first child doubled, and the number of women 40 to 44 years old having their†¦show more content†¦Children were seen as a cause of women being interpreted as secondary citizens, and that a woman could be her best if she at least chose to have children later in life. As most feminists at this time were white, e ducated women, feminists seeking encouraged women to become educated, go to college, and/or start a career (Welles-Nystrom). A 1982 poll conducted found that 86% of women who gave birth after 28 years of age, were quoted agreeing they wanted it all, and desired to become a career woman and a housewife (Poelker and Baldwin). Though a career or college education may not necessarily be the top priority for all women, today, it usually comes first as financial stability for anyone is obviously important. Who wants to take care of a kid in college anyway? School is hard enough. That’s a good two to eight years where a kid is going to get in the way; especially if one doesn’t have any other family for support, and starting a career can also be equally as difficult. I wouldn’t want a kid either if I was a woman seeking a college education or a career. Having a child later in life gives a woman the option of having a child when she is ready, not the child. Furthermo re, in the early seventies, the Supreme Court in the case of Roe v Wade made abortion legal. Just twenty-five years later, the total number of abortions totaled nearly 37 million. During those years