Abstract
Since the sexual revolution, it has been a widely accepted fact that contraceptives have been a necessity for our society. They seem to be the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies that would otherwise result from sexual unions between two people unprepared for the commitment of raising any or additional children. It almost goes without saying that the more effective and available contraceptives become, the less likely women who wish to avoid pregnancy will become pregnant and the fewer induced abortions they will seek. In reality, the information available concerning abortions and the women who obtain them points to a different conclusion. The more effective and available contraceptives become in a society, the more widespread the practice of induced abortions becomes. On the other hand, natural family planning has been associated with fewer induced abortions when an unplanned pregnancy results. This paper will present a sample of the information available, attempt to draw conclusions, and discuss the possible reasons that contraceptives are unavoidably linked to increasing numbers of induced abortions and that, conversely, natural family planning is associated with very few or no induced abortions.
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