Center for American Progress

Term Limits: Our National Obsession With Late-Term Abortion
Article

Term Limits: Our National Obsession With Late-Term Abortion

The debate over late-term abortion has lasted long enough. It is a straw man designed to undermine our trust in women.

Once again, a politician has gotten tripped up talking about abortion. Senator Barack Obama’s recent comments on late-term abortion have him defending charges from some progressives that he’s moving right in order to appeal to swing voters, while fighting off attempts from conservatives to paint him as the "abortion candidate."

Of course, it’s no coincidence that politicians are constantly asked about late-term abortion. When, if ever, do we talk about first-trimester abortion, which accounts for almost 90 percent of all abortions in this country? When do we get to talk about much more common reproductive health care needs–like prenatal care, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections? What about breast and cervical cancer?

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Authors

Jessica Arons

Director, Women\'s Health & Rights Program