Since I`m not pro-life, I used to oppose any measures that would make it harder for a woman to get an abortion, and I thought the waiting periods and counseling were just a waste of time. And I still think many of them are, for the women whose minds are made up, but I`ve come to realize that`s not everybody. There has to be some way to help women who really don`t want to abort and feel as if they`re being pressured into doing it. These are the women who are most likely to have problems later -- it is in the pro-abortion cause`s best interest to screen these women out, and make sure every woman who has an abortion is a suitable candidate for it.

No one is pro-abortion, thanks.

Point taken, Anna. I call myself pro-abortion but I believe women should be able to choose to carry unplanned pregnancies to term if they want, which makes me pro-choice.

Why would you call yourself pro-abortion?

I usually take "pro-abortion" to mean pro-abortion RIGHTS. But mostly, I call myself "pro-abortion" to shut certain people up -- I`m Catholic, so lots of people just assume I`m pro-life. If I call myself pro-choice, I`ve noticed over the years that people then say, "the baby doesn`t have a choice," and we argue. But if I call myself "pro-abortion," they usually just decide I`m the anti-Christ and shut up, and leave me alone.

But "pro-choice" better describes what I really am. I will be careful with my wording on blogs.

Thanks for responding. I would caution you that there is a none-too-small segment of the pro-choice movement that abhors the "pro-abortion" label, as it's something that is frequently used by the opposition to call us a bunch of baby-killers. Also, I find the phrase pretty cringe-worthy, because no one really WANTS abortion to occur, do they? I simply want it as an option.

But thanks for explaining.

I`ve been called a "baby-killing whore" more times than I can count, even though I`ve never had an abortion myself. I don`t even cringe anymore.

And actually, I think a segment of the population that identifies as pro-choice is really pro-abortion. I had a false pregnancy scare shortly after my last baby was born, and my husband was insistent that we abort -- and several of my feminist friends took his side, and said I`d had too many babies already, and it would be selfish to destroy my marriage and perhaps deprive my other kids of a father, and that abortion was the only real choice. I thought, whoa, when did a right become a duty? Where did my choice go?

See, I wouldn't have called those people pro-abortion. I would have called them rude.

Actually.... I stopped calling some of them all together.