I don't think I can categorize my views as either "pro-choice" or "pro-life". To me, they are just buzz words meant to evoke emotion and don't represent any specific opinions.

Pro Babies thats for sure.

well that's depressing. now let's see the statistics for parents abandoning their children...

I agree that "pro-choice" and "pro-life" can often be twisted. For example pro-choice does not equal pro-abortion.

On a personal note, I would not get an abortion myself but it really doesn't affect my life if other people do that. We do have a right to our own bodies.

Depending on the situation I sway my opinion. But overall, as a man, I can't imagine being told what I can and can not do to my own body, so I would say I'm pro-choice.

I find it kind of strange that the numbers shifted so significantly in the last year, it doesn't really add up. I think the majority of Americans would want to keep abortion safe, legal, and rare.

I am pro-choice. I am fortunate enough to never have been faced with making a choice though. I can only hope that people have strong enough foundations with their faith and communities to go to them for guidance to avoid being put in a position to consider an abortion. And if they do find themselves in that position they go back to their support systems instead of going through with the procedure. Obviously I am not pro-abortions, but I would rather the choice be there for individuals to make.

I'm sorry, but being pro-choice does not mean that one doesn't VALUE life. It simply means that they understand and respect that value of a woman's right to CHOOSE who dwells in her body and when. This article makes me spitting mad.

totally right beautifulmel. the whole abortion dialogue is improperly arranged. pro life versus pro choice likens pro choice to pro death. nobody wants to be pro death and nobody is, seriously nobody is. I think I consider myself pro-life, but will defend a woman's right to choose, but also think that it shouldnt even get that far --- why don't anti-abortion advocates work for more preventative birth control? the whole debate is backwards. don't give options to prevent pregnancy, but don't allow someone to terminate? it simply doesn't make sense. I am adamant about prevention and think thats what both sides of the debate should focus more on. what is a surefire way to reduce the number of abortions? reduce the number of pregnancies, which you do by increasing the access to birth control.

I hate those descriptions. I'm both. I think abortion is a terrible thing, and I think every child matters, and I define a viable embryo as a child. However, I think that it's up to each individual couple to decide what to do if they become pregnant, not others.

Chouette - I remember when Biden came to spoke at my school there was the expected anti-abortion protest and pro-choice counter protest. Sort of as part of the latter: my one friend made a sign that said "abortion is too complicated of an issue of polarizing slogans"

Unfortunately, a lot of the "pro-life" people still harassed her even though she had by far the most reasonable sign from either camp.

It seems like an issue like this would certainly be black and white but there are nuances believe it or not. I think rather than pro-life vs. pro-choice it should be refered to as anti-choice vs. pro-choice. I know people including my self (if I were a women) would never think of ending a pregnancy in such a manner however we also would never force our decisions for our selves on someone else.

I'd guess that a majority of Americans also want to deny gay people civil rights - and it's probably the same anti-choice crowd. Sometimes you have to employ the courts to get the right thing done against popular will.

"Pro-choice" and "pro-life" are just buzzwords that don't accurately describe what the majority's opinions is, only the extremes.

My views are thus: I wouldn't have an abortion [I don't think, I've never been in the situation so I don't know 100%, probably about 95%], I wish they didn't happen, I think that sex education is important so that there aren't so many unwanted/out-of-wedlock pregnancies. I'm more about prevention so we don't have to go down that road.

But I know that there are people who don't think like I do, for various reasons that have some validity. So if they feel that abortion is the best/only/safest option after considering all others, then that is their choice.

It's a woman's body and a woman's own choice.

I am pro-choice because it's the ultimate form of being pro-life. And by pro-life I mean the person who will make the decisions and suffer the consequences or benefits of her decision.

I find this really hard to believe. I'm Canadian, and perhaps our numbers would be more different. Before abortion was legalized, women were still obtaining abortions, they just weren't safe and often resulted in many complications. Basically, if a woman wants an abortion, she will find a way to get one, so I definitely think the choice to have a safe abortion should exist. Legally, it's a woman's body and no one can tell her what to do with it. Limits are not placed on what a man can do to his body, so the reverse would be completely unfair.

I agree Anonymous that the government choice to make abortion legal revolves around much more than a religious moralistic struggle. It also involves the very real consequences of so called back alley abortions if it were not legal.

The term pro-life pisses me off. People who support abortions are not against LIFE. In fact, I think having the right to decide supports the ability of both children and mothers to have GOOD lives. Think about how many unwanted, homeless, and orphaned children there are all over the world. If people were more careful to only bring lives that they would care for into the world, there would not be nearly as many suffering children out there right now.

I consider myself pro-choice and those that aren't anti-choice. I am sure others have said this but the term pro-life pisses me off to no end because as a pro-choicer I am not "anti-life". I believe in choice to allow women to choose when to have children so they will be able to provide the best possible life for their families. There are too many children who end up in orphanages or abusive foster care. Or with parents who abuse or neglect them. I am more a vocal supporter of comprehensive sexual education to prevent unplanned pregnancies in the first place. I am in support of women having access to Plan B, which isn't an abortion pill, which can also work to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies and, hence, abortions.

At 25 the chances of my having an abortion are small because I am in a place where I could take care of a child (mentally, emotionally and financially) than if I was a young teen or still an undergrad. Just because that might not be my current option doesn't mean that I should take away that right from other women.

Also, anti-abortion laws rarely include exclusions for victims of rape and incest. A rape victim would have to prove their child is a product of assault before being allowed to end the pregnancy, if that would even be an option. I worked for the Planned Parenthood and heard the story of a young woman who had a nurse try and talk her out of ending a pregnancy that the product of rape. That is a traumatic event that no one should go through.

"Limits are not placed on what a man can do to his body, so the reverse would be completely unfair."
That is the argument women's rights advocates have been making for years. It is about autonomy and the ability to control my body how it is best for me.

Awesome!! I didn't realize that 51% of 1,015 Americans means the majority! Wow! 517 surveyors speak for roughly 300 million people! Way to mislead people. Stupid media.

I'm pro-choice and I take every precaution to ensure I never have to face that choice. As was mentioned, that doesn't mean I'm pro-death.

Ha, I just read 'majority' and I'm thinking like 90% of the population. omg

I'm both, actually. It depends on the situation. I am pro-choice, but pro-life in the sense that I don't think a life should be taken in unnecessary circumstances.

I think that women have the right to do as they wish with their own body, without interference from the government, church or judgment from the general public. These groups of people will not be involved with the pregnancy or the expected child's life, and no one can know what the right decision for the mother is except for her. With that said, I am against abortion as a form of birth control - people need to be aware of all of the risk factors that accompany abortion (post-traumatic stress disorder, etc...). I had an abortion a few years back, and I do wonder what my life would be like now if I had went through with the pregnancy, but in my heart I know I made the right decision. It certainly isn't the right decision for everyone, though, and people should do a lot of soul-searching before making a decision like that.

To be fair, I come from a Catholic school background (abortion videos and such!), but it really surprises me how many women are heartless towards their babies. Rights are rights and all but these arguers sound so cold, what happened to love??? Also I don't understand this idea about the baby being a part of the woman's body? It's one of the most horrifying things I've ever heard, and seriously possessive. An egg is a part of a woman's body -> sperm is foreign matter, as is the developing fetus. Somebody please explain the reasoning for that idea because I'm shocked at this board.

I believe the only solution to all this is to remove the cultural taboo surrounding sex, offer contraceptive education in ALL junior high and high schools, make condoms easy to buy, and make sure that people are given the RIGHT information to make responsible decisions in the first place.

I'm pro-choice, but I believe it should have certain limitations. Like, every time you get an abortion, you have to take a mandatory safe-sex class. And after the first one, the woman has to jump through some hoops to get them (but still can get them safely and legally, just, it takes more work) in order to discourage her from getting another one.

While I don't think I could handle one myself, I don't "care" too much if a woman has one. But when I hear about a woman having MULTIPLE, especially life-style abortions, it makes me die a lot inside, because obviously she needs some intervention.

@Annalove
I don't think anyone is saying they don't care about the baby. I know that I am pro-choice and I care deeply about the baby, that's one of the reasons I take my position. I think that there are times when an abortion really is necessary for the well-being of the baby. (Granted, I believe that something is "human" after the second trimester, and I also believe somewhat in reincarnation).

And then there are many cases of women who would die if the pregnancy wasn't terminated (my elementary school principal had a fallopian pregnancy and would have died, were it not terminated).

And then there's a simple matter that most women who get abortions, probably would get them in an un-safe manner if they weren't legal.

Pro-Choice isn't anti-baby or pro-death. It's pro-legalizing-abortions-to-keep-women-safe-and-decide-what-to-do-with-their-own-bodies. But that sounds kinda long.

What I've never understood is that the pro-choice side also seems to be anti-abortion, pro-contraception and pro-education, while the pro-life side seems to be pro-teen mothers, anti-contraception and anti-education. Aren't NOT teaching contraception and proper sex-ed kinda CREATING the problem that many women get abortions?

I am pro-choice; I agree with Staple Salad's comments. As stated in another comment, it isn't correct to label this "pro-life" vs "pro-choice"; just because you are pro-choice does not mean you are not pro-life, you just so happen to believe that women shouldn't have their options taken away. It should be a person decision and should not a nation wide ban against us all.

I'm pro-choice. I would probably never have an abortion myself, but I believe others should have the right to choose if they want. I don't think abortion should be used as birth control or anything like that. However, there are just some very complicated situations in which I think abortion could be the best situation. Also, for the first 8 weeks of pregnancy, it's just an embryo, not a fetus. I think abortions should be done early in pregnancy though.

Choice. This world is over-populated as it is.

I love that much of the time when someone declares they are pro choice they must also declare that they would never have an abortion themselves. In the same sentence that they are claiming to be in favor of having a choice
available, they are condemning it.

I had an abortion. I was 18, just out of a really crap home situation, barely taking care of myself, not about to take care of someone else. . I’m in my third year of medical school and don’t regret my decision for a second. It was the right choice for me.

Even if I hadn’t been in a bad situation,
I have the right to evaluate my life in the face of an unplanned pregnancy and determine that I don’t want to have a baby.

In an ideal world, unplanned pregnancies wouldn’t happen. But they do. None of us are immune. Being careful and cautious reduces the chance of an unwanted pregnancy but doesn’t eliminate it entirely. Don’t kid yourself.
Look at any birthcontrol method – Even IUDs and tubal ligations have a failure rate.

Earthgoddess, post-traumatic stress disorder is not a risk of abortion. For a diagnosis of post traumatic stess one must be in in a life threatening situation over which they have no control. Certainly an outpatient surgical procedure shouldn’t have too much risk of death (althought its on every informed consent sheet ever written, which is another rant entirely) and one would hope that the patient had control over the choice to be there at least.

Risks of abortion include infection, bleeding, and after REPEATED abortions there is the risk of scar tissue building up which could potentially affect future fertility.

I am not a fan of repeated abortion, not so much for morality or fertility issues as it’s a waste of medical dollar and implies that someone is putting themselves (and others!) at substantial risk for sexually transmitted disease.

Pro-Choice here. Unlike anti-choice activists, those who are pro-choice, don't enforce their beliefs on others. I may be for a woman having the choice in the matter, but I wouldn't harass her or force her into an abortion against her will. This has a lot to do with minding your own business.
Sadly, there are also those that shouldn't be having children. Like the 8 month pregnant crack head with sores all over her walking down the road the other day.

I am Pro-Life with my own body.
I'm pro-choice with everyone else, with that said, I always make sure to mention that it is a choice you will live with the rest of your life. Every kid, baby, happy family will bring memories of that decision and if a person can live with that, good for them.

Pro-choice, all the way. Vehemently so.

pro life? no way. i'm pro choice. if the fetus is not wanted - it's not a baby yet. i mean we all produce millions of eggs and gazillions of sperm and those are all potential babies. just because it turned out to develop into a ziggot doesn't mean it's any more special.

I am pro-choice but that doesn't mean I am pro abortion. Abortion is not birth control and some people should keep their legs closed if they can't figure out how to use birth control.

the term pro-life make you all mad because it addresses the actual issue and makes it real. It is a life. If you are against abortion, you are for the rights of the child. You can be angry all you want, but you also have to see reality. Abortion is killing a baby. Plain and simple. There are no nuances, it isn't a religious issue, it is a rights issue. I would find the indignation some of you have over some rights and not others comical if it wasn't so scary.

It's not a matter of not respecting the rights of a child. It's respecting the rights of a sentient woman over the rights of a 70 celled blastocyst.

I also object to being told that I am against the rights of children. I am vehemently pro choice for the first trimester. After that, if a woman has decided to carry to term, I personally believe that she has the responsibility to do everything in her power to make sure that her future child has the best possibly chance of thriving.

I think that what angers most people who are pro choice is that you can be pro life and simply opt not to have an abortion yourself.
Many people believe drinking is immoral. so they don't drink. I don't like walmart. I don't shop there.

What angers me personally is the frequency with which completely inaccurate information is used in "pro life" propaganda.

I'm pro-choice. I don't think any woman should be made to have a baby she doesn't want, esp if she has been raped or sexually abused.
Abortion is such a big deal her in the Uk as it is in America.

I'm pro-life now. I was pro-choice until I had one, it was the hardest thing to do, I wanted my child but my health was at risk, and I had to decide between my life and the life of my child. I made a selfish choice and chose my own. It's been pretty hard to deal with.

I would say I'm mostly pro-life.

There are cases where abortions are necessary, mostly when the mother's life is a risk.

I am not a fan of people who use abortion as post-hangover birth control. Those people need to deal with their poor decisions.

zeze, clearly the way these people need to deal with their poor decision making ability is by raising a child. Brilliant plan.

When my life isn't going the way I planned and my family sucks I sometimes say "I'd be better off dead" - but guess what, I don't mean it.