Local Opinion: Abortion is more complex than pro-life or pro-choice

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Nickerson is a candidate for the Arizona Senate in Legislative District 17:

As a man, who will never have to decide whether to have an abortion, I hesitate to weigh in on this discussion. However, as your next state senator, I will be required to make laws that will affect medical care for every pregnant woman in Arizona.

As a pastor, I have counseled many women on this and know that a woman’s decision to terminate a pregnancy is far more complex than the current, heated “pro-life,” “pro-choice” debate frames it. I also know that the implications of anti-abortion legislation, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, are equally complex and far-reaching.

Those who dogmatically say “yes” to all anti-abortion legislation dismiss the fact that some pregnancies put the life of the woman in great jeopardy. For example, a molar pregnancy occurs when an egg has been fertilized, but there is an abnormal growth of the cells that develop into the placenta. The result is a fetus that will not survive outside the womb. This condition can lead to cancer. In most cases, a simple D&C procedure is performed to remove the molar tissue. But this medical procedure is considered criminal under many anti-abortion laws. The same can be said for ectopic pregnancies, which are more common but present similar consequences. In both situations the longer the pregnancy continues, the more likely it is that the woman will die. In these cases, the “pro-life” decision is an abortion to save the woman’s life.

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Others maintain that anti-abortion legislation will result in fewer abortions. This is a fallacy. Women will continue to seek abortions, but their options will depend on discriminatory economic factors. A woman who has the means can travel to a state that has upheld the right to choose, and have a safe medical procedure without any legal repercussions. Another woman, for whom travel or absence from work is unaffordable, may find that an unsafe, risky back-alley abortion is her only option.

Doctors should be free to advise pregnant women on health decisions and consequences, without suffering penalties from legislative mandates.

“Pro-choice” also means that if a pregnant woman sincerely believes that all abortions are wrong, she can choose to carry her baby to term, even if she is advised of high risk to her own health and life. She can weigh advice from her doctor and if she chooses, her spiritual advisor. But it is her life and her decision.

As your state senator, I will make sure that these decisions are made by pregnant women and their doctors, not by legislators, many of whom will never be faced with having to make this heart-wrenching choice about their own bodies.