One of the points in my controversial abortion opus that’s generated the most discussion is the quesiton of whether birth control leads to fewer abortions. If it does, pro-life forces would need to re-assess their resistence to birth control.
A new data point to consider. Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times reports that the Bush Administraiton’s efforts to de-fund certain African family planning organizaitons would lead to more abortions. The Agency for International Development wants to cut funding to Marie Stopes International, a family-planning group the administraiton says is helping China’s forced abortion policy, a charge Kristoff says is false. Since Marie Stopes helps prevent unintended pregnancy, its director estimates that one consequence of the funding cut will be more abortions. Kristoff writes:

“The organization estimates that the result will be at least 157,000 additional unwanted pregnancies per year, leading to 62,000 additional abortions and 600 women dying in childbirth.
Over the years, I’ve dropped in on a half-dozen Marie Stopes clinics, and in rural areas there’s typically nothing else for many miles around. Women in the villages simply have no other source of family planning.”

In opposing the cuts, liberal groups (not wanting to imply that abortions are bad) have focused on the greater threat to the mothers. But pro-life groups might re-consider the law of unintended consequences.