In Which Megan McArdle Annoys Me

*

Ugh.
I got into a short discussion on The Atlantic regarding abortion, Planned Parenthood and Virginia's new law that would force women seeking abortions to get invasive vaginal ultrasounds in the early weeks of their pregnancy. Because women are too stupid to know what being pregnant means I guess.


Ugh.
The whole thing makes me crazy.
(As a bit of background information I had an trans-vaginal ultrasound in the first month or so of my pregnancy because of pain and a bit of bleeding. The Doctor wanted to check to see if I might be having an etopic pregnancy.
The probe was huge, mutant dildo huge, with a ball on the end.  In any other situation I would have to be incredibly drunk and incredibly horny to allow something that big to be stuck up my vagina. It was painful and humiliating and totally wonderful because it allowed us to make sure everything was OK and completely voluntary.)

McArdle:" I think that abortion should be legal, but I also think that it should be a last resort, and I'm all for the government using any non-coercive methods it can to encourage women to carry their pregnancy to term, including things that will make them feel bad about aborting. I think, for example, that sonograms should be mandatory before termination, I'm in favor of waiting periods and parental notification laws, and I'm agnostic on spousal notification."


I wrote:
Seriously, you think that women are so stupid about what is in their wombs that they should be forced to have an invasive vaginal ultrasound before they can get their legal abortion?
Ever had one?
I have, 19 years ago, worst experience  in an OBs office I ever had. Think sex toy but of terrifying proportions.


Her Response:
Ever had an abortion?   Considerably more invasive than a trans-vaginal ultrasound.  In fact, there are lots of worse things that happen in women's health clinics; be glad you haven't experienced any of them.


My Response:
That's your response Megan?
It's not as bad as an abortion so lay back and "think of England"?
Like I asked, do you think women don't know what it means to be pregnant?  Do you think that roadblocks ultrasounds do anything but cost more money and cause some woman to have later and more dangerous procedures?
Here's the thing Megan having an abortion is voluntarily while having a probe (which take it from me was painful and a bit humiliating) stuck up your vagina at the behest of the state is NOT voluntary.


And being voluntary is the point and why her bullshit response to me is infuriating.

This response was from a "Libertarian". 

How much bull shit is that? 

In the name of fewer abortions she is OK with The State forcing a woman to submit to a bodily invasive procedure (or even just a regular ultrasound) that the woman has to pay for before she can get the totally legal and completely voluntary procedure she has already had plenty of time to think about. We don't need to be informed of what is in our wombs. 

We know.

Woman in the need of abortions do not need roadblocks  and ways to feel bad about what they plan on doing, they need to be supported. I wonder how many women who feel "bad" about having an abortion would have no issues if they were not made to feel they were doing something terribly wrong and shameful?


So ugh Megan, way to be supportive.


The other new argument in favor of invasive sonograms is more of the "well you've already had a cock in your va-jay-jay so why should a probe be a big deal?" Once again it is NOT about the probe, which I assume with technology is no longer mutant sex toy size, but with the fact that is is not voluntary. It is a foreign object that is being forcibly inserted into a woman's vagina.


A few other blogs noticed the conversations too:
Here at TBogg and The Hunting of the Snark.


*Yes, he was totally worth it even if he did find the whole idea of a "dildo sized probe" quite hilarious when his father and I were discussing The MaArdle-bargle.