Wednesday 22 August 2012

Todd Akin - reviving memories

Many years ago I attended a series of lectures, one of which spoke of a young woman who had suffered a multiple rape, become pregnant as a result and had been procured an abortion. It was this case that had prompted David Steele's private members bill (which became the 1967 Abortion Act).

One of the elements discussed was the low conception rate of those who had been raped and how certain conditions having not been met often meant that whilst the rape had taken place the potential for impregnation was low. I recall the shock at this line of discussion, perhaps because I naively assumed that intercourse (consensual or otherwise) pretty much meant pregnancy, and struggled to get my head around it. I struggled with the 'conditions' bit as I just thought (I was pretty young still as the fact that the Abortion Act was still quite new will testify) that there was a coconut every time.

One of the questions that arose from the lecture was the question of whether pregnancy could be used as an indicator of whether there had been a rape. I guess this is what the American politico was heading towards in his 'legitimate rape' fiasco. To assist us with this question a physiologist contributed as to the conditions for conception and by the end of the lecture (and the ensuing discussions) we had come to the conclusion that whilst there might indeed be a lessened conception rate any conception arising from a rape situation meant that it could never be a true test - pity Todd Akin never sat in with us, he might have chosen to leave this topic alone.

Some final thoughts:

Statistics relating to conception as a result of rape range from something under one percent (0.7) to just under five percent (4.7). Regardless of the numbers, just one pregnancy arising from a rape situation is one too many.

I also struggle with Akin's use of the English language in that what he is trying (I think) to speak of is an incontrovertible incident of rape rather than a 'legitimate rape'. After all, rape can never be viewed as legitimate can it?

2 comments:

UKViewer said...

Whatever Todd Akin was getting at, he was totally wrong to try to down play the effects of rape.

His words hurt every victim of rape, whoever or wherever it took place.

The give licence to those who believe that they can do anything they like with women (or men) because they don't matter.

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

I have yet to read what the man has said in context but as I have written there is never anything that makes rape legitimate and the lowered conception rate doesn't minimise the act.

I heard someone who said that the chance of conception was higher if the person being raped was complicit! Obviously a really good reason to ensure that conception is never taken into account as a means of mitigating the rape.

At the end of the day rape is exactly that and can never be excused, explained away or diminished in terms of its wrongness.

I will go and seek out Akin's actual words in a transcript to see where he thought he was going and perhaps where he was coming from.

Thanks,

V