Washington's Abortion Industry: A look ahead

The past year, 2007, was a banner year for the state's abortion industry. As recounted here, the industry finally solidified gains it had sought for at least a decade prior. Only the attempted denial of conscience rights as stated by the First Amendment to the US Constitution to pharmacists, and by extension all workers, has been stalled by a Federal District Court.

NARAL, Planned Parenthood of Western Washington and the ACLU among others, have however, appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The battle continues.

Furthermore, the abortion industry saw no roll-back in its hold on the levers of power at the state and county levels (judicial, legislative, and administrative branches, health departments, public health agencies, human rights department, etc.), in the education system, the media outlets, and elite opinion. The state of Washington continues to garner an A+ from NARAL, the abortion trade group. The decline in both the rate and number of abortions has stabilized. Meanwhile Planned Parenthood of Western Washington's profits rose approximately 11% each year since 1998.

So what's ahead for the industry? Here's a quick look.

More attacks on Conscience Rights, i.e. legislation of thought crimes.
For a variety of reasons the number of abortionists has declined in the last two decades. As the lack of abortionists continues to haunt the industry, the force of law will be brought to bear on those in the health care professions. People will be directly forced by employers or the state apparatuses to perform, refer for and support abortion and contraception.
Force training of doctors and nurses in abortion services.
Push for laws that further define sterilization, contraception and abortion as "health care" and do not allow for dissent in thought or action.

Move to Increased Use of Chemical Abortion.

As the original pre-Roe cadre of abortion doctors retires and dies, the industry will look to non-physician personnel -- nurses, pharmacists, physician aids -- to begin doing chemical and/or surgical abortions. Our state has already granted permission to nurses to administer chemical abortions and Arizona this week announced it will allow nurses to perform first trimester surgical abortions.

The public, ignorant by choice or chance, will look to chemical abortion as the "magic bullet" to solve the abortion wars and support its widespread use.

Prime the Pump: Increase demand for Abortion
With abortions down 20%, but still high in relative terms, profits are flat. A generation of post-abortive women and men who will support the industry with votes and dollars needs to be raised. The abortion industry will attempt to increase the number of out of wedlock and unwanted pregnancies. To do this they will promote sexual activity among teens and unmarried adults through school-based sex instruction and pornography.

Condoms, "emergency contraception" and reversible sterilization programs, i.e. pills, IUDs, the patch and Norplant implants will continue to be gateway products to Planned Parenthood's abortion services and sources of public and private revenue in their own right. An unquestioning and contraceptive addicted public will be told these devices are society's solution to abortion.

Planned Parenthood of Western Washington Emerges as Dominant Abortion Provider in State
PPWW continues to consolidate its monopoly as the state's primary subcontractor for abortion, sex instruction programs and state sponsored sterilization. Smaller abortion centers without the economies of scale and public relations and lobbying heft will be unable match Planned Parenthood's influence and marketing savvy. The Planned Parenthood brand will be presented to school children of all ages through the state mandated sex instruction program. Children will know how to call Planned Parenthood in the same way they know how to call 911. Smaller one-man abortion centers like Aradia will go out of business.

Exploitation of Women Continues
With no legal requirements for the monitoring or investigation of problems inside abortion facilities and a state health department unwilling to take a hard look at the havoc abortion is having on women's health, the exploitation of women by the abortion industry and those who support it continues into the foreseeable future. With pressure from employers, the state, society, and boyfriends/husbands/parents, the poor, teens, recent immigrants and those living on the margins will turn to abortion as the solution to their problems.