I would like to respond to the recent letter “Abortion is a fancy way to say selfish.” As a mother who is now past childbearing age, I know from experience that there are many reasons why a woman over 40 might appreciate that the laws of this country allow her to make her own health decisions, including those regarding abortion. For most women, terminating a pregnancy is not a choice that is made lightly and for merely selfish reasons.

I have never had to make this choice but have a concern about a very real problem that exists in our modern society that might have caused me to seriously consider it. Many medicine bottles have a warning to consult a doctor if you are pregnant or may become pregnant while taking that particular medicine. No one knows how many drugs may actually affect the fetus in the first two months of gestation, a time when many women are still unaware that they are pregnant. Most people would agree that it is immoral for scientists to undertake double blind studies involving drugs that are suspected to be the cause of serious birth defects using pregnant women. The decision to accept or refuse a prescribed medication that has known side effects, including those that cause damage to a potential fetus, is one that women make every day. In the past, giving up all prescription medications on the infinitesimal chance that I might become pregnant with a third child would have had a significant impact on my health. When a woman considers whether or not to terminate a pregnancy due to health concerns, would you accuse her of selfishness? There are choices in life that an individual needs to make in private, according to her own conscience. I believe this is one of them.

Fortunately, most woman do chose to carry a pregnancy to term. However, this means that many children will have health challenges related to the use of legal medications. My hope is that the children born with the myriad of birth defects and mental disabilities caused by a mother’s use of drugs will receive the voting public’s support for increased funding for programs that improve the lives of children and adults that need special care. I wish that those who spend time opposing abortion would instead put their energy into making sure that every child in the foster care system in this country is adopted into a loving family without regard to their physical or mental health.

Margarette Bull, Kirkland