Hey, it’s hard to take new information like this gracefully, so kudos for that.
I just want to say that your gut feeling of “abortion should be available in case someone needs it” and feeling uncomfortable with the idea of it being used when it’s “not needed” isn’t a *bad* instinct. It feels very grounded and logical and compassionate.
But the devil is in the details. Who gets to decide when it’s needed? How do you prove that you qualify? Who do you need to prove your qualification to? How long will that take? What happens if different authorities disagree on whether or not you qualify? Every barrier to access prolongs ANYONE getting this care, and makes it more likely for people to get caught in the cracks and suffer. And that’s what we’ve seen in places where these restrictions have been put in place.
But there ARE ways to help reduce the number of abortions *other* than restrictions to access. Improved access to contraceptives, improved access to prenatal health care, more resources for people in domestic abuse situations, better parental leave policies, more funding for child care, Medicare, low income housing, foodstamps. When you make pregnancy (and parenthood) less dangerous, more affordable, and less potentially damaging to a person’s quality of life, then fewer people will feel like abortion is their best option.
Making pregnancy a *better* experience for *more* people is the way to reduce abortions while still making it accessible to people who “need” it (and trusting that each individual is capable of deciding what choice is best for them.)