No Estás Sola
2015, 12 pp.
“No estás sola” un nuevo recurso para las mujeres católicas que están tomando la decisión del aborto. Una y otra vez, nos enteramos de que el personal de la clínica y los proveedores necesitan un recurso que utiliza una perspectiva pastoral para llegar a las mujeres católicas en sus clínicas. Hablando directamente de la realidad católica de la conciencia individual y la moral en la toma de decisiones, esta publicación afirma decisiones de las mujeres católicas a través de una base sólida en nuestra tradición religiosa.
The Facts Tell the Story: Catholics and Choice
2014, 12 pp.
“The Facts Tell the Story” provides the latest data about American Catholics’ support for and use of legal abortion, contraception and other reproductive healthcare issues.
An International Summit on Reproductive Choice [PDF]
2015, 48 pp.
The International Summit on Reproductive Choice, a gathering of over 70 leaders in the global reproductive health arena, was held June 2014, in Lisbon, Portugal through the cooperation of Portugal’s Associação para o Planeamento da Família, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Catholics for Choice. These selected presentations reflect the summit’s focus on how best to defend and advance women’s reproductive choice of abortion. The challenging discussions included such topics as sex selection, fetal anomaly, later abortions and whether “prevention” is the best way to frame abortion access.
Contents:
Is One of These Things Not Just Like the Other? Why Abortion Can’t Be Separated from Contraception, Beverly Winikoff
Later Abortion: What Makes It Difficult? Ellie Lee
Fetal Pain: What We Know, What We Believe, And What This Means For Abortion, Stuart Derbyshire
Selective Abortion For Fetal Anomaly: The Perspective Of A Support Organization, Jane Fisher
Sex Selection: The Uneasy Choice, Suchitra Dalvie
Replacing Myths With Facts: Sex-Selective Abortion Laws In The United States, Miriam Yeung
Not Only Abortion: Wider Reproductive Choice Issues, Marlene Gerber Fried
Prochoice Catholic Peruvians Applaud New Abortion Guidelines
2014
After 90 years delay, the Peruvian government has adopted a protocol for the provision of therapeutic abortion. Prochoice Catholic Peruvians embrace the new guidelines and affirm our church’s teaching on the primacy of conscience.
Beyond Savita: Why Now Could Be the Moment for Change in Ireland’s Abortion Law
Conscience Vol. XXIV – No. 1 (2013) – pages 14 – 18
Brendan O’Neill, editor of the online magazine spiked, looks at the furor thrown up by the tragic death of Savita Halappananvar and what the resulting debate means for the introduction of real abortion rights in Ireland.
Creaking at the Seams: Changing New Zealand’s Access to Abortion Care
Conscience Vol. XXIV – No. 1 (2013) – pages 19 – 21
Dame Margaret Sparrow summarizes the history of abortion rights in New Zealand and unpacks the conservative efforts to rebuff the expansion of services in one city
Steps Forward and Back: Legal Abortion Access in Latin America
Conscience Vol. XXIV – No. 1 (2013) – pages 22 – 24
Annie Kelly explains what’s behind the recent developments in Mexico and South America and speculates about future developments.
The Hidden Story of Pope John Paul II’s ‘Culture of Life’ and Polish Abortion Policy
Conscience Vol. XXIV – No. 1 (2013) – pages 35 – 37
Anka Grzywacz analyzes Poland’s restrictive abortion laws and the impact the so-called ‘Culture of Life’ had on Pope John Paul II.
Abortion in Poland: The Change that Never Happened
Conscience Vol. XXIV – No. 1 (2013) – pages 38 – 39
Piotr Kalbarczyk provides another perspective on the situation in Poland, where there appears to be little movement in overturning the draconian ban on abortion.
Conspiracy or Confusion?: Abortion Politics in Britain
Conscience Vol. XXIV – No. 1 (2013) – pages 42 – 44
Jennie Bristow, the editor of Reproductive Review, tries to make sense of what has been happening in the United Kingdom, where a rudderless government initiates and withdraws attacks on abortion access with no coherent aim in sight.
Recognizing Conscience in Abortion Provision
2012
Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Lisa Harris expresses a view too rarely heard: for some doctors “the failure to offer abortion care generates a crisis of conscience.”
London Declaration of Prochoice Principles
2012
In September 2012, Jon O’Brien of Catholics for Choice and Ann Furedi of the UK abortion provider bpas convened an international meeting of abortion providers, advocates and academics at Chandos House in London to talk about what it means to be prochoice.
The statement from the meeting is being discussed in the prochoice community around the world to foster reflection, conversation and our understanding of what it means to support choice.
La verdad sobre las personas católicas y aborto [PDF]
2015, 8 pp.
Las enseñanzas de la Iglesia sobre las decisions morales y el aborto son complejas—mucho más compleja que los obispos nos harían creer. Este publicación de Catholics for Choice demuestra cómo las enseñanzas de la iglesia dejan un amplio espacio para los católicos para afirmar que el aborto puede ser una opción moral.
The Truth About Catholics and Abortion [PDF]
2011, 12 pp.
Church teachings on moral decision-making and abortion are complex—far more complex than the bishops would have us believe. This new publication from Catholics for Choice reveals how church teachings leave ample room for Catholics to affirm that abortion can be a moral choice.
A Statement on Later Abortion
2010
In 2010, Catholics for Choice convened a meeting about later abortion with another organization, Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, to provide a chance to discuss a topic even seasoned advocates are not well informed about and to explore what, if anything, can and should be done for women who need later abortions. From this meeting came the following statement—not intended or designed to be an all-encompassing or exhaustive statement but more a moral and ethical assertion as to how we feel about this issue, why we think this issue matters and why in good conscience we must address it.
Catholics and Abortion: Notes on Canon Law No. 1
2010, 13 pp.
From our popular Notes on Canon Law series, a brief and straightforward analysis of what the Catholic church’s canon law says about abortion and what it means for the rights of prochoice Catholics.
Reducing the Need for Abortion: Honest Effort or Ideological Dodge?
Conscience Vol. XXX – No. 1 (2009)
Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, raises important questions pertaining to the Obama administration’s efforts to reduce the need for abortion.
Confronting our Ambivalence: The Need for Second-Trimester Abortion Advocacy
Conscience Vol. XXX – No. 1 (2009)
Susan Yanow, MSW, discusses the realities facing women who need second-trimester abortions and reaffirms the need for advocacy around later-term abortions.
Spaniards’ Views on Abortion– Analysis of a nationwide public opinion survey in Spain
Click here for the full results of the poll in Spanish.
November 2009
The Spanish public is currently engaged in a national debate over potential changes to the nation’s abortion laws. Belden Russonello & Stewart worked with Catholics for Choice to conduct public opinion research on Spaniards’ attitudes toward abortion and their views on Catholic Bishops’ efforts to restrict access to abortion. The short survey reported here is based on 1,001 interviews with Spaniards age 18 and over, conducted from November 10 to 13, 2009.
Presenting the Case for Conscience
Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, gave a keynote speech to leaders working in women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights at the Ipas-sponsored Future of Abortion: Controversies & Care conference. In “Presenting the Case for Conscience,” Mr. O’Brien explored what Catholic teachings say about conscience, how abortion is an issue of conscience for women, doctors and the public, and how to maintain services while respecting the consciences of all.
Abortion and Women of Color
Conscience Vol. XXIX – No. 3 (2008)
Susan A. Cohen, director of government affairs at the Guttmacher Institute, sheds light on why abortion rates are higher for women of color. Cohen explores the complex connection between financial situations, contraceptive use and overall healthcare, and proposes ways to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies.
Abortion: Freedom and Responsibility in the 21st Century
Conscience Vol. XXIX – No. 1 (2008)
Experts discuss many recent developments in the abortion debate, including everything from societal views on sex and internet content to fetal pain and sex-selective abortions.
Prevention Drives Today’s Prochoice Agenda
Conscience XXVII – No. 4 (2006)
Jodi Enda describes prochoice legislators’ efforts to focus on prevention of unplanned pregnancies.
Rights in the Church: Notes on Canon Law No. 2
2006, 16 pp.
Can divorced and remarried Catholics receive communion? Can a prochoice Catholic politician be turned away from the altar? Do parishioners have a right to know how the pastor and bishop are spending their contributions? The second in CFC’s popular Notes on Canon Law series provides guidance on what rights policy makers and individuals have under the Catholic church’s canon law.
A World View: Catholic Attitudes on Sexual Behavior and Reproductive Health
2004, 28 pp.
Also available in Spanish
An indispensable report that provides opinion data, demographical information and behaviors of Catholics from dozens of countries around the world. While the institutional Roman Catholic church—at the global, national and local levels—exerts substantial influence on public policy and even medical practices in reproductive health, the data reveal that the policies advocated by the pope and bishops do not reflect the diversity of attitudes and practices among Catholic people themselves. On contraception, abortion, condoms for HIV-prevention and other matters of family life, Catholic attitudes and behavior often clash with church teaching.
Attitudes of Catholics on Reproductive Rights, Church-State & Related Issues: Three National Surveys in Bolivia, Colombia & Mexico (The Latin America Poll)
2004, 45 pp.
Flip-Flopping
Summer 2003
by Frances Kissling
Roe v. Wade, The Next Twenty-Five Years: From Rear Guard to Avant-Garde
Conscience Vol. XVIII – No. 4 (1998)
Frances Kissling reflects on Roe v. Wade at 25.