We Asked, You Answered: Do most pro-choicers conceptualize abortion as preventing a life?
On social media, we asked followers:
Agree or disagree? Most pro-choicers conceptualize abortion as preventing a human life rather than ending one.
There was a great mix of responses from both sides of the debate. Pro-life commenters shared the following:
Chris Morrison: “Many” is vague, but sure, that’s true. Among the (mildly) more sophisticated pro-choice crowd, they see it as preventing a human from becoming a person, where “person” is considered the relevant moral category (not “human” as such).
Emily P.: In my years of talking to them it’s definitely a mixed bag. Some say they’re not human until a certain point (consciousness/birth) and others say no human has the right to use another human’s body. I couldn’t tell you what’s a more common viewpoint overall but it does seem like the dehumanization is growing.
Erica D.: Disagree. I think most pro choicers know abortion ends a life. I think that’s more of a pro abortion view imo
Justice B.: Disagree. There is no excuse to not understand that abortion ends a human life with the information readily available and easily attained today.Being willfully ignorant is not an excuse.
Sarah V.: I think they do because they often frame it as wanting to prevent suffering, but it’s not like they don’t believe the fetus is alive, just that that stage doesn’t count because they feel the fetus is not aware and therefore can’t suffer.
I think even pro life people express the sentiment that life begins at birth when they say things like, “so glad to finally meet you!” Or, “baby is finally here!” when a baby is born, even when we obviously know they baby has been alive and “here” all along 
Charissa J.: Yes. And they make arguments as though we agree with that premise. They give reasons why someone may want to prevent having a child (not ready, would be born into poverty, overpopulation, etc.), not acknowledging that our position is that a child in the womb is someone who already exists during pregnancy.
Christina J.: Agree, which is hard. Scientifically it’s a living human. That’s not really the debate unless you don’t understand biology at all. The real debate is whether or not that human is a person. Which is actually a much harder point to make.
Jen S.: Pro-choicers know it ends a life. They just believe when that life is growing inside of another person’s body, the already born person rightly gets to choose to let it stay there and grow, or not.
Crystal: Consider that a prochoicer told me my prochoice biologist friend is wrong for admitting the unborn are human, yes. I think more consider it preventing life.
Meanwhile, pro-choice commenters seemed to have their own range of answers, or avoid answering the question entirely:
Peter N.: The answer is irrelevant. The only relevant issue is whether or not you want the government to dictate your decision in this matter.
Noli timere: Disagree, as pro choice I see elective abortion as ending a pregnancy, nothing more. Whether the pregnancy should end or continue is in my opinion solely at the discretion of the pregnant person.
Randell F.: Pro-choicers view abortion as a right, which it is.
#MeToo Barbie, MD: I don’t know how “most” pro-choicers conceptualize it, but I’m a maximally pro-choice, life long atheist, and that’s how I’ve always viewed abortion, ever since I was a pre-teen.
Nonya Business: No. Everyone knows a fetus dies. They simply choose to defend and preserve their own lives, health, and welfare over others using their body and harming them. We are allowed to choose to save ourselves. YOU don’t value women. They have to look out for themselves.
JK Searle: Prochoice folk Value Women
Pro-Choice Lizzie: It doesn’t matter what anyone believes unless they’re the one who’s pregnant.
Raymond Luxury Yacht: Yes, but I am speaking standard English, not Anti-abortionese. So human has two different meanings in the OP.
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