The Cost of Choice: Women Evaluate the Impact of Abortion

by Erika Bachiochi (Editor), Jean Bethke Elshtain (Preface)

More than thirty years after Roe v. Wade, the conflict over abortion has not abated. While "pro-choice" forces increasingly concede the central "pro-life" claim - that abortion is a morally portentous act - they still insist that the well-being of women depends absolutely on a legal right to abortion. The twelve essays in The Cost of Choice all by women active in the public square, argue that legal abortion has in fact harmed women - socially, medically, psychologically and culturally.

Law professor Elizabeth Schiltz describes the unsettling reactions she faced for "choosing" to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome. Dr. Angel Lanfranchi, co-founder of the Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, offers evidence supporting a link between induced abortion and increased risk of breast cancer. Psychiatrist Joanne Angelo tells how abortion has affected women she has treated.

With essays by imminent women such as Mary Ann Glendon, Learned Hand Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Eleonore Raoul Professor of the Humanities at Emory University, The Cost of Choice shows another side of feminism and captures the complexity of a divisive social issue.

Genres: Feminism

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 2004

Reviews

[Paul Dubuc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book to read during the recent controversy over the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh when fears were being voiced about a possible reversal of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision which effectively legalized abortion on demand in the United States. It's a common refrain among pro-choice advocates that "When the right to abortion is endangered, the fundamental equality of women is threatened. A woman can never be equal if she is denied the basic right to make decisions for herself and her family." (https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/issu...) But some very smart and highly credentialed women strongly disagree. Instead they contend that legalized abortion on demand has done more to harm women. The essays in this book give voice to their point of view from cultural, medical and legal standpoints. They are well written, well documented and compelling. It's a shame that more people aren't aware of these arguments.

[Marian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read providing an overview of abortion from many different angles. It’s a book you can read over months, as the chapters ought to be read in order but they are unrelated aside from the unifying theme.

Took off one star because much of what is written still rings true in 2017, but some chapters are sorely overdue for a second edition- especially those treating the legal aspects of abortion. Overall very worth the read.

[Julie N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel so much more educated about the legal aspects of abortion having read this book. I would love to see a second edition, since this one seems to go only through 2004. It is a one-sided approach, but provides some great topics for debate. It's also a good source for statistics and backing up a pro-life argument.

[Jessica Westberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A set of essays from different women in their fields talking about abortion. Good read, but I wouldn't recommend sitting down and reading through like a regular book. Read an essay at a time.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A truly poignant series of essays, by women, explaining what our 'bargain' with death has brought to women since the inception of Roe v. Wade.