I'm an American but studied abroad in Denmark for around 6 months. When I was there, I found out that the Nordic countries have virtually eradicated down syndrome by testing pregnant people for it. 99% choose to abort. How do you guys feel about this?
Personally this is quite disturbing to me. I've known people with down syndrome who live happy, quality lives. Even if it is up to the mother whether or not to abort, when it happens 99% of the time, is it not cultural eugenics? It seems the culture is almost afraid of taking care of a child with down syndrome. Especially in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, where the resources to take care of them are more widely available. If you could test for other things like autism, or even something like extreme depression, would yall do the same thing?
EDIT: I am strongly pro choice and I have talked to many American people on both sides of the political spectrum about this and they unanimously agree with me. On an individual level, I support everyones right to make their own decisions, but when it gets to the population level it becomes more of a cultural issue. There seems to be a cultural agreement that children with down syndrome are too difficult to care for. Does that make it ok to eradicate them? I honestly don't know
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The original was posted on /r/denmark by /u/queen_bs at 2024-03-13 15:12:18+00:00.
Silmariel at 2024-03-13 16:01:28+00:00 ID:
kup3dutIts the mothers choice. Both wether to get the scan, but also wether to have an abortion. Its her choice. How it makes you feel is not as important as ensuring we preserve her body autonomi as much as possible.
When you try and market your desire to restrict the right to abortion behind comments like yours, it just looks very american to us scandinavians. Here you cannot deprive a woman of her right to abortion because you try and label her actions as morally wrong. Thats how you restrict womens body autonomi in your own country.
queen_bs (OP) at 2024-03-13 17:46:54+00:00 ID:
kupip61I genuinely don't know the right answer. Restricting abortion is certainly wrong. What I'm saying is that maybe the fear of downs is unwarranted and maybe it shouldn't be the deciding factor when deciding to abort or not. It's cultural and shouldn't have to do with laws
Ok-Cow-1900 at 2024-03-13 17:57:13+00:00 ID:
kupkmuxThere are no good arguments to get a child, who quite frankly will never lead a good, worthy life
A child who will forever be a burden on their family and the state.
You can't decide what is the deciding factor for people, but getting an abortion because of a life long crippling deformity is certainly one that is morally right.