Poll: Would you abort a pregnancy if the child would have Down Syndrome?

[llafnwod]

Abortion is an interesting topic to me; it is one of the few high-profile social issues which was really difficult for me to form a stance on, and on which I can empathize with both sides. Here and elsewhere, I've seen many take the stance that they are against abortion except in certain mitigating circumstances. The common ones are rape and threat to life, but one that's popped up a few times is if the fetus is diagnosed with a mental disability. So, I posit a situation to my fellow Escapists:

You or your spouse/girlfriend are/is pregnant. This is a planned pregnancy; both you and your partner want a child. In the tenth week, however, prenatal screening reveals that the fetus has Down Syndrome, and the child will be born mentally retarded. Would you be in favor of an abortion?

Notes:
A few facts: The IQ of people with Down Syndrome usually ranges from 30-70, with the average at around 50. Their average lifespan is around 50 years, and they usually develop neurodegenerative diseases in their last few years. Congenital heart disease is also very common.

I have attempted to make this poll as neutral as possible while maintaining concision. The question in the title seems to me to lean somewhat in favor of the abortion, but any other phrasing I could think of was too long or leaned even further to one side or the other. The third option is not really relevant to what I'm attempting to ask, but was included so the "No" option would include only those people who believe there are any mitigating circumstances for abortion at all.

 

[Aerodynamic]

Yes.

I wouldn't want my child to live with the burden of that and him being a burden of the state.

 

[Furious Styles]

Its not a good enough reason in my opinion so no

 

[Blueruler182]

I feel really bad about myself now, my first thought was yes... And I'm having a real difficult time saying no.

 

[Irridium]

Honestly, I would abort the child even if it didn't have Down Syndrome. Right now there's no way I would be able to support a family, and I will not send a child away to an orphanage to grow up without his/her family.

However due to your description, it appears I would be ready for a child. In which case I would probably abort as well if it was possible. If not I would do all I can for the kid. However it would be a hard life. For everyone involved. I wouldn't want anyone to go through that.

 

[Irridium]

damn internet

 

[rokkolpo]

well we don't know until it happened.

ask a parent.
most of the people here are teenagers and have no idea of parenthood or the feelings that come with it (myself included).

 

[Kortney]

It sounds awful, but very little good comes out of it. I would still love them, without a doubt - but if it was detected early enough than I'd really consider an abortion.

Having a child with down syndrome means the family suffers. I was good friends with a girl who had a little brother with down syndrome, and everyone of the family members (especially the parents) had their quality of life taken away. They all loved him but you can see the stress it puts on family.

 

[Krafty_Krocodile]

Yes. i might sound mean for saying this but raising a child that has incredibly bad deformities is hard and living with them is harder.

 

[RandomWords]

I'd rather not have them go through it.

 

[The Procrastinated End]

It's likely that, unless I planned on having the kid, I would try my hardest to get whoever was pregnant to have the abortion regardless of diseases.
That being said, yes I would, because there is no reason to keep it.

 

[Kagim]

Answering that question is kinda silly. Unless you have already been in that position its hard to say either answer definitively.

As easy as it for us to say yes or no and lay down a completely logical reason as to why we choose yes or no until we are sitting there in the doctors office receiving the news that our beautiful baby we have spent the last two and a half months picking out names, building a room for, planning for college and making part of our lives before they are even born is going to have down syndrome... No one can answer that question.

Sorry for the run on sentence... That is how i would have said it though...

 

[llafnwod]

Yes. Absolutely. Without a second thought.

I know it makes me an evil, evil person but I don't even think of Down's sufferers as human. They're...not right. Defective. Little more than pets or playthings like animals. And like I said, I know that makes me an evil, evil person but my revulsion at the sight of them is deeply personal and not something I can deny.

No, it doesn't make you an evil person. I'm not looking to ostracize anyone here; I'm genuinely interested in the range of opinions. The definition of a human being, the ethics of euthanasia, and why people draw the lines they do are all important problems I want to see some different solutions for.

Answering that question is kinda silly. Unless you have already been in that position its hard to say either answer definitively.

As easy as it for us to say yes or no and lay down a completely logical reason as to why we choose yes or no until we are sitting there in the doctors office receiving the news that our beautiful baby we have spent the last two and a half months picking out names, building a room for, planning for college and making part of our lives before they are even born is going to have down syndrome... No one can answer that question.

I am aware that it is difficult, but a question being hypothetical does not mean your answer is not useful. Do your best.

 

[TerranReaper]

Yes, I wouldn't want them to suffer the pains and burdens of Down Syndrome, it may seem evil, but look at it like a mercy killing.

 

[Freshman]

Yea, but to be fair, i never really considered fetus's to be alive in the first place. They always seemed to me to be like trees, technically alive, but no thoughts/feelings/experiences, which i always deemed as necessary to "live."

Carry on my wayward tree analogy: stem cell research is kinda like logging. you harvest a bunch of stuff, then put down more seeds.

 

[SaberXIII]

Hell yeah, I don't see the point of life if you're unable to properly live it. I know some people will say 'oh, but somebody with Downs Syndrome CAN live a full life', but I totally disagree with that. I would rather have a really mentally disabled child aborted than subject it to 80 years of literally monging about.

 

[Flamezdudes]

I probably would, i don't think i could put up with all the problems.

 

[zelda2fanboy]

They're...not right. Defective. Little more than pets or playthings like animals. And like I said, I know that makes me an evil, evil person but my revulsion at the sight of them is deeply personal and not something I can deny.

No, I assure you that the mentally handicapped are very much real human beings. Would you argue a child is less than human? BTW, I do appreciate the honesty. I don't know many Down Syndrome individuals personally, but I did go to school with some. As George Carlin so eloquently said it about children "They're like any other group of people. A few winners, a whole lot of losers." Maybe try volunteering some time? Face the fear.

However, a big yes to the abortion question. Why give a kid any more challenges in life? You can always have another, and if you can't, so what? I don't even think it has much to do with genetic predisposition, but rather an error in meiosis. Personally, I've somewhat decided not to have kids myself, just based off of my genes and general dislike of life. I can't justify giving a kid my terrible eyesight and irritable colon. Nor could I tell him school isn't that bad.

 

[YouBecame]

until it it me making that choice with my partner about our child I cannot answer. I certainly haven't written off either option though. I'm not against abortion, I just do not know what I would do in that circumstance. An interesting question though I must admit.