[quote name='spmahn']In a ideal world you wouldn't need abortions because everyone would be responsible enough not to have children they don't want, or at least we'd have a lot fewer once you factor in the people who get them for medical reasons. Sadly we do not live in this perfect world.[/quote]
I don't think there's anybody (who isn't crazy) who actually wants more abortions just for the sake of having abortions. They all essentially feel that same way - they think it would be nice if abortions didn't happen, but they're necessary for various reasons. And of course the perfect world would require more than everyone just "being responsible" since plenty of people are, but still end up with unwanted pregnancies. Unless "being responsible" only means having sex when you specifically want a child. In which case you'd need a perfect world to kill everyone's sex drive.
[quote name='spmahn']From a moral perspective, i find abortions to be abbhorant, and would never elect to agree to one under any circumstance short of my girlfriend dying if she has the kid. [/quote]
Well unless you're capable of giving birth to a child it would never really be your decision.
[quote name='spmahn']Late term abortions are particularly disturbing, and I hesitate to wonder why anyone at all would agree with them short of medical reasons.[/quote]
That would be pretty much the only reason they do happen, the vast majority of abortions are done way before then.
[quote name='spmahn']I honestly don't feel it is the schools job to teach sex education in the first place, but again this is an idealistic perspective as many people that need it the most come from broken or abandoned homes and simply won't get it elsewhere.[/quote]
It's more than broken or abandoned homes. It's not just a small minority that wouldn't get proper sex education outside of school.
[quote name='spmahn']I think the best route is a combination of absitnence education along with safe practices.[/quote]
That's usually how it works. Aside from anatomy and medical information about STDs it's just telling kids that not doing it is the only way to avoid infections and pregnancies 100%, but otherwise there are safer ways of doing it.
[quote name='spmahn']I do feel though that the idea of providing students with protection such as condoms within a school setting is outrageous, and shouldn't be done.[/quote]
Why? That's giving them a safer and more responsible option.
[quote name='spmahn']As for the high rates of teen pregnancies and abortions, I'm not so sure abstinence only education, or a social stigma about birth control is entirely to blame.[/quote]
I wouldn't think so either.
[quote name='spmahn']My guess would be, like anything else, that a significant portion of the population, probably between 20 and 30 percent, will still have unprotected sex, and still get pregnant with unwanted children regardless of their education or even if you provide them with the protection they need.[/QUOTE]
I think 20-30% is probably pretty high for the particular situation you're addressing. In any case there will be fewer people having unprotected sex if they're educated about having protected sex than if they're not.