The right wing rhetoric machine was anticipating the latest Guttmacher study, Abortion in Women’s Lives discussed in earlier posts from Ellen M., so here now is a little Reality Check on what they’ve been saying:

"Programs for poor women are often so condescending, even degrading. They teach how to put on a condom rather than how to take control of their lives." – Leslee Unruh, Abstinence Clearinghouse.

Reality Check: Teaching a woman to protect herself and prevent unwanted pregnancy or disease is not degrading, it provides needed tools to women and underscores the mutual responsibility men and women who choose to be sexually active must make. Further, the failure of abstinence-only policies is well documented.

“A study by Guttmacher Institute on abortion should be taken with as much seriousness as a tobacco industry study on nicotine.” Deidre McQuade, U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops.

Reality Check: There is no amount of data that will change someone whose beliefs are opposed to these issues – what is shocking is that people like Ms. McQuade would discredit and deny legitimate scientific data before she’s even read the report. And, on issues of sexuality and women, doesn’t the Conference of Bishops have some things in common with the tobacco industry? Both institutions have been subject to multiple multi-million dollar judgments against them for their actions, behaviors, lies and cover-ups.

"If abortion is harmless like Guttmacher claims, why should there be fewer of them?" Wendy Wright, Concerned Women for America.

Realtiy Check: Why should there be fewer abortions!? That’s like asking why should there be fewer cancer surgeries. The goal of every medical professional is always to prevent the need for medical services, rather than rely on those services. There should be fewer abortions because women and men together are making wiser, informed and educated choices about their sexuality resulting in fewer unplanned pregnancies thanks to comprehensive sexual education and access to contraception. But that cannot happen when people like CWA want to take away contraception.

"Guttmacher loads their reports with quotes and evidence from themselves — and it's full of junk science and junk reporting. If it wasn't such a serious subject that millions of women have been injured through abortion, both psychologically and physically, this report would be absolutely laughable. They whitewash abortion to the point where they want to say abortion's actually good for you." Troy Newman, Operation Rescue.

Reality Check: There has never been a doubt about the excellent research of the Guttmacher Institute in the medical community, but for ideologues like Newman, good science has little to do with his respect for its outcomes. He disagreed with this research before he even read it (if he did). What’s laughable is that these people are even allowed to talk about science in the media. It’s part of a pattern: Union of Concerned Scientists and many other organizations voice concerns about the triumph of ideology over science by the Bush Administration on a wide range of issues.