Dear Editor,

As the Texas Heartbeat Act is igniting more debate on abortion, it is important to define the words and phrases used in this debate.

What exactly are reproductive rights? The right to choose to use contraceptives: birth control pills, IUD, injection, condoms (male and female), diaphragm, cervical cap, sponge, vaginal ring, implant, birth control patch and spermicides. The right to choose the person to reproduce with, how many to reproduce, whether to even have sex, where to have sex, what kind of sex are all legitimate choices.

After reproduction occurs there are twop choices: give birth to a live baby or abort the baby. If choosing to give birth to a living baby, one can parent or make an adoption plan.

If choosing to abort the baby, there are various methods to accomplish that. A dilation and extraction is a dilation of the cervix prior to the abortionist using instruments to dismember and extract the baby. A chemical abortion is the use of pills containing mifeprestone and misoprostal to end the life of the baby. An aspiration abortion uses a suction catheter to extract the baby. The lining of the uterus is then scraped to remove any remaining parts. An induction abortion is a third trimester abortion. The abortionist will usually inject the baby with a lethal dose of digoxin or potassium chloride causing cardiac arrest for the baby and then induces labor to deliver a dead baby.

“My body, my choice” is reasonable until choosing for the body of a separate human being. No person has the right to kill a child – even when that child is temporarily dependent on another person for nine months.

A small, young, developing child (also known as a fetus, product of conception, or clump of cells) should be protected under the law. Using vague or manipulative language to rename the taking of a human life makes it easier to accept the unacceptable. Perhaps we can find common ground — free, easily accessible birth control, healthcare and community support for mothers, affordable and plentiful adoptions, and extremely rare abortion. The truth is abortion stops a beating heart.

Linda Burroughs,

Russell