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Letter: If abortion is criminalized, two people (not one) should be held responsible

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) In this Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2015 file photo, Brandi Jensen, center, shares her opinions with an anti-abortion protester as the Planned Parenthood Action Council holds a community rally at the state Capitol in Salt Lake City. Planned Parenthood Association of Utah CEO Karrie Galloway says the demonstration is a protest against Gov. Gary Herbert's decision to stop disbursing federal money to Planned Parenthood.

Recently I’ve read that Congress is planning on criminalizing having an abortion. If lawmakers have their way, anyone who has an abortion will be sent to jail. I’ve thought about this and have come to an interesting conclusion.

First, women who don’t want to get pregnant these days have many options to prevent it. I presume most women use at least one of these preventive means. Thus, if the woman does get pregnant, it means the contraception did not work. Contraceptives have a disclaimer — 95 percent effective, 99 percent effective, etc., so the companies that make contraceptives are off the hook.

Second, it takes two people to make a baby. Thus, if the woman’s contraception method fails, the man’s contraception method had better not. If an abortion is the only means left to prevent a baby, then both the man and the woman should be held responsible. DNA tests from the fetus can pinpoint who the father is. If jail time is decided for the woman, then the same sentence should be given to the man.

It takes two people to create life. If that life is aborted, then those same two people should both be held responsible.

Anna Florin, South Jordan