Abortion and Population

[SimpleCaveman]

Hi brewer,

The problem is that I don't (didn't-see below) believe you. You made a 'quote' and state that the UN (and others?) claim that fertility rate = birth rate. I know this is incorrect.

Nowhere did I claim that fertility rate and birth rate were the same. I think you are referring to this exchange.

I think we’re both right here. Yes, abortion reduces the birth rate. It also reduces the fertility rate, which is the number of live births per woman. That’s how the UN, demographers, and others (probably sociologists, too!) who study this define it.

bold mine: Then they are incorrect. But it's my guess and I find it more likely that you are incorrect. Please provide the link for your UN quote.
Unless you are arguing that abortions directly impacts future fertility status. If you are, that would be incorrect also.

The part you bolded refers to the definition of fertility rate, since that’s what I used in the beginning and what you were questioning.

I asked for a link to the document where you obtained your 'quote' and now see that you are apparently unwilling or unable to supply the document.

Then you want me to do the work that you should have done to make the claim. Sorry, that's on you to support your claim.

Dude, all I asked was for you to help me understand what the problem is. Once I understood, I would be happy to post the source. I want to answer the question you are asking, though, and it wasn’t clear. This current exchange makes it obvious that we were reading that in two different ways.

Why does it matter if the claimed 'fertility rate' is lower in 83 countries? Do you not like the 112 countries where fertility increases?

Now you’re just being silly. The fertility rate is what scientists use as a standard. It matters a lot.

The global fertility rate is expected to be 1.9 births per woman by 2100, down from 2.5 today. The rate is projected to fall below the replacement fertility rate (2.1 births per woman) by 2070. The replacement fertility rate is the number of births per woman needed to maintain a population’s size.
-- Pew Research Center

If the fertility rate is less than 2.1, then the group being measured will not maintain the population size.

For our audience at home, here’s a site that seems legit to learn about the difference between the two. Birth Rate vs. Fertility Rate For example, they say

While birth rate provides a snapshot of the number of births occurring in a population, fertility rate gives a more comprehensive understanding of the reproductive behavior of women.