Controversial Medical Opinion Restated by Todd Akin Is Not a Disqualification for Sen

[Mister D]

Akin's characterization of this rate as "really rare" is debatable but not unreasonable. Physiological responses by the female body to reject sperm from a rapist have been described by reputable physicians, notes Jane Orient, M.D., executive director of AAPS.

http://news.yahoo.com/controversial-medical-opinion-restated-todd-akin-not-disqualification-153300907.html

[Goldie Locks]

Oops...

[Mister D]

It's pleasing to see this statement:


We applaud Todd Akin for standing up against bullying by the media and by entrenched incumbents of his own Republican Party, as they try to censor and force him out of the race for the U.S. Senate in Missouri. No decent person, and certainly not Todd Akin, defends the heinous crime of rape, and the substance of Akin's remarks rise nowhere near the level of disqualifying him as a future U.S. Senator.

[Goldie Locks]

It's pleasing to see this statement:

And it is working...Akin way down in polls.

[Mister D]

And it is working...Akin way down in polls.

Well, Akin dug a hole for himself.

[bladimz]

The fate of Akin's run for the senate being in the hands of the ignorant and lazy voters is a microcosm of what to expect on a national scale in november. If Akin truly believes what he said, there's no reason why he should pull himself out of the race. Pressure from his own party, borne from the negative response from the media, was especially surprising. Under the bus...

At this point, i wouldn't expect that he'll win, but one never knows, does one.

[Adelaide]

A few unbalanced physicians have supported the theory that the stress the female body goes through during rape prevents, to some extent, the ability for the female to become pregnant. A vast majority of physicians do not support this opinion and in fact those that do are primarily pro-life physicians that have alterior motives. If you know anything about how stress (basic biology) and the hormones, neurotransmitters and proteins react to acute and chronic stress you would know that's absolutely bull that females that are raped don't become pregnant at the same rate as general unprotected sexual activity. I believe there is only one major study that is typically cited that says 5% of survivors will become pregnant as a result of their rape, but if you consider rates of pregnancy with unprotected sex (which varies greatly depending on a woman's cycle, among other things), as well as the fact rape is a tremendously underreported crime, the rate of 5% could be either low or high.

Regardless, Akin's comments were incorrect. The female body does not shut down during rape and it does not effect fertility - the physicans supporting this statement have other reasons for supporting it.