Rape and pregnancy statement controversies in the 2012 United States elections

The Todd Akin rape and pregnancy controversy concerns comments made by U.S. Senate candidate and Congressman Todd Akin on August 19, 2012, regarding rape and abortion, and the controversy that resulted from the comments. In the aftermath of the comments, which claimed that women who are 'legitimately raped' rarely get pregnant, Akin received widespread calls to drop out of his Senate race by both Republicans and Democrats.

Comments

Todd Akin is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's 2nd congressional district and current candidate for the U.S. Senate (See United States Senate election in Missouri, 2012). In an August 19, 2012 interview aired on St. Louis television station KTVI-TV, Akin was asked his views on whether women who became pregnant due to rape should have the option of abortion. He replied:

Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO)

Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.

The comment was widely characterised as misogynistic and recklessly inaccurate. Related news articles cited a 1996 article in an obstetrics and gynecology journal, which found that 5% of women who were raped became pregnant, which equaled about 32,000 pregnancies each year in the US alone. A separate 2003 article in the journal Human Nature estimated that rapes are twice as likely to result in pregnancies as consensual sex. (See Also Rape and Pregnancy)

Akin responded to the comments by first issuing a press release stating:

As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve.

And then a commercial in which he said:

Rape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way and for that I apologize, As the father of two daughters, I want tough justice for predators. I have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault, and I pray for them. The fact is, rape can lead to pregnancy. The truth is, rape has many victims. The mistake I made was in the words I said, not in the heart I hold. I ask for your forgiveness.

Background

In a 1972 article, Dr. Fred Mecklenburg argued that pregnancy is unlikely from rape. That article has influenced two generations of anti-abortion activists with the hope to build a medical case to ban all abortions without any exception. The article uses a flawed argument, claiming experiments in Nazi death camps had shown women are less likely to ovulate after trauma. Humans are not reflex ovulators, and have to ovulate before fertilization can occur.

Akin cosponsored the Sanctity of Life Act which would have conferred full legal personhood on embryos beginning at fertilization or cloning, as well as bills recognizing only "forcible" rape to narrow access to federal funding for abortions.

Reaction

Akin's remarks were widely condemned, including by Republicans. Mitt Romney said they were "inexcusable, insulting, and frankly, wrong." and called for Akin to step down. The National Republican Senatorial Committee said that “if he continues with this misguided campaign, it will be without the support and resources of the NRSC.” Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Akin's remarks were "totally inexcusable" and "wildly offensive". Conservative commentators Sean Hannity, Charles Krauthammer, and Mark Levin all called for Akin to step aside, as did the editorial teams of the Wall Street Journal and National Review, and nine sitting US Senators, along with three former Republican Missouri Senators. Republican super-pac American Crossroads announced it would be cutting off all aid to Akin's candidacy.

Political impact

Political analysts believe that the comments have the potential to swing the United States Senate election in Missouri, 2012. There have been multiple calls from Republicans for him to step down as nominee. The Washington Post reported a "stampede" of Republicans dissociating from Akin as part of damage control, with NRSC chairman John Cornyn saying the GOP would no longer provide him Senate election funding and describing Akin as "endangering Republicans’ hopes of retaking the majority in the Senate". A campaign spokesman for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan said both disagreed with Akin's position and would not oppose abortion in instances of rape. Ryan reportedly called Akin to advise him to step aside. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus warned Akin not to attend the upcoming 2012 Republican convention and said he should resign the nomination. The chair of the Republican Party, Reince Priebus, called for Akin to drop out of the race and to not attend the party's convention, described Akin's comments as "biologically stupid" and "bizarre" and said that "This is not mainstream talk that he's referring to and his descriptions of whatever an illegitimate rape is. We're hoping he hears [these calls to drop out of the race]". According to The Hill, "prominent conservative bloggers" urged Akin to drop out while "influential conservative voices" such as Erick Erickson and Richard Grenell tweeted that Akin was dropping out, the latter of which was interpreted by The Hill as a way of pressuring Akin to drop out of the race.

Akin has been defended by some social conservative organisations, including the Family Research Council. A spokesman for the Council said that "We feel this is a case of gotcha politics... We know who Todd Akin is. We've worked with him up on the hill. He's a defender of life."

His Senate opponent, Claire McCaskill, released a statement stating,

It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape.....The ideas that Todd Akin has expressed about the serious crime of rape and the impact on its victims are offensive.

President Barack Obama also responded to Akin's comments by saying "Rape is rape....And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we're talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me."

Akin made two radio interviews in which he stated that he was in the race to win. On The Sean Hannity Show, he stated "I was told that there is a decision has to be made by 5 o'clock tomorrow but I was calling you and letting you know that I'm announcing today that we're (staying) in." On the Mike Huckabee show he stated, "Rape is never legitimate... I used the wrong words in the wrong way."

Akin's comments sparked a renewed focus on the so-called Republican "War on Women". Political analysts have speculated that this controversy could affect the 2012 US Presidential election and the chances of a Republican takeover of the US Senate.