Abortion: Worldwide Rate Stopped Falling After 2003

         

In Donald G. McNeil Jr.'s New York Times article "Abortion: Worldwide Rate Stopped Falling After 2003", McNeil writes about the controversial issue of abortion and how there has been a leveling off in the rate. Since 2003, the rate of abortion was 29 out of 1,000 women and has since leveled off. For some countries, access to birth control is limited. In others, the need to fight more deadly issues like AIDS and malaria are more important to purchase medication and protective tools for than abortion. One interesting thing I found from this article was that the United States contributes the most support in money and medication to birth control to other countries, but that has decreased since the influx of money towards AIDS and malaria. Another interesting fact from this article was that abortion rates are higher in countries where abortion is illegal than in countries where it is legal. Definitely human nature...

The rhetorical techniques McNeil utilizes in this article are an excellent source of logos that gets the point across to the audience. The first appeal of logos is his citation of the study where his facts and statistics came from, the Lancet by World Health Organization and Guttmacher Institute in New York. With that citation, the audience gives McNeil credibility. His statistics included the abortion rates of 1999 and 2003. Another logos appeal that McNeil uses is quotations from relevant people, one of whom is Gilda Sedgh. Sedgh is the lead author of the study and a research associate at the Guttmacher Institute. McNeil gets straight to the point in this article and doesn't leave the audience with any questions. Donald G. McNeil writes an effective article utilizes a straightforward approach and a logos appeal.

Source: McNeil, Donald G. Jr.. "Abortion: Worldwide Rate Stopped Falling After 2003." The New York Times 23 Jan. 2012, sec. Health: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.

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Best AIDS Vaccine in Monkeys

                                         

One of the few reasons that this article peaked my interest was that my biology class studied the immune system over Christmas break and honestly, I enjoyed the content. The best vaccine that the researchers found contained two strains of adenovirus and reduced the monkey's chances of contracting AIDS by 80 percent. Adenovirus is a strain of a virus that causes most colds. Also, with that vaccine, there was less of the HIV virus circulating throughout the blood and body fluids. The new vaccination has given researchers insight that the successful AIDS vaccine is going to need a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) shell around the protein. In this article, the positive attitude of the author, David Brown, really helped the audience see that this piece of research is a positive step towards finding an AIDS vaccination and the scientific world is making progress on this issue.

David Brown's rhetorical techniques used in his Washington Post article "Researchers report the best-yet AIDS vaccine in monkeys" are effective in informing his audience. One technique Brown uses is that he quotes experts on the research project including Dan A. Barouch and Anthony S. Fauci. Not only does he quote these experts, but he also cites their titles and professions which establishes ethos with the audience that his sources are valid. However, some of the jargon and diction that Brown uses in his article is probably foreign to many audiences. The only reason I was able to follow the scientific diction, like "immunogens" and "adenovirus" was because I have knowledge on the immune system and immunodeficiencies. Brown's audience is intended to be scientists, doctors, and students who have an understanding of AIDS and the HIV virus. David Brown's article on the new AIDS vaccine is keeping the scientific world and patients with AIDS positive for a successful vaccination.

Source: Brown, David . "Researchers report the best-yet AIDS vaccine in monkeys." The Washington Post 4 Jan. 2012, sec. National: n. pag. The Washington Post. Web. 5 Jan. 2012.