Examining The Truth About Rape And Pregnancy

All Things Considered host Melissa Block talks with Nick Baumann of Mother Jones magazine about the belief at the core of Missouri state Rep. Todd Akin's furor-raising statement over the weekend: that "legitimate rape" rarely leads to pregnancy. The belief that hormones or adrenaline protect women from conception during rape has been perpetuated for decades in American political discourse, without scientific basis. Studies have found approximately 5 percent of rapes result in pregnancy.