The statistics on gender-based educational success in the United States and Sweden are strikingly similar; In most K-12 educational settings, females outperform males, achieving higher grades and test scores and even becoming college students in greater numbers. It is what changes after this series of educational successes that truly marks the difference between the two nations. In Sweden, these educated women continue to be successful and are treated, both socially and legislatively, as individuals. In the United States, men and women are constantly separated, socially and politically. Women's rights in Sweden are more consistent with the idea that citizens are treated as people rather than as men and women. In terms of abortion, motherhood, birth control and sex education, Sweden places more emphasis on gender equality than the United States which treats women as a different entity that must be addressed separately. the fact that many men in power feel that it is within their jurisdiction to control the rights that women are entitled to regarding their own bodies. Abortion is generally seen as something that should only be used when medically necessary. According to a New York Times/CBS News poll, “Men are more likely than women to say they would like to see stricter limits placed on abortions while women prefer to keep abortion available as it is now” (Thee, 1) . As federal law currently stands, women who are older than 18 (and women who are younger than 18 with parental consent) are entitled to an abortion in the United States prior to fetal viability, which is when a fetus can survive outside the uterus. After this time, individual... in the center of the sheet... "Debate: mandatory ultrasound scans before abortion". Found at: http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Mandatory_ultrasounds_before_abortionsSchweitzer, T. 2007. “US Maternity Leave Policies “Among the Worst”” Inc. Friday 16 February. Found at: http://www.inc.com/news/articles/200702/family.htmlSwedish Institute. 2009. “Gender Equality in Sweden.” Found at: http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Society/Equality/Facts/Gender-equality-in-Sweden/Thee, M. 2007. “Public Opinion on Abortion” The New York Times. Thursday 19 April. Found at: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/04/19/public-opinion-on-abortion/United Nations. 2002. “Sweden”. Found at: www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/doc/sweden.doc United Nations. 2002. “United States of America.” Found at: www.un.org/esa/population/publications/abortion/doc/unitedstates.doc