10 Fast Facts About Abortion's Injustice and Risks to Women

1. 64% of women having abortions felt pressured by others.1 Coercion can escalate to violence or even murder.1,2

2. 52% felt rushed and 54% were not sure about the decision at the time, yet 67% received no counseling beforehand.1

3. 84% reported that they did not receive adequate counseling.1

4. 79% were not informed about available alternatives.1

5. 31% of women suffered health complications after abortion.1 10% suffer immediate complications, one-fifth of which are life-threatening.3

6. Women have a 65% higher risk of clinical depression after abortion compared to women who give birth.4

7. 65% suffer multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after abortion.1

8. Death rates from all causes are 3.5 times higher among women who abort, compared to women who give birth.5

9. 60% said "part of me died." according to a survey of women who aborted.1

10. Suicide rates are 6-7 times higher compared to women who give birth.6

Citations

1. VM Rue et. al., "Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women," Medical Science Monitor 10(10): SR5-16 (2004).

2. See the special report, "Forced Abortion in America," at http://www.unfairchoice.info/resources.htm.

3. Frank, et.al., "Induced Abortion Operations and Their Early Sequelae," Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 35(73):175-180 (April 1985); Grimes and Cates, "Abortion: Methods and Complications", in Human Reproduction, 2nd ed., 796-813; and M.A. Freedman, "Comparison of complication rates in first trimester abortions performed by physician assistants and physicians," Am. J. Public Health 76(5):550-554 (1986).

4. JR Cougle, DC Reardon & PK Coleman, "Depression Associated With Abortion and Childbirth: A Long-Term Analysis of the NLSY Cohort," Medical Science Monitor 9(4): CR105-112 (2003).

5. M Gissler et. al., "Pregnancy Associated Deaths in Finland 1987-1994 -- definition problems and benefits of record linkage," Acta Obsetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 76:651-657 (1997).

6. Mika Gissler, Elina Hemminki, Jouko Lonnqvist, "Suicides after pregnancy in Finland: 1987-94: register linkage study" British Medical Journal 313:1431-4, 1996; and M. Gissler, "Injury deaths, suicides and homicides associated with pregnancy, Finland 1987-2000," European J. Public Health 15(5):459-63, 2005.

~ Information Obtained from the Elliot Institute, Springfield, IL
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Comments

  1. Christina Dunigan2/12/07, 5:34 PM

    Compare this to the situation before legalization, when Nancy Howell Lee found no ambivalence at all among aborters. They were uniformly adamant that they wanted their unborn children dead.

    What's so bad about limiting abortions to those women hell-bent on them? What's so great about abortion that we should be subjecting ambivalent, reluctant women to it in droves?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jean Heimann2/12/07, 11:10 PM

    Well said, Granny!

    God bless you,
    Jean

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous2/14/07, 8:54 PM

    World estimations of the number of terminations carried out each year is somewhere between 20 and 88 million.(likely 55 to 60)

    Over 3,500 per day / Over 1.3 million per year in America alone.

    50% of that 1.3 million claimed failed birth control was to blame.

    A further 48% had failed to use any birth control at all.

    And 2% had medical reasons.

    That means a staggering 98% of unwanted pregnancies may have been avoided had an effective birth control been used.

    People have to stop using abortion as birth control.

    People should be able to choose to use birth control,
    so as to avoid having to make another choice.

    I'd like to see effective birth control made available to all who can't afford it.

    ausblog

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jean Heimann2/21/07, 10:03 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jean Heimann2/21/07, 10:06 PM

    Dear Ausblog,

    I used to think like you - however, my personal experiences, as well as the knowledge I have gained have changed my mind about contraceptives. I have learned how damaging contraceptives can be. In what way you ask, you ask?

    The condom and the diaphragm, while relatively complication -free, have a higher failure rate in preventing pregnancy (anywhere from 14 to 20%) and if the condom fails in AIDS prevention, death can occur! Why should teens be offered risk reduction solutions when, when risk elimination, or abstinence and chastity, is possible? Spermacides are supposed to kill the sperm. If any of the chemically treated sperm do not die but rather travel up the fallopian tube and meet with an egg, the result could be a handicapped child.

    The pill does not prevent STD's, but it is being promoted as the best way to reduce pregnancy. However it is not 100% effective and has many harmful side effects. Here are a few of the many harmful side effects:

    forms dangerous blood clots
    damage to fallopian tubes
    increase in ectopic pregnancy
    fibrocystic breast disease
    nausea, vomitting
    sterility
    discoloration of skin
    breast cancer
    depression
    death

    I agree with you that people need to stop using abortion as birth control. The only way to avoid pregnancy that is 100% safe and effective is abstinence. It costs nothing, has no harmful side effects, and puts you in control of your life. No one has to become pregnant - it is their choice.

    Also married adults would benefit from Natural Family Planning, which I have written about on this blog. It is 99% effective 100% of the time.

    ReplyDelete

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