Do I Matter ? Those three little words hold a lot of weight, especially after a year like 2020. Last year revealed how little we value the importance of life. It also shed light on our inadequacy as a nation to support and defend each other. At the end of the day, what really separates us from one another? Differences in upbringing, life circumstances, and our bodies are just a few things that make us unique and distinct individuals. Those differences are important. However, we often forget that underneath it all, each of us have hearts that beat the same. So yes, you matter. Regardless of what you look like, where you live, how much money you make, or what you’ve done: by the mere beating of your heart, you matter. In fact, before you even walked on this earth, you mattered. Someone gave you life and brought you into this world. As early as 18-21 days after fertilization, your heart tissue began beating like it is now. Isn’t that incredible? Tragically, 25 percent of your generation was lost to abortion. Each individual had a heartbeat. Who knows how that unique and distinct life could’ve changed the world. From aborting because of race, gender, disability, or out of convenience, millions of lives have been denied a chance to live. They mattered. We acknowledge that the marginalized, poor, and oppressed lives matter too. But discussing who matters is a moot point if we don’t give life a chance at the very beginning. So yes, you matter. You mattered from the very beginning – every life does.
We will be up front with you –
this magazine is about abortion. A topic so divisive we’ve lost the ability to have rational discussions about it. In the pages of this publication, you can read how abortion affects women, men, and the child in the womb. We will also explore how it affects the vulnerable, people of color, the common arguments from each side and what they really mean, plus more. Take a moment to read, ponder, then decide what you think.
2 | Do I Matter?
So What Do You Know? _ 1. Since legalization in 1973, abortion has terminated approximately ___ lives of pre-born babies.1 a. 31.4 million b. 62.9 million c. 7.5 million d. 23.7 million 2. Most abortion facilities are located in ___.2 a. Hospitals b. Medical Facilities c. Minority Neighborhoods d. Strip Malls 3. Women between the ages of ___ have the most abortions.3 a. 15-18 b. 20-24 c. 28-32 d. 12-14
4. Abortion is legal through ___ months of pregnancy.4 a. 9 months b. 3 months c. 6 months d. 5 months 5. After a pre-natal diagnosis of Down Syndrome, ___ are aborted.5 a. 12% b. 92% c. 25% d. 30%
6. What percent of women say they felt pressured into their abortion?6 a. 20% b. 42%
7. Black women are ___ times more likely than white women to undergo an abortion.7 a. 5 b. 2 c. 4 d. 3 8. How many women choose abortion because they think a baby would interfere with their education, career, and/or family?8 a. 62% b. 74% c. 55% d. 13% 9. Low-income women undergo ___ of abortions.9
c. 14%
a. 50%
d. 74%
b. 65% c. 75% d. 59% (Find answers and sources on page 14.)
Tell us what you think! Continue the conversation by contacting us through studentmag.org
Do I Matter? Human Life Alliance © 2021 Human Life Alliance 1614 93rd Lane NE Minneapolis, MN, 55449 humanlife.org | (651)484-1040
studentmag.org | 3
Two Sides of the Great Debate
In a sound bite culture, the terms used to indicate why people support or oppose abortion seem like nothing more than hollow rhetoric. So what do both sides really mean?
"No Uterus, no opinion." Pro-abortion:
Since men are incapable of getting pregnant they can't understand what women go through during pregnancy. Women should be trusted to make the best decision for themselves.
Anti-abortion:
It takes two to tango... A man was there at the beginning; he should be there every step of the way and held equally accountable. If a father abandons a mother and child, we hold them accountable for child support. Why don't we expect men to be part of this decision as well?
"I don't want my baby to suffer ." Pro-abortion:
Why would you want to bring a baby into this world? There's already too much suffering.
Anti-abortion:
Why assume children born today will have the worst possible future? We have not yet legalized killing toddlers living in unhealthy or difficult environments. Instead, we try to help these children and their families. We should strive to eliminate the suffering, not those who might suffer.
"Foster care is the worst option." Pro-abortion:
I'd rather abort than give my child to an adoption agency where they'll be hurt in foster care. Putting a child into a broken care system which rapes, assaults and abuses thousands of children a year is dangerous.
Anti-Abortion:
It's good to care about the children in the foster care system and reform is needed. However, when a pregnant woman decides to place her child for adoption, an agency can help her find a loving family. In contrast, when a child is placed in foster care, the parents have lost custody. The goal of the foster care system is reunification with the birth parents or other family members. If reunification isn't possible, the child is then placed for adoption. 70% of children remain in the foster care system less than two years. Only four percent remain in foster care for five or more years.
"If abortion is made illegal, women will seek out dangerous 'back-alley' abortions." Pro-abortion:
Before Roe v. Wade, thousands of women died from unregulated "back-alley abortions." Women will continue seeking abortions if it is outlawed. The only difference will be that it is unregulated and therefore unsafe.
Anti-abortion:
4 | Do I Matter?
After the introduction of antibiotics, the mortality rate of illegal abortions plummeted to 200 deaths, not thousands, in 1965.1 Over 400 women died from legal abortions in the US between 1973-2007. Only 56 women died from illegal abortions during the same years.2
15 and Pregnant
I had been with my boyfriend (now my husband) for only a year; he was 18 and in his freshman year at college. I was only a sophomore in high school. I was going to have an abortion, but I decided not to go through with it – I was more terrified of what would happen to me during the procedure than of giving birth. I decided to keep her. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Taylor. I graduated from my high school with a 3.85 GPA and now I’m attending college, where I made the Dean’s List last semester, and am majoring in psychology. I want to let people know that just because you become pregnant and have a child does not mean that you can’t accomplish the things you always wanted to do, or fulfill your goals. Having a child makes it a lot more difficult, but it is so fulfilling. I still cry when I think that I could have taken such a precious thing away—her life. I do not believe that I have the right to take a life, nor do I believe that a child should suffer because of someone’s irresponsibility. If a 15-year-old girl can take responsibility to strive and achieve her goals and dreams, anyone can.
— Sophie
"The earth is overpopulated."
"My body, my choice."
Pro-abortion:
Pro-abortion:
If the population continues to grow, the earth's resources will not sustain the human race. As a result, mass poverty, starvation and political breakdown will occur. This will cost many lives and those who have an interest in preserving human life should support controlling the population by eliminating excessive pregnancies through abortion.
Anti-abortion:
The world is not overpopulated (see page 15). The fertility rate in the US has been consistently below replacement levels since 1971.3 Over 150 countries are predicted to have fewer births than deaths by 2050. The global population is expected to decline between 2064 and 2100.4 As a result, abortion will only exacerbate the economic and social problems which arise from a shrinking population.5
A woman should control her own body and what happens to it. The fetus resides in the woman's body, so she has the right to choose whether or not to abort just like any other surgery.
Anti-abortion:
A fetus depends on a woman's body to grow and develop; however, it is not part of a woman's body. Upon fertilization, the fetus has her own unique DNA separate from the mother's (see pages 8-9). It is a completely different human being. Shouldn't the rights of one individual end where another's begin?
Two Sides of the Great Debate 1 "Lessons from Before Roe: Will Past be Prologue?" Guttmacher Institute, 2003, https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2003/03/lessons-roe-will-past-be-prologue. 2 "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https:// www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6208a1.htm. 3 "Births: Provisional Data for 2020," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr012-508.pdf. 4 "Fertility, mortality, migration, and population scenarios for 195 countries and territories from 2017 to 2100: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study," The Lancet, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30677-2/fulltext#seccestitle70. 5 Ibid.
studentmag.org | 5
"Who Will Speak Up if I Leave?"
When abortion became legal in 1973, many felt that women had finally been granted a certain freedom. Yet how many of us knew exactly how abortions were performed? I became involved with Planned Parenthood (PP) through a group called the Coalition of 100 Black Women. When a speech I made at an international conference received media coverage, I was invited to join the Planned Parenthood board. After attending a number of board meetings, I noticed that several board members arrived in chauffeured limousines. I wondered why these men of wealth were so interested in people who lived in the inner-city. The majority of the board members were male and the handful of women appeared to be much older than my twenty-seven years. I was the only person of color on the board. During the course of my five-year tenure, we received a lot of literature discussing population control and concern for the growing number of poor people in the United States and developing countries. As a black woman, I wondered why abortion was more necessary for my ethnic group and why this organization fought so hard to give us this particular “right” when the rights for better education, better jobs and better housing seemed paramount to me. Continuing on the board, I learned about the biggest challenge that PP of New York City faced. For every
abortion that was performed, the Department of Health had to issue a death certificate. Death certificates? Did that mean the babies were alive? As board members, we were required to understand abortion procedures. The viability debate ended for me when I read documents detailing how abortions were performed (see page 8). I came to the next meeting horrified, shaking with disbelief and filled with protestations. Holding up the papers, I said that these procedures were traumatic for both the mother and her baby. An older woman sitting across from me looked me coldly in the eye and said, “It is not traumatic!” I was stunned by her insensitivity and chilled by her icy stare. I was on the verge of resigning from the board but thought, “Who will speak up if I leave?” I remained until 1980, determined to be a thorn in their side and often cast the lone opposing vote. LaVerne Tolbert, Ph.D., has 42 years experience in the field of teen pregnancy prevention. An author and curriculum writer, Dr. Tolbert teaches in the graduate school at Azusa Pacific University, CA. To contact her, email ltolbert@apu.edu.
Do Minorities Matter ? Does color or ethnicity matter when it comes to abortion? Let’s look at some facts. Then you can draw your own conclusions.
Blacks and Hispanics comprise
31.9%
of the population
According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute’s report Induced Abortion in the United States, minority women make up the majority (53%) of abortion clientele.1 Note that women of color comprise a much smaller percent of the population —only 31.9%.2 Furthermore, 79% of all surgical abortion centers remain located within walking distance of minority communities.3 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), are outpatient medical clinics which accept both Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement. They have 13,779 health and service centers4 serving over 29.8 million people per year5 across the nation. Services from FQHCs seem like a better option because they provide full healthcare services to all women.
and yet they make up
53%
of abortion clientele
Do minority women matter to abortion providers? Do their children matter?
"In New York City, thousands more black babies are aborted than born alive each year, and the abortion rate among black mothers is more than three times higher than it is for white mothers... By contrast, births far surpassed abortions among Whites, Asians and Hispanics."5 6 | Do I Matter?
Don't Make the Same Mistake I Did
Since I had already enlisted in the Air Force, I thought I had to have an abortion in order to make something out of my life. My best friend drove me to the abortion clinic. It was like an assembly line. When the ultrasound was being performed, I asked to see it, but this wasn’t allowed. So much for “an informed decision.” Then I asked how far along I was. I was told I was nine and-a-half weeks pregnant. That hit me hard. I started doubting and wanted to talk to my friend, but I wasn’t allowed to do that either. When it was my turn, the nurse told me that I was going to feel some discomfort, like strong menstrual cramps. The truth is that the abortion was more pain than I’ve ever felt in my life. It felt like my insides were literally being sucked out of my body. Later, I went into shock. After the abortion, I attempted to make up for it by trying to get pregnant again. I wanted my baby back, but I never got pregnant again. I don’t know if I can ever have another baby. I named my baby. Later I found out this is part of the grieving process. Two-and-a-half years later, I ended up in the hospital with bulimia. I felt that no one had punished me for what I had done, so I was punishing myself. I was obsessed with women who were pregnant and my life was in shambles! I was suffering from what I’d call post-abortion trauma. When I was 21 years old, I received help from a woman who was involved with pro-life activism. I went through a program called “Conquerors.” Not only did I experience forgiveness, but I was also challenged to help others. I answered the challenge and started sidewalk counseling. There is a healing process that comes from getting involved in the pro-life movement. I talk to youth groups and students and share my testimony. To them and to you, I plead, please don’t make the same mistake I did.
— Mia
Why Do Women Get Abortions? A child would interfere with education, work or ability to care for dependents.1
74%
Can't afford a baby now.2
73%
Didn't want to be a single mother or was having relationship problems.3
48%
Do Minorities Matter? | 1 “Induced Abortion in the United States.” Guttmacher Institute, 8 May 2020, www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states. Accessed May, 24, 2021. 2 QuickFacts. United States Census Bureau, 24 May 2021, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/ table/US/POP010220. 3 “Planned Parenthood Targets Minority Neighborhoods.” Home - Protecting Black Life Protecting Black Life, Life Issues Institute, www.protectingblacklife.org/pp_targets/index.html. Accessed May, 27, 2021. 4 “Health Center Program: Impact and Growth.” Bureau of Primary Health Care, U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration, 20 Aug. 2018, bphc.hrsa.gov/about/healthcenterprogram/index.html. Accessed May, 27, 2021. 5 Definitive Healthcare. “How Many Federally Qualified Health Centers Are There?” Definitive Healthcare Blog, Definitive Healthcare, 1 July 2019, blog.definitivehc.com/how-many-fqhcs-are-there. Accessed May, 27, 2021 5 Riley, Jason L. "Let's Talk About the Black Abortion Rate." Wall Street Journal, 10 July 2018, www.wsj.com/articles/lets-talk-about-the-black-abortion-rate-1531263697. Why Do Women Get Abortions? | 1 Wind, Rebecca. "Why Do Women Get Abortions?" Guttmacher Institute, 6 Sept. 2005, www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2005/why-do-women-have-abortions | 2 Ibid | 3 Ibid.
studentmag.org | 7
MOST ABORTIONS ARE COMMITTED HERE
RU-486 THE ABORTION PILL Typically committed : 1st trimester Preborn age: Fertilization - 10 weeks old (See more on page 10-11.)
DILATION AND EVACUATION (D&E) Typically committed : 2nd trimester Preborn age: 11-21 weeks old The abortionist tears the baby's body apart with forceps. The spine is snapped, the skull is crushed and the remains are sucked out.5,6,7,8,9
VACUUM ASPIRATION Typically committed : 1st trimester Preborn age: 3-11 weeks old The uterus is emptied by a vacuum or syringe, the baby is torn into pieces as he or she is pulled through the hose. 1,2,3,4
INDUCTION OR PROSTAGLANDIN Typically committed : 2nd trimester Preborn age: 11-21 weeks old Labor is induced in the 2nd or 3rd trimester. Saline or urea are injected to kill the child in the womb. Digoxin or potassium chloride are directly inserted into the baby’s heart to guarantee the child’s death. Other times the baby is delivered alive and left to die.10
8 | Do I Matter?
Late term abortions still happen at this point. (See page 13 for more.)
Why is it that I have no rights in the womb, but just after I'm born, I do? When Do I Matter? | 1 The Drama of Fetal Development”, American Baby. Jan. 1989. p. 45. Print. 2 Moore and Persaud, The Developing Human-Clinically Oriented Embryology. 2nd ed. W.B. Saunders Company 1973 p. 310. Print. 3 Hamlin, H. “Life or Death by EEG,” JAMA. Oct. 12, 1964, p. 113 Print. 4 Sadler, T.W. Langman’s Medical Embryology. 7th ed., Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1995. p. 341 Print. 5 deVries, J.I.P. et al, “The Emergence of Fetal Behavior.” Early Human Development. Vol 12. 1985, p. 108 Print. 6 Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 3rd ed. Harper Resource, 2003. p. 268 Print. 7 Valman, Pearson. “What the Fetus Feels.” British Medical Journal. p. 234 Print. 8 Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 3rd ed. Harper Resource, 2003, p. 269 Print. 9 Britt, Robert Roy. “Lasting Impression: How Fingerprints Are Created.” LiveScience, Purch, 2 Nov. 2004, www.livescience.com/30-lasting-impression-fingerprints-created.html . 10 Flanagan, Geraldine Lux, Beginning Life, DK Publishing, 1996 pp. 59-65. 11 Cunningham, MacDonald, Grant, Williams Obstetrics. 18th ed., p. 90 & 103 Print. 12 Flanagan, Geraldine Lux, Beginning Life DK Publishing, 1996 Limited p. 68. 13 Health & Wellness Resource Center, “Normal Growth of a Baby During Pregnancy.” Clinical Reference Systems Annual. 2001. p.1391. 14 Gordon, Debra MD. “Pregnancy.” The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 2nd ed., pp. 2694-2695. 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 Sassone, Robert L. “Interview with Prof. Sir A William Liliey.” The Tiniest Humans. Image credits: Month 0 by David Marchal, Months 1-2 by Steven O’Connor M.D. / Month 3 and header image © The Center for Bio Ethical Reform/ Months 4-6 © Life Issues Institute. Abortion Procedures | 1 Marshal, Sarah, MD, Rebecca H. Allen, MD, MPH and Kirtly Jones, MD. “Manual and Vacuum Aspiration for Abortion.” Women’s Health. WebMD, 14 Nov. 2014. Web. | 2 Ibid. | 3 Ibid. | 4 Jatlaoui TC, Boutot ME, Mandel MG, et al. Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2015. MMWR Surveill Summ 2018;67(No. SS-13):1–45. DOI: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/67/ss/ss6713a1.htm. | 5 “Induced Abortion in the United States.” Guttmacher Institute, 1 June 2019, www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states/.| 6 “An Abortion Doctor Describes a D&E.” ClinicQuotes, 26 Nov. 2014, clinicquotes.com/an-abortion-doctor-describes-a-de/. | 7 Ibid. | 8 Ibid. | 9 Ibid. | 10 United States. Cong. House. U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. Testimony of Jill L. Stanek , RN HR 1797, Pain - Capable Unborn Child Protection Act U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice May 23, 2013. 113th Cong. H. Bill. Print.
studentmag.org | 9
An easy way out ?
*Warning, content may be disturbing for some readers I had recently removed my IUD due to it causing me problems, and within a couple of weeks, I found myself pregnant... My new boyfriend was a care-free 22-year old with no children of his own. I knew he wouldn't want to have a baby with me after only a couple months of dating. After a few torturous days, I made an appointment with Planned Parenthood. At that appointment, I was given an ultrasound, and confirmed to be about 6 weeks along. My experience with the staff at Planned Parenthood was not a great one. They were all very cold and uncaring, which I guess should be expected from an abortion clinic. After being given the different abortion options, I decided on the "abortion pill" which at the time I viewed as an "easy way out." One week later, I returned to Planned Parenthood and spoke with the clinic doctor, where he confirmed that I wanted to take the pills, and explained the process of how they work, and how they would affect my body. He told me that there was nothing to worry about, that I would have "some bleeding, and possibly clotting," and that complications resulting from pills were rare, I believed him. The next day, at home alone with my infant son, I took the abortion pills. Within one hour I knew that everything the doctor had told me was a lie. I was bleeding so heavily, I believed I was dying. I was passing clots the size of baseballs, and I was in the worst physical pain of my life, worse than childbirth. The worst part of my experience was when I was sitting on the toilet and I felt myself pass a clot that felt strange. I looked into the toilet and saw my baby. It had a head, body, and tiny arms and legs. The shame and guilt that I felt at that moment, as I was forced to flush my aborted baby down the toilet, is impossible to describe. Eventually the physical effects of the abortion had diminished, but I was left with a crippling depression in private, and forced to pretend that I was okay in public, since no one in my life, besides my boyfriend, knew of my abortion. About 3 weeks later, I woke up from a nap covered in blood, and still bleeding. I rushed to the ER where I was informed that my body had not passed all of my former pregnancy. A doctor used several giant q-tips to scrape my insides, and I had weekly visits to my OB-GYN after that to confirm that my HCG levels were steadily going down.
- Mikayla abortiontestimonies.com
Help after abortion
Rachel's Vineyard - 24 hour 877-467-3463 rachelsvineyard.org
10 | Do I Matter?
Pills, pills, Pills RU-486 or the Abortion Pill
Emergency Contraception Pill
This abortion method takes place in a woman's own home, and is often labeled the most "convenient and comfortable" option. RU-486 is often considered a medical abortion. But it's not medicine. It's a chemical cocktail of pills (mifeprex/ mifepristone and misoprostol) designed to expel the fetus.
This method of contraception is also known as the morning-after pill. It's a large dose of the common birth control pill and contains synthetic progestogen. EC is designed to be taken as a single dose within 72 hours after "unprotected sex."
How It Works
How It Works
1. Women produce progesterone, the hormone needed to maintain the uterine lining which provides oxygen and nutrients for the baby.1
2. Mifeprex/Mifepristone (RU-486) blocks the
1. It attempts to stop ovulation. Depending on
where a woman is in her cycle, ovulation may or may not have already occurred before EC was taken.
2. It attempts to stop fertilization by impeding
action of progesterone - without it, the baby dies.2
the transportation of the sperm to the egg.
3. 24-48 hours later the second pill, Cytotec
3. It tries to stop implantation by altering
(Misoprostol), is taken, causing uterine bleeding (sometimes profusely) and strong contractions to expel the baby.3
(thinning) the endometrium (lining of the uterus) so the embryo cannot implant and/or receive nourishment from the mother.
4. The mother delivers the fetus over the toilet at home or at a hotel. If she were to look closely, she would see her dead child. Even at only 7 weeks, she is likely to see his or her fingers and toes.4
Contrary to popular arguments, increased access to EC does not decrease the rate of pregnancies and surgical abortions.1 In England, sexually transmitted infection rates have increased significantly since EC became widely available.2
Birth Control Pill Is it ever worth taking a Group 1 carcinogen to control fertility? According to the Center for Disease Control, 9 out of 100 women each year who take the pill faithfully as directed will get pregnant.2 Also, about 1 in 5 teen couples using condoms as birth control became pregnant after one year.3 Hormonal contraceptives (the pill, the patch, and the shot) have side effects—ranging from minor inconveniences to major even life-threatening problems. 1
How It Works "The Pill" contains steroidal estrogen attempts to stop the release of the egg from the ovary, thicken cervical fluids to prevent fertilization (pregnancy), and thins the lining of the uterus to prevent implantation. It does not always stop ovulation. When breakthrough ovulation occurs, there is a possibility women can get pregnant (fertilization of the egg). Studies have shown that ovulation rates in women taking oral contraceptives ranged from 1.7 to 28.6% per cycle. For women taking progestin only pills (the mini-pill) ovulation rates range from 33 to 65%.4 When these contraceptives do not stop pregnancy, they are designed to make it difficult for the embryo to implant and receive nourishment from the mother. Birth control manufacturers insist that their products do not "terminate existing pregnancies." However, they have redefined the terms "conception" and "pregnancy" to mean implantation rather than fertilization (implantation happens 7-10 days after fertilization).5
Abortion pill reversal
Changing your mind? There's help. 1-877-558-0333 | abortionpillreversal.com
RU-486: Bad Chemicals: How The Abortion Pill Works 1 “What Is Mifeprex?” Mifeprex - Mifepristone - Abortion Pill - RU486 - Early Option Pill, 2019, www.earlyoptionpill.com/what-is-mifeprex/. | 2 Ibid. | 3 Ibid. | 4 Mayo Clinic Family Health Book. 3rd ed. Harper Resource, 2003. p. 268 Print. | 5 “Mifepristone U.S. Post-Marketing Adverse Events Summary through 12/31/20188” https://www.fda.gov/media/112118/download, 12 April 2109. Web.~ | Emergency Contraceptive Pill: 1 Polis, Chelsea B., Kate Schaffer, Kelly Blanchard, Anna Glasier, Cynthia C. Harper, and David A. Grimes. “Advance Provision of Emergency Contraception for Pregnancy Prevention.” Obstetrics & Gynecology 110.6 (2007): 1379-388. Print. | 2 Paton, David. “Random Behaviour or Rational Choice? Family Planning, Teenage Pregnancy and STIs.” Proc. of Royal Economic Society Conference, Swansea. Apr. 2004.Web. | 3 “Plan B One-Step® | How It Works.” Plan B One-Step® | How It Works. Web. Replacement? - Bosworth, Michele C., et al. “An Update on Emergency Contraception.” American Family Physician, American Academy of Family Physicians, 1 Apr. 2014, www.aafp.org/afp/2014/0401/p545.html. Replacement? - https://www.drugs.com/plan-b.html | Birth Control Pill: 1 World Health Organization, 2021, Agents Classified by the IARC Monographs, Volumes 1–129, monographs.iarc.who.int/list-of-classifications. 2 “Products.” Janssen United States. 2016. Web. | 3 Ibid. | 4 Larimore, W. L., and Joseph B. Stanford. “Postfertilization Effects of Oral Contraceptives and Their Relationship to Informed Consent.” Archives of Family Medicine 9.2 (2000): 126-33. Print. | 5 Obstetrics & Gynecology 26.3 (1965). Print.
studentmag.org | 11
No harm done?
Psychological Problems
Depression and despair are common after abortion. Women who abort have a six times higher rate of suicide than those who carry their babies to term.1 Teenagers who abort are 10 times more likely to attempt suicide than teens who have not had an abortion.2
Compared to women who gave birth, women who aborted were 65% more likely to be at risk of
long-term clinical depression.3
Physical Complications
· · · · · · · · · · ·
Perforation of the uterus Hemorrhaging Cardiac arrest Endotoxic shock Major unintended surgery Infection Convulsions Undiagnosed ectopic (tubal) pregnancy Cervical laceration Uterine rupture Death4
Future Risks Women who abort not only put their own lives and health at risk; they also endanger the lives of their current and future children. Women who abort are more likely to experience future ectopic pregnancy, infertility, hysterectomy, stillbirth, miscarriage, and premature birth than women who have not had abortions.5 Women who abort are 144% more likely to physically abuse their children.6 Women who have undergone previous abortions have a 60% higher risk of miscarriage.7 Women who abort have a 44% increased risk
of breast cancer.8
Do You Need Help? Rachel's Vineyard - 24 hour 877-467-3463 rachelsvineyard.org National Helpline for Abortion Recovery - 24 hour 866-482-LIFE (5433) nationalhelpline.org Project Rachel 888-456-HOPE (4673) hopeafterabortion.com 12 | Do I Matter?
Do Men's Voices Matter? "I still remember a week-long horror of a rollercoaster ride when my then-fiancée found out she was pregnant. She asked if I’d like to do the nursery in a Warner Brothers or Disney theme. My first thought was, 'Oh NO! NO!' I was terrified. I immediately regretted that conversation we had at the very beginning of our relationship—that we would never get an abortion should she become pregnant. Now I was stuck. I wanted an escape hatch. I wanted out... any way out. Although I said I would support her, I was really trying to find that escape hatch. Telling my parents was hard. My father encouraged us to have the baby; my mom cried, not knowing 'whether to be happy or sad' for us. Her parents were worse. After we told them the news, her father demanded that we 'take care of this' because he didn’t want there to be unseemly appearances in his family. I had found my escape hatch. Even though I argued fiercely with him before we left, once we were alone I started gently emphasizing her father’s positions.
What would everyone say? Are we really ready for this? What about the wedding? What about our plans? I didn’t think of the baby... not really. Not then. I was in a panic and I wanted out and that was the way I was playing it. I don’t remember how I finally changed her mind—it took about a week, but I did it. I remember being with her at the clinic, with one of her friends, smoking outside and then driving her home thinking, 'Thank God it’s over!' The child would be about 13 or 14 years old now. When I look at our two children, I know there ought to be three. I don’t know if the baby was a boy or a girl. I keep thinking it was a girl, probably because my wife wanted one so badly. Although I still struggle with depression and guilt, I eventually found forgiveness. My wife is not ready to take that step. So I must continue to try and help her bear that burden and make up for the crucial time I failed her."
— Aaron
Late Term Abortion: For the "Health" of the Mother? Today, people insist abortion must remain legal to ensure the health of the mother at all stages of pregnancy even through the third trimester of development and up to birth. This is simply false. Former abortionist and practicing OB-GYN Dr. Anthony Levatino states, “You never need a late term abortion to save a woman’s life.” 1 Dr. Levatino explained, “I was faculty at the hospital for nine years, and I saw hundreds of cases of really severe pregnancy complications—cancers, heart disease, intractable diabetes out of control, toxemia of pregnancy out of control. And I saved—in those nine years—I saved hundreds of women from life-threatening pregnancies… by delivery, either induction of labor or caesarean section, delivering the baby. And I always tell people, in all those years, the number of babies that I had to— that I was obligated to deliberately kill in the process—was zero. None.”2 The most common late-term abortion procedure is dilation and evacuation or D&E. This procedure takes two, three or more days to complete. A woman arrives at her first appointment to have laminaria inserted to dilate the cervix. She will then leave the center, go home or to a local hotel and return after the cervix is fully dilated. This allows the abortionist room to insert forceps or other tools into the uterus. The abortion is then completed by crushing the skull, tearing apart and removing the baby’s body. Approximately 12,000 – 13,000 late-term abortions (20+ weeks gestation) take place in the U.S. each year.3 That’s twice the number of AIDS deaths annually.4
Reflections from the abortion industry "I found much distress in the clinic, but it involved not only the women. I saw the pain of the babies who were born burned from the saline solution used for late-term abortions. I saw the bits of feet, bits of hands, the mangled heads and bodies of the little people. I saw pain and felt pain."
— Paula Sutcliffe, Former Clinic Worker "It's a lie when they tell you they're doing it to help women, because they're not. They're doing it for the money."
— Nita Whitten, Former Abortion Counselor
"We were told to find the woman's weakness and work on it. The women were never given any alternatives."
— Debra Henry, Former Abortion Counselor
"The picture of the baby on the ultrasound bothered me more than anything else.The staff couldn't take it. Women who were having abortions were never allowed to see the ultrasound... because we knew that if they so much as heard the heartbeat, they wouldn't want to have an abortion."
— Joseph Randall, M.D., Former Abortionist
Tell us what you think! Continue the conversation by contacting us through studentmag.org No Harm Done? 1 Gissler,M, Karalis, E, Ulander, V.M. “Suicide rate after induced abortion decreased in Finland after Current Care Guidelines” The European Journal of Public Health, DOI: First published online: 31 October 2014. Web. | 2 Garfinkel,B. et al. “Stress, Depression and Suicide: A Study of Adolescents in Minnesota,” Responding to High Risk Youth (University of Minnesota: Minnesota Extension Service, 1986). | 3 Cougle, Jesse R., Reardon, David C., Coleman, Priscilla K. “Depression associated with abortion and childbirth: a long-term analysis of the NLSY cohort.” Med Science Monitor 2003; 9(4): CR105-112 ID: 4701 Published: 2003-04-23. Web. | 4 “Abortion Risks: A list of major physical complications related to abortion” Afterabortion.org. Web. | 5 Ibid. | 6 Coleman, P.K., Maxey, C.D., Rue, V.M., Coyle, C.T. “Associations between voluntary and involuntary forms of perinatal loss and child maltreatment among low-income mothers.” Acta Paediatrica. 2005 Oct;94(10):1476-83. Web. | 7 Lee,S.J., Steer,P.J.,Filippi, V. “Seasonal patterns and preterm birth: a systematic review of the literature and an analysis in a London-based cohort” British Journal of Medicine, DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2006.01055.x. Web. | 8 Huang Y, Zhang X, Li W, Song F, Dai H, Wang J, Gao Y, Liu X, Chen C, Yan Y, Wang Y, Chen K., “A meta-analysis of the association between induced abortion and breast cancer risk among Chinese females.“ Cancer Causes Control. 2014 Feb;25 (2):227-36. doi: 10.1007/s10552-013-0325-7. Epub 2013 Nov 24. Late Term Abortion: For the "Health" of the Mother | Late Term Abortions and a Woman’s Life 1 “A Conversation with a Former Abortionist: Is Abortion Ever Medically Necessary?” YouTube, Live Action, 24 Feb. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysl1tRnk-ig. | 2 ibid | 3 “Induced Abortion in the United States.” Guttmacher Institute, 1 June 2019, www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states/. | 4 Xu JQ, Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Bastian B, Arias E. Deaths: Final data for 2016. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 67 no 5. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/aids-hiv.htm~
studentmag.org | 13
Adoption
If you're not ready or able to be a parent, adoption can be a positive solution for you and your baby. You can research adoption without obligation and find out that adoption isn't "giving your baby away." "I don't want someone I don't know to raise my baby." With open adoption, you can choose from dozens of approved families waiting to adopt. You can get to know the family before your baby is born and decide how you want to keep in touch after the adoption. You can even plan future visits with your baby and the adoptive family, if you would like.
"I couldn't handle wondering about my baby the rest of my life ." With an open adoption, you have the opportunity to always know how your baby is doing. If you want, you can choose a family who will keep in touch with you through pictures, letters, email, websites, phone calls, or even visits. The contact arrangement of your adoption can change over time with your comfort level. Your baby can know who you are and how she was given a life through your loving choice of adoption.
"I don't want to deal with the father or worry about his role in the baby's life ."
"I can't tell my family." You can make a confidential adoption plan. Only the adoption professionals you trust, the adoptive family you choose and the loved ones you include will know about your pregnancy and your plans. If needed, you could even relocate temporarily to keep your situation private.
With adoption, you can separate from your baby's father and provide a positive father figure for your baby's future. Your baby's father could also participate in the adoption process if you agree, and can take part in future communication with the adoptive family you choose, even if you don't want to stay in touch.
For Information about Open Adoption: 800-923-6784 LifetimeAdoption.com Get a free book for women facing unplanned pregnancy at: FREEADOPTIONBOOK.COM
"I can't afford this pregnancy." Adoption services are FREE to you. If your insurance doesn't pay for medical care, you can get your pregnancyrelated expenses covered through the adoption process. When choosing adoption, it is also possible to get help with other expenses during pregnancy, if allowable by your state law. Safe Haven Even if you think it's too late to make a decision, "safe haven laws" allow women to surrender their baby at a designated safe haven provider after birth. 24/7 Crisis Hotline: Call 1-888-510-BABY (2229) or Text SAFEHAVEN to 313131
Answers for quiz on page 3: 1.b * 2.c * 3.b * 4.a * 5.b * 6.d * 7.a * 8.b * 9.c So What Do You Know? | 1 "Number of Abortions - Abortion Counters." Number of Abortions in US & Worldwide. Web. | 2 “Facts About Abortion, Protecting Black Life, Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion provider in the country, targets African Americans by locating 62% (approx. 2 out of every 3) of their abortion facilities in black communities.” Life Issues Connector, October 2012. Web. Brown, Judie. “Abortion and Racism in America.” June 28, 2013. Web. | 3 “Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008.” Guttmacher Institute. Web. | 4 “Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973).” Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973). Web. | 5 Mansfield C, Hopfer S, Marteau TM. “Termination rates after prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, spina bifida, anencephaly and Turner and Klinefelter syndromes: a systematic literature review. European Concerted Action: DADA (Decision-making After the Diagnosis of a fetal Abnormality)” Prenatal Diagnosis. 1999 Sep;19(9):808-12. Review. Web.| 6 Coleman, Priscilla K. “113 Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons Volume 22 Number 4 Winter 2017 Women Who Suffered Emotionally from Abortion: A Qualitative Synthesis of Their Experiences.” Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, vol. 22, no. 4, 2017, p. 115., www. jpands.org/. | 7 “Abortion and Women of Color: The Bigger Picture,” Guttmacher Institute, 2008, https://www.guttmacher. org/gpr/2008/08/abortion-and-women-color-bigger-picture. | 8 “Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives,” Guttmacher Institute, 2005, https://www.guttmacher.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pubs/psrh/full/3711005.pdf. | 9 “Induced Abortion in the United States,” Guttmacher Institute, 2019, https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states.
14 | Do I Matter?
Rape and Incest Kathleen Dezeeuw’s son, Patrick, was conceived in rape when she was 16... “I feel personally assaulted and insulted every time I hear that abortion should be legal because of rape and incest,” stated Kathleen. “Having lived through rape and also having raised a child ‘conceived in rape,’ I feel that we’re being used by pro-abortionists to further the abortion issue, even though we’ve not been asked to tell our side of the story.” As traumatic as rape is, abortion does not un-rape the mother. In fact, studies show that most women who become pregnant through rape don’t want an abortion. Patricia, a victim of rape, said, “In my experience, abortion only compounded the trauma and pain I was already experiencing... While it may seem to be the quickest and easiest solution to a painful, humiliating ‘problem,’ abortion is a band-aid approach. For me, the effects of abortion are much more far-reaching than the effects of the rape.” 1 In the only major study of pregnant rape victims ever done, Dr. Sandra Mahkorn found that 75-to85% chose against abortion.2 Joan Kemp, a rape crisis center counselor, said, “I am familiar with no case of incest-related abortion that did not make matters worse for the victim.”3 Twenty-five years after the abortion of her child, Edith Young, a 12-year-old victim of incest, agonized that, “The abortion which was to ‘be in my best interest’
"People are having too many babies." "Millions will starve to death." These attitudes promote the idea that overpopulation is a real problem and abortion is the solution. Is this true? In reality, the population has increased because people are living longer, not because they are having “too many kids.” In 1950, the average worldwide life expectancy was 46.9 years old. Based on projections, in 2050 the average person will live until 77.1 In 1950, the average woman had five births. Now, the average woman has two.2 1950: 5 births per woman
Now: 2 births per woman
just has not been. As far as I can tell, it only ‘saved their [my parents’] reputations,’ ‘solved their problems,’ and allowed their lives to go merrily on.” Studies also show that incest victims rarely ever voluntarily agree to abortion. Instead of viewing the pregnancy as unwanted, the incest victim is more likely to see the pregnancy as a way out of the incestuous relationship because the birth of her child will expose the sexual activity. Researchers David C. Reardon, Julie Makimaa and Amy Sobie completed a nine-year study on pregnancy outcomes of sexual assault victims. As part of their research the authors found that after any abortion, it is common for women to experience guilt, depression, feelings of being “dirty,” resentment of men and lowered self-esteem. These feelings are identical to what women typically feel after rape. Abortion only adds to and accentuates the traumatic feelings associated with sexual assault. Rather than easing the psychological burdens, abortion adds to them. The stories mentioned are just the beginning of what is being exposed surrounding the tragedy of abortion due to rape and incest. Reardon, Makimaa and Sobie identified testimonies from 192 women who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest and 55 children conceived in sexual assault and compiled them in their provocative book, Victims and Victors.4 Pregnancy resulting from sexual assault is actually a contraindication for abortion. Doctors treating a sexual assault victim should advise against abortion precisely because of the traumatic nature of the pregnancy. The testimonies and studies confirm that both the mother and child are helped by preserving life, not by perpetuating violence.
To maintain its population, a nation’s fertility rate must be at least 2.1 children per woman.5 In 2020, the US fertility rate was 1.64 children per woman.6 Out of 227 countries reporting, only 97 are above replacement level.7 Maintaining sufficient workers to share the economic burden of providing Social Security and medical care for the elderly proves crucial to a population that exhibits increased life expectancy.8 With the declining birth rate in our world, will there be enough people to support future generations? Elderly To Working Adults 2019: 26 Per 100
2030: 42 Per 100 According to the U.N., 7.8 billion people will live on the Earth in 2021.3 If we were to give every person on the planet a 31 x 31 ft. plot of land on which to live, we would need 266,320 Square miles. Texas has 268,596 square miles.4
2050: 49 Per 100
Rape and Incest 1 “The ‘Hard Cases’ of Abortion: A Pro-life Response 2000.” The Family Research Council, 801 G Street, NW Washington, DC 2001. Print. | 2 Mall, David, Watts; Walter F. The Psychological Aspects of Abortion. Stritch School of Medicine. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Washington D.C. University Publications of America, 1979. | 3 “The ‘Hard Cases’ of Abortion: A Pro-life Response 2000” by the Family Research Council, 801 G Street, NW Washington, DC 20001. | 4 Reardon, David C. Makimaa, Julie, Sobie, Amy, Victims and Victors: Speaking Out about Their Pregnancies, Abortions and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault, Acorn Books. January 1st 2000. | Overpopulation | 1 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision, https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Mortality/. 2 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2019). World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision, https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Fertility/. | 3 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/. | 4 “ Environment,” Texas Almanac, 19 Nov. 2017, www.texasalmanac.com/topics/environment/ environment. | 5 “World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision Analytical Report” United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division 2004. Web. | 6 Center for Disease Control, 2021, Births: Provisional Data for 2020, www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsrr/vsrr012508.pdf. | 7 CIA World Factbook, 2021, Total Fertility Rate, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/total-fertility-rate/country-comparison. | 8 United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision, custom data acquired via website. https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DataQuery/.
studentmag.org | 15
