FEATURE
M
en are still finding their voice, and their grief, when it comes to abortion. While the legal issues can seem black and white to advocates on either side of the political debate, the individual stories reveal the real lives being impacted. Dr. Laura Lewis is the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Pregnancy Support Services. She says men have historically been sidelined from pregnancy. Since the sexual revolution when sex, pregnancy, and fatherhood were separated. “In many ways, men have been told they don’t have any place in an unplanned pregnancy,” she says, but the emotional impact continues to be very real. Lewis shares the story of a young man who returned after being gone for the weekend to find his girlfriend had been pressured to have an abortion and received the unwanted procedure in his absence. “It was very traumatic for him... it’s been devastating. It’s been a long journey in coming to terms with it.” For men who had an active role in choosing abortion, Lewis says they can feel like they don’t have permission to grieve. “It’s not true. When a man gives himself permission, then that journey will begin in stages... it will look unique for each individual.” Lewis worked for 22 years as a family physician. Her journey has been one from a pro-choice to a pro-life stance, one she shared on the Promise Keepers Canada podcast for a downto-earth discussion, as well as practical ways to show Christ’s love to all. “It certainly wasn’t something I set out to do,” she says, but it’s a role she’s taken on, advocating for reformation on how the medical profession handles an unplanned pregnancy. “One of the most effective ways to do this is through the beautiful, compassionate work of local pregnancy care centres.” However, this wasn’t always Lewis’ perspective. Even during her education, she compartmentalized the knowledge of embryology and the unique DNA blueprint established at conception. “I didn’t really think about what abortion was, I just really focused on helping women “fix” unplanned pregnancy through whatever solution they wanted, which is really what we see in our culture today.” It’s a far cry from her perspective now, she says, after seeing the impact of abortion on women, men, and families and
14 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2019
