The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 6, No. 4 -- Feb. 26, 2007
Visit us online:
http://www.AfterAbortion.Info
IN THIS ISSUE:
News Briefs
New Abortion Ban Rejected by South Dakota Committee
A state Senate committee in South
Dakota has rejected a bill which would have banned abortions except in cases
where the mother's life was in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or
incest.
The committee voted 8-1 to reject the
bill, saying that provisions of the bill were too complicated and would probably
be overturned by the courts. Legislators had previously passed a law that banned
all abortions except those to save the mother's life, but it was narrowly
overturned by voters last fall. The new ban was in response to a poll suggesting
that voters would have upheld the law if it had contained an exception for
sexual assault pregnancies. The Rapid City Journal reported that Sen. Brock
Greenfield, one of the sponsor's of last year's ban, testified against the new
bill, calling it a "noble measure" but saying it would probably not succeed
in the courts.
The state House in Mississippi has
also approved an abortion ban with an exception for pregnancies resulting from
rape or incest. But researchers who have surveyed women who became pregnant
through sexual assault reported that most thought abortion was a bad solution in
such cases and many women or girls were pressured or forced into abortion by others, including
their abusers (for more information, see the book
Victims and Victors). A group of about 30 women has signed a
petition asking Congress
and state legislatures to hold hearings that would give them a chance to tell
their stories and dispel myths about abortion and sexual assault pregnancies.
* * *
Pro-Life Advocates Protest Case of
13-Year Old Italian Girl Forced by Judge to Abort
A Canadian pro-life news service is
reporting that a 13-year-old girl in Italy was forced by a judge to undergo an
unwanted abortion at her mothers' request and has been suicidal since the
abortion.
LifeSiteNews.com reported on the case
based on a report from the Italian news agency LaStampa, and says that under
Italian law minors have no right to decide the outcome of the pregnancy. The
girl had wanted to keep her baby but her mother demanded she abort, saying they
could not afford to support the child. The case went to the Court of Minors,
where Judge Giuseppe Cocilovo ruled in favor of abortion. It was also
reported that the girl, named Valentina, was placed in the psychiatric unit of a
children's hospital after the abortion because she said she wanted to kill
herself.
In a survey of American women who had experienced abortion, 64 percent reported
that they felt pressured into abortion by others. Studies of medical record in
Finland have shown that women who abort are 6-7 times more likely to commit
suicide in the following year than are women who carry their pregnancies to
term. In addition, a study of teen girls found higher suicide rates among
teens who aborted vs. those who gave birth. Teens are also more likely to be treated
for mental health problems, even when comparing girls with unplanned
pregnancies. (For more information on these studies, see our "Recent Research"
fact sheet at
www.unchoice.info/resources.htm).
Pro-life advocates have been critical
of the judge's ruling and LifeSite has provided contact information for those
who want to protest the case to Italian authorities. For contact information,
click here.
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12 Ways to Help
Spread the Unchoice Message
#4:
Educate Your Pro-Life and
Community Leaders
If Americans knew
the truth about unwanted, misinformed or forced abortions ... they would not
push women to abort or deny them the opportunity to heal. Millions still suffer
in the wake of a procedure that was never safe ... never just ... and never
about free or fully informed choices.
Americans have been kept in the dark and many unwittingly push their daughters,
wives, sisters or friends into unwanted and dangerous abortions. Meanwhile,
countless women who have lived the abortion nightmare are resorting to despair
or even suicide. It is urgent that we educate others about abortion's injustice
and danger to everyone involved. With your help, we can stop others from pushing
abortion in lieu of authentic choices and offer renewed hope and healing to
women, men and families hurt by abortion.
Below is just one
way you can help this important effort. To see the complete list of 12 Ways to
Help, click here.
4. Educate Your Pro-Life and Community Leaders
Encourage leaders of pro-life and pro-family
organizations and churches to read and use our
materials, and sign up for
our email list for activists and leaders, and
link to our web site. Don’t assume they already know
this information! And don’t assume they are
keeping on top of the latest developments.
Send them copies of the
downloadable fact sheets
-- especially the
Coerced
Abortion flyer, the
Forced Abortion in
America report or
fact sheet,
the
Hard Cases: New Facts.
New Answers booklet, the
Research Summary,
and other educational materials at
www.UnChoice.info -- including a sample
letter to
legislators,
letters to the editor, articles and
news releases you feel are
most important.
These established leaders can be the most powerful
educators in our community and churches, but only
AFTER they have been educated about post-abortion
issues and strategies themselves! Many of them
are already so deeply involved in promoting other
messages that they have not had time or interest to
devote to integrating into their work our
pro-woman/pro-life message. Keep giving them copies
of our special
reports,
fact sheets,
ads, brochures,
books, or
articles until they do.
The fact that you have personally taken the time to
encourage these leaders to learn more about
post-abortion issues through
www.AfterAbortion.info or
www.UnChoice.info and our other printed
resources can make a BIG difference. The faster
leaders get “on message,” the faster we will see
progress.
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Facts About Teen
Abortion Risks
Suicide attempts -- 6 times more
likely
-
Teenagers are 6 times more likely
to attempt suicide if they have had an abortion in the last six months than
are teens who have not had an abortion.1
-
Teens who abort are up to 4 times
more likely to commit suicide than adults who abort,2 and a
history of abortion is likely to be associated with adolescent suicidal
thinking.3
-
Overall suicide rates are 6-7
times higher among women who abort.4
-
Teens who abort are more likely
to develop psychological problems,5 and are nearly three times
more likely to be admitted to mental health hospitals than teens in general.6
-
About 40% of teen abortions take
place with no parental involvement,7 leaving parents in the dark about
subsequent emotional or physical problems.
-
Teens risk further injury or
death because they are unlikely to inform parents of any physical
complications.8, 9
-
Teens are 5 times more likely to
seek subsequent help for psychological and emotional problems compared to
their peers who carry "unwanted pregnancies" to term.10
-
Teens are 3 times more likely to
report subsequent trouble sleeping, and nine times more likely to report
subsequent marijuana use after abortion.11
-
Among studies comparing abortion
vs. carrying to term, worse outcomes are associated with abortion, even when
the pregnancy is unplanned.12 Studies have found that among women who
abort, there was a 65% higher risk of clinical depression,11 65% experienced
multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,12 and 64%
reported that they felt pressured by others to abort.12
Acute pain, infertility, and risk
of death
-
Teens report more severe pain
during the abortion procedure vs. adult women. One study of pain during 1st
trimester abortions found severe acute pain comparable to childbirth or
cancer. Pain scores were significantly higher for teens.13
-
Teens are up to twice as likely
to experience dangerous cervical lacerations during abortion compared to
older women, probably because they have smaller cervixes which are more
difficult to dilate or grasp with instruments.14
-
Teens are at higher risk for post-abortion infections such as pelvic
inflammatory disease (PID) and endometritis because their bodies are more
susceptible to infection and they are less likely than older women to follow
instructions for medical care.15 These infections increase their risk of
infertility, hysterectomy, ectopic pregnancy, and other serious complications.16
-
An early full-term birth reduces breast cancer risk by as much as 1/3, while
abortion of a first pregnancy carries a 30- to 50% increased risk of breast
cancer.17 More than 90% of those who abort at 17 or younger have not
had a previous full-term pregnancy, compared to 78% of patients age 18-19
and 49% of abortion patients overall.18
-
Teens more likely to abort
because of pressure from their parents or partner.19
-
Teens more likely to report being
misinformed in pre-abortion counseling.20
-
Teens more likely to have riskier late-term abortions. According to the CDC,
approximately 30% of abortions among teens take place at 13 weeks gestation or
greater, compared to only 12% among women in general.21 Late-term
abortions are associated with more severe psychological complications,22,
23 higher risk of serious physical complications,24 and
trouble in later pregnancies for mother and baby.25
Grief, trauma and self-destructive
outcomes
- Teens who abort are twice as likely as their peers to abuse alcohol,
marijuana, or cocaine.26
- Teens have greater difficulty coping after abortion,27 leading to problems such
as suicide, psychological problems, substance abuse, and difficulty in
relationships.
- Teens who report "being particularly fond of children" do not do as well
psychologically after an abortion.28
- Teenagers who have abortions often have problems regarding sexuality and
parenting later in life.29
- The abortion procedure itself is considered by many teenagers to be
stressful and associated with feelings of guilt, depression, and a sense of
isolation.30
- Teens are more likely to report severe nightmares and to score higher on
scales measuring antisocial traits, paranoia, drug abuse, and psychotic
delusions than are older abortion patients.31
- Teens who abort are likely to become pregnant again within the next few
years.33 Among pregnant teens, those who had had an abortion were
at least 4 times more likely to abort.33
Click
here for citations for the
statistics listed above.
Click
here to
download this information as a reproducible fact sheet (complete with citations). For resources,
ads, and other
information, visit www.unchoice.info.
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SALE! Only Two Days Left!!
Order Giving Sorrow Words and Get 15% Off
"I wish someone had said, 'There would be losses having a baby, but
don't underestimate the loss of having an abortion.' "
--Lee
Drawing on the personal experiences of more than 200 women who had
abortions, Giving Sorrow Words explores
the hidden realities of abortion, including the lack of support,
misinformation, and intense pressure and coercion applied by
partners, family, and society to force women into unwanted
abortions. This is not just another book of abortion stories, but an
examination of the obstacles women face when their
pregnancies are unwanted by others in their lives. As one reviewer
noted, Giving Sorrow Words "refuses to accept oversimplified
explanations or solutions to abortion. The time has come to stop
ignoring the devastating consequences for all."
Giving Sorrow Words is available from the Elliot Institute
through its Acorn Books imprint. Order by Feb. 28 and get the book
for only $12.71 -- 15% off the cover price (for orders of 7 or more
copies, contact us about bulk pricing). To place an order, see below
or send a check for $12.71 plus $3.00 for shipping to Acorn Books, PO
Box 7348, Springfield, IL 62791. Please include a note indicating
that it is for the Giving Sorrow Words special offer.
Find out more about other Elliot Institute resources at
www.unchoice.info/resources.htm.
To place an order, call Acorn Books at 1-888-412-2676.
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