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Our commitment is to help women considering abortion realize what is in their
best interest.1 This means helping them avoid being
hurt physically and emotionally, by assisting them in finding solutions to the
distressing circumstances causing them to feel they have "no choice" but
abortion. Having "no choice" is not a choice. We recommend that you not "just
get in and get it over with." Slow down and think. Consider all your choices.
All abortion procedures have inherent danger that cannot be eliminated.2 Therefore, we do not recommend or refer for abortion.
However, our twelve point health and safety checklist can help protect you
against physical and emotional injuries.
1. Get a blood or laboratory quality urine test.
You may not actually be pregnant. We provide a laboratory quality urine test
free of charge as a service to women.3 A trained
client advocate can provide additional information relevant to your situation. All of
our services are free and confidential.
2. Have your pregnancy confirmed by a doctor who does not gain financially from abortions.
Carol Everett, a former abortion provider, testified in Congress that she
regularly sold abortions to women who were not pregnant but feared they were.4 We can provide a free confidential
ultrasound from which the doctor can confirm pregnancy and answer any other
medically related concerns you have.
3. Be sure you have a live, uterine pregnancy.
31% of pregnancies end early by natural miscarriage.5 The free ultrasound we offer can confirm a live
uterine pregnancy. Without this information an abortion could cause unnecessary
damage to you.
4. Do not allow anyone to sell you a surgical abortion prior to the 8th week.
Providers may sell you one but then will not "guarantee success" prior to the
eighth week. The fetus is simply too small to locate.6 Abortion is already a blind procedure (by feel and
guesswork) and when done prior to the eighth week, the dangers of internal
damage is severe. In trying to detach the fetus from the uterine wall, the
suction tube may perforate your uterus and bowel.7
More commonly, the abortion is incomplete, and part of the fetus may be left behind
causing severe infection, leading to infertility and in some cases, toxic
poisoning and death.8 Don't be the victim of
someone's desire to make a quick cash sale.
5. Ask for the name of the doctor performing the abortion.
Abortion is legal; malpractice and substandard medical care are not. Unless you
insist on knowing the name of the doctor, they may not tell you. In case of
injury, the abortionist may be relying on your not wanting anyone to know you
were ever at their clinic; they may be counting on your not knowing who to hold
accountable for the malpractice.9 In order to
protect your interests in case of injury, know your doctor's name.
6. Verify that the doctor is competent and caring.
As a matter of consumer protection, the Board of Medicine is now disclosing the
educational background, the number of complaints, and the malpractice suits
against doctors through the Physicians' Profile Department of the Oklahoma State
Board of Medicine. Call 1-800-381-4519 (M-F 8:00am--5pm). You deserve competent
treatment. In case of complications, call your local hospital prior to the
abortion, and confirm that the doctor has privileges to practice there.
7. Be aware that all abortions carry health risks. About 10% of women undergoing
elective abortion will suffer immediate complications, of which about 2% are considered life threatening.10
Surgical abortion risks include (but are not limited to):
Ectopic pregnancies: Studies show that the risk of an ectopic or tubal (not in
the uterus) pregnancy is 30% higher for women who have had one abortion, and up
to four times higher for women with two or more abortions.11 Ectopic pregnancies account for 12% of pregnancy
related maternal deaths.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): 5% of women suffer PID following induced
abortion. PID can lead to fever and infertility.12
There is a 23% higher risk of infection if you have an STD. 40% of the sexually
active are suspected carriers of STD's.13
Breast Cancer: An analysis of all reputable studies done to date suggests that
women who abort face an alarming 50% increase in breast cancer, a rate which
doubles with each successive abortion, if the woman is under 18 or over 30 years
of age or has a family history of breast cancer.14
Placenta Previa: The risk, which produces extreme severe life-threatening
bleeding during future pregnancies, is increased by 600% after an abortion.15
Infertility: Abortion causes sterility in 2-5% of the women who have an
abortion.16
Psychological/Emotional Trauma: 50% of post-abortive women report experiencing
emotional and psychological disturbances lasting for months or years.17 This includes acute feeling of grief, depression,
anger, fear of disclosure, preoccupation with babies or getting pregnant again,
nightmares, sexual dysfunction, termination of relationships, emotional
coldness, increased alcohol and drug abuse, eating disorders, anxiety,
flashbacks, anniversary syndrome, repeat abortions, and suicide.18 Many go into the clinic thinking, "This is my only
choice," but come out saying "What have I done?" Be prepared.
Medical (Chemical) abortion risks include (but are not limited to):
"The Morning After Pill" (Emergency Contraception Pill) - - If taken within 72
hours of intercourse it prevents pregnancy 75% of the time. Sometimes they are
abortifacient and the manufacturers are not encouraging their use for this
purpose. Medical problems would be similar to birth control pills, however
effects could be more pronounced.19
Methotrexate - (given prior to 8 weeks) Doctors are reluctant to prescribe the
chemicals because of its high toxicity and unpredictable side effects. Those
side effects include but are not limited to nausea, pain, diarrhea, bone marrow
depression, anemia, liver damage, lung disease, heavy bleeding for as long as 40
days, abortion may occur anywhere, surgical abortion may still be required.20
Psychological/ Emotional Trauma: In addition to the risks listed above, women
having chemical abortions often see the complete tiny bodies of their unborn
child and are even able to distinguish the child's developing hands, eyes, etc.
So traumatic is this for some women that it is recommended that women unprepared
for the experience not take the drugs.21
If you are considering abortion because of your circumstances, know that you can
change your circumstances. If you have ambivalent or conflicted feelings, take
time to find out "why" you have these feelings. Do not ignore your conscience
and values. They are what make you a strong and unique woman. Fight and overcome
your circumstances, rather than submit to them. We are here to help you
regardless of your situation or decision.
8. Verify what other procedures you will undergo, if there is follow-up care or added expenses.
IMPORTANT -- Will the clinic provide a blood test? It is important that a blood
test for RH factor be done before an abortion so that the correct blood is
available for transfusion, if necessary. Also, if you are RH negative and have
an abortion of an RH positive baby, you must be given an injection of rhogam to
protect future children.
IMPORTANT -- Will the clinic screen for STD's prior to an abortion? Most STD's
can infect you for long periods of time with no symptoms. Studies have found
that 20-27% of patients seeking abortion have a chlamydia infection and 23% of
those will develop PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, a potentially life
threatening disease), within four weeks following an abortion.22
Some abortion clinics only provide group counseling, others provide none. Some
provide an ultrasound test but do not allow you to see the screen, while others
don't explain the picture. Some do not allow a follow-up visit, others
discourage further contact.23 Evaluate the services
offered to determine if it is good quality health care.
9. Know your rights before an abortion.
It is against the law for anyone to force you to have an abortion. Not even a
husband or parent can require you to undergo an abortion against your will, even
if you are a minor (under 18 years old). Therefore, you should be asked to sign a
consent form at the abortion clinic. If you do not sign it, the abortion cannot
be legally performed. The law also requires abortion providers to give you
information on 1) possible complications, 2) the development of the baby, and
3) organizations that provide alternatives to abortion. If you are not provided
this information 24 hours before the abortion is performed, the provider is
breaking the law.24
10. Demand your money back, should you change your mind, even when you're on the table.
Abortion providers know that this is an intensely agonizing decision and
sometimes see women change their mind at the last minute because, as they say,
"I simply can't kill my baby, no matter how difficult my circumstances." Know
your rights. Don't be pressured or intimidated. If the procedure is not
performed, demand your money back.
11. Understand your legal rights following your abortion.
Some abortion providers insist that all patients sign a statement saying they
will not hold the clinic or the doctor liable for damages which might occur
because of the abortion. However, this document has virtually no legal
authority. If you are physically or emotionally injured, you always retain your
constitutional right to seek financial compensation in a court of law, no matter
what you signed. Call Legal Action for Woman at 1-800-634-2224 for legal help.
12. Know what abortion is and why it is such a difficult and painful decision.
Why so painful? By the eighth week the fetus is well-developed, complete with
fingers, even fingerprints and a fully recognizable body. The heart has been
beating for over a month, it has an entire nervous system and can feel pain. The
fetus is a separate person with a unique genetic code, different even from yours,
probably a different blood type, and half the time it's a little girl. The fetus
is in your body, but not a part of your body.25
Make sure you don't deny yourself this vital information. You're not a child who
needs to be shielded from the facts. If you are pregnant, you are a mother. All
mothers need help during this vital time in their lives. We're dedicated to
helping you make a decision you can live with, whatever the cost! Feel free to
contact us with any need or questions.
For every child placed into an adoption plan, there are 40 well-screened
families waiting for a child to cherish. There are also many families that want
to adopt children with special needs or of any ethnic background. Making a
loving adoption plan for your child will meet your responsibility to your child.
We can help you decide what choice is best for you and your child, and we can
refer you to adoption agencies. Talking with a client advocate does not commit you to
adoption, but it will give you more information from which to base your
decisions.
If you are considering parenting your child, we can help you decide if this is
the best option for you. We can also assist you with this important
responsibility by offering clothing, equipment, parenting classes, and emotional support. A Resource
Directory of additional community services is available to courageous women like
yourself.26
Works Cited:
1 A Woman's Concern, Pamphlet of the Pregnancy Resource Clinic, State College, PA.
2 Abortion: Making A Decision, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA.
3 Mainline Confirms hCG, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Mainline Technology, Inc.
4 Carol Everett, What I Saw In The Abortion Industry, Jefferson City, MO: Easton Publishing, Inc.
5 Mainline.
6 Caryle Murphy, "Abortion By Pill Is Not As Simple As It Seems," The Washington Post, Feb. 4, 1997, Z10.
7 Susan E. Wills, "Back To The Alley Clinical Psychosis," National Review, Nov. 23, 1998, 40.
8 "A List of Major Physical Sequelae Related To Abortion," Fact Sheet. Springfield, Illinois: Elliot Institute.
9 Everette.
10 "A List of Major Physical Sequelea."
11 Abortion: Your Risks, Stafford, VA.: American Life League.
12 Ibid.
13 Is Sex Safe? Lewiston, N.Y.: Life Cycle Books.
14 You Have A Right To Know, Jefferson City, MO.: Easton Publishing Co.
15 Abortion: Your Risks.
16 You Have A Right To Know.
17 Abortion: Your Risks.
18 Teri K. Reisser and Paul C. Reisser, Identifying and Overcoming Post-Abortion Syndrome, Colorado Springs, CO.: Focus on the Family.
19 "Oral Contraceptives & The Morning After Pill," Take Heart, Columbus Ohio: Heartbeat International.
20 "Abortion Some Medical Facts," NRLC.
21 Ibid.
22 "A List of Major Physical Sequelae."
23 Everette.
24 "Abortion," Title 18: Crimes and Offenses of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
25 "The First Nine Months," Colorado Springs, Colorado: Focus on the Family.
26 Centre Region Crisis Pregnancy Center Resource Directory, State College, PA.
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©2008 Pregnancy Resource Center of Southwest Oklahoma, All rights reserved.
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