Human Life Alliance of Minnesota Education Fund Inc. Advertising Supplement
1996
11
ABORTION:
Possible Effects on Your Body
Immediate
•Intense pain •Punctured uterus •Excessive bleeding
•Infection •Parts of baby left inside •Shock/Coma
•Damage to other organs •Death
Later
- Inability to become pregnant again •Miscarriage/Stillbirths •Tubal Preganancies
•Premature births •Pelvic inflammatory disease
•Hysterectomy •Two to Four times Higher Risk of Developing Breast Cancer
"People do not understand that there are thousands of serious physical complications from abortion every year in this country." Dr. Bernard Nathanson, OB-GYN,
"The inherent risk of abortion is not fully appreciated, both by many in the profession and certainly not by the public." The American Colleges of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Possible Effects on Your Emotions
The Most Common
The Most Common
·Guilt •Desire to become pregnant again
·Depression/Crying •Inability to forgive yourself •Intense grief/sadness
·Anger/Rage •Emotional numbness
·Sexual problems •Lowered self-esteem
·Nightmares •Anorexia or other eating disorders
·Drug or alcohol abuse •Suicidal urges
"Abortion has a painful aftermath, regardless of the woman's religious beliefs, or how positive she may have felt beforehand about her decision to abort." Vincent Rue, Ph.D. Psychologist.
Post Abortion Syndrome
(Women suffering mental and emotional anguish following an abortion)
Dr. Anne Speckhard, Ph.D, in her study on Post Abortion Syndrome, found the following effects on women.
Events Related to Abortion
- 23% had hallucinations related to the abortion
- 35% perceived visitation from the aborted child
- 54% had nightmares related to the abortion
- 69% experienced feelings of "craziness"
- 73% had flashbacks of abortion experience
- 81% had a preoccupation with the aborted child
Most Common Behavioral Problems After Abortion
- 61% increased their use of alcohol
· 65% had thoughts of suicide
· 69% were sexually inhibited
· 73% had flashbacks of the abortion
· 77% experienced an inability to communicate
· 81% experienced frequent crying
Problems ... after an abortion? MEDICAL • LEGAL • EMOTIONAL HELP
CALL 1-800-634-2224 AMERICAN RIGHTS COALITION or 1-800-962-2319 LEGAL ACTION FOR WOMEN Additional Resources listed on Page 5
I've been there too!
"Tim, I think I'm pregnant." It was New Year's Eve, 1973. My boyfriend sighed deeply, his gaze remaining fixed on the TV. "Just have your period, all right?" he muttered. I felt a sour lump in the back of my throat. My breasts were tender. Yes, I was pregnant, and I was scared!
I knew from first hand experience how tough it is raising a child as a single mother. I already had a 2-year old daughter, Jennifer, from an earlier unsuccessful marriage. We lived in the inner city and could barely make ends meet. When my pregnancy was confirmed, Tim's non-committal response to my distress and his move to Chicago, 400 miles away, left me despondent and leaning more and more toward abortion as the "easy way out." I was already struggling financially with one child. How could I raise two?
I drove to Chicago to try to convince Tim to marry me. He was deaf to my pleas and unmoved by my tears. Believing I had no viable alternative, I convinced him to give me money for an abortion.
As I sat in the abortion clinic waiting my turn, everything around me seemed like a nightmare. Women lounged on garishly printed couches as rock music played on the intercom. Everything seemed so casual, and there I was, feeling like I wanted to die. When the nurse called my name, I changed
my mind, broke into tears, and left.
I felt desperately alone. Back at the university, I often cried myself to sleep.
I decided to confide in a couple of college professors. They collected money to fly me back to Chicago to have an abortion. Now I was determined, even obligated, to go through with it. Still, I agonized!
Ironically, that semester, I was taking a class in fetal development. I knew there was a baby in my womb with her heart beating and her own circulatory system. Those pictures flashed in my mind as I sat there, clad in a paper gown and paper slippers.
I was summoned to the room where the abortions are performed. I could hear a woman sobbing hysterically in the recovery room. It reminded me of someone who had witnessed the death of a loved one in a fatal accident. I'll never forget it.
As the doctor was examining me, prior to performing the abortion, he suddenly stopped and said to the nurse, "Get her out of here! She's too far along!" Relief instantly washed over me! How odd! I had thought I wanted an abortion but now felt instantly relieved to know I was still pregnant.
I decided to use every ounce of courage I could muster to deal with my pregnancy. My ambivalence turned into love for my unborn child. When my beautiful daughter
It took energy and creativity to support the three of us. My two daughters inspired me to do great things. They never stood in the way of my career. They have only enhanced it. I finished my degree; then I went on to get my Master's and Ph.D. Besides being a proud mother, I am happily married, a published author, a motivational speaker for one of the largest seminar companies in the U.S. and a part-time musician.
was born, I named her Melanie.
I have learned that life is really about developing character. When we endure something tough, our character and self-esteem are strengthened. Many women who have confessed to me that they've had abortions have discovered that the "easy way out" is just an illusion. Some of them are in abusive relationships. Some are on antidepressants. Others just seem detached from life. Some sadly remember their aborted child's "would be" birthday each year.
If you are in a crisis pregnancy, I cannot promise that it will be easy. I can only promise that the anguish will pass and there are people who will help you through this trying time. (pg. 5) As someone who has "been there" I understand the anguish you are experiencing. One day you will look back on the birth of your child, and say, as I do, "I did the right thing. And I feel proud."
Dr. Woodhull can be reached through HLA 612-484-1040.
Sincerely, with love,
Dr. Angela Woodhull
Glamour(2/94), the popular women's magazine, after receiving input from 3000 women reported, "Virtually all of those who'd had abortions in the past said that if they'd only known how much they'd regret having an abortion, they never would have agreed to the procedure...The births of subsequent children or some other exposure to the intricacies of child development were often listed as experiences that helped them see just how misguided they had been in deciding to abort." One woman said "Society told me it (abortion) was safe and legal. And the abortionist and her medical crew never counseled me on anything- the procedure itself, the risks, the alternatives, and what my choices were...I wondered why, if I had participated in this wonderful, self liberating experience, I did not feel a sense of deliverance, but a loss of self respect, and little by little a loss of myself."