KIT LEFFLER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 believe the unborn was only a glob of tissue, she says. Witnessing physical complications and emotional devastation left her no room to believe abortion could be a woman's best option. But when money spoke — loudly — these realities couldn't make her abandon the practice. What did make her leave it behind, she says, was becoming a Christian and believing she'd received validation from God that he wanted her out of the business. Now Everett runs an outreach that helps women deal with unplanned pregnancies in ways other than abortion. "There are no words to describe how bad abortion really is." she says. Despite Everett's testimony concerning her motives, not all abortion providers are more concerned with money than with helping women, says Peter Brownlie, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. Abortions may be pricey (procedures offered at Planned Parenthood in this area range from $375 to $2,000), but there are much easier ways for a physician to make money than through abortion, Brownlie says. Doctors that provide abortions face significant personal costs. They may be harassed, ostracized and marginalized, but they choose their work anyway, because they see it as a service that needs to be offered — even if it's not the most desirable one. "Nobody wants to have an abortion," Brownile says."People decide to end a pregnancy because, while it's not an attractive thing to do, it's the best of the options they have available. It's sort of the least-worst." According to data from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, about 90 percent of abortions are performed in the first trimester of pregnancy. The proper procedure is determined by how many weeks pregnant a woman is. There's no one factor that determines whether a person should have an abortion, he says. Women and men faced with unexpected pregnancies must deal with many issues in deciding what to do about them, including the nature of their relationships, their aspirations and their economic situations. Mifepristone (formerly known as RU486) and Misoprostol: This medical abortion, which involves two pills, causes the uterus to expel the embryo. First Trimester Early Vacuum Aspiration: In this surgical Suction Currettage: A suction machine connects to tubing that the doctor inserts into the uterus. The suction pulls the fetus apart and out of the mother. This procedure may be performed into the beginning of the second trimester. abortion, the doctor inserts a syringe into the uterus and suctions out the embryo. Second and Third Trimesters Dilation and Evacuation (D&E): The doctor uses forceps to pull the fetus out of Source: www.pregnancycenters.org Dilation and Extraction (D&X):This is also called partial-birth abortion. Medication causes the cervix to dilate and labor to begin. The doctor begins to remove the fetus from the womb, feet first. He or she inserts a sharp object into the base of the skull, then places a suction catheter into the opening and extracts the fetus' brain. the uterus in parts. ABORTION PROCEDURES In her scholarly article "When Do Human Beings Begin?" Irving makes a distinction between Despite the complexity of the decisions people must make in dealing with unplanned pregnancies, however, all the debate of the rightness or wrongness of abortion can be whittled down to a single question. That is not, Brownlie says, a question of when life begins. Sperm and egg are alive. The fetus they create is living. The fundamental question, rather, is at what stage is that life human? Spiritually human? Legally human? Deserving of the same rights as the woman carrying it? These, he says, are not questions science can answer. agrees that science does not answer all of these. She does believe, however, that both scientifically and philosophically, the immediate product of fertilization is human. Dianne Irving, a bench research scientist and philosopher, a human being (which she says is defined by science) and a human person (which she says is defined by philosophy). She adds that believing a human person begins at any time other than conception requires a belief in a mind/body split that is "totally indefensible," but spends a majority of this article addressing scientific, not philosophical, issues. Biologically, Irving says, the product of conception is a human being. The single-cell zygote created at conception has 46 chromosomes — the number characteristic of humans. It produces specifically human proteins and enzymes. It, rather than its mother, directs its own growth and development. This shows that it is not merely a piece of its mother's tissue, as does the fact that it is genetically different than both its mother and father. An international committee of experts in human embryology — the Nomina Embryologica Committee — accepts these facts as proof that a human be- Women and men faced with unexpected pregnancies must deal with many issues in deciding what to do about them. mg begins at conception. The field of human embryology is required to follow the facts sanctioned by this committee, which means that every human embryology textbook teaches that the product of conception is biologically human. Jill*, a Kansas City woman, knew all of this. She was a biology major. She'd taken a class in embryology. But when she was 20 and pregnant, none of this knowledge mattered. She closed her mind to everything except the fact that she had a crisis and had to fix it. Immediately following the abortion, she was able to convince herself she had. "I think everyone is initially relieved, because the procedure is over, and you think the problem is over," she says. "But it doesn't take very long to recognize from now on, you're going to have to play a different game in your head. Now you have to pretend it was the right thing, though you know it wasn't." Jill pretended her abortion was right for 20 years, she says, and suffered the entire time. She says her husband, who is the father of the aborted child, suffered as much as she did. The abortion was a breach of everything they'd created together, she says, and the stress their decision placed on their relationship was immense. Unlike many relationships affected by abortion, however, Jill's survived. Because it did, she can speak to the fact that psychologically, abortion can harm men as much as it can women. "I don't know how we made it," she says. "It has to be by the grace and mercy of God. It's a unique position to be in, to know where the guy is and what he's going through." It wasn't until she and her husband acknowledged they'd made a mistake that they could receive forgiveness from God and begin to heal, both individually and as a couple. Now, whenever Jill shares her story, she encourages people not to react hastily to a crisis pregnancy — because the decision will be there for a lifetime. "Don't hurry," Jill advises anyone in the position to have an abortion. "It's your life, and you are worth a well-thought-out response." - name has been changed LIFE AFTER CHOOSING LIFE For Monica Dutcher, time and finances are always a strain. But the Cody, Wyo., sophomore has never regretted refusing to have an abortion when she was 17 — even though her boyfriend left her because of it and has never wanted to meet his daughter. For her first two years of college, Dutcher went to school full time and had two part-time jobs. Now, although she's down to one job, her days are packed with classes, work and caring for her daughter from 7 in the morning. when she takes 4-year-old LexiAnne to school, till 9 at night, when she puts her to bed. After that it's time for homework — and the next day it all begins again. "It's tough, but definitely worth it, she says. "To raise a child is amazing." Unlike Dutcher, Mary Crouch wasn't up to taking on the responsibilities of motherhood during college. That's why she'd chosen never to have sex. But after being raped while studying abroad in Italy, the St. Louis University senior found she was pregnant. JAXPLAY 04.13.2006 Abortion wasn't a possibility for Crouch. Despite the awful circumstances that caused her pregnancy, she says she couldn't end it knowing she had a real person inside her. Because she wasn't ready to be a mother, she knew adoption was her best option. Crouch gave birth to Abraham on April 6, 2005. She had decided early in her pregnancy that she wanted a couple in her hometown to adopt him — one shed known for years and who hadn't been able to have children of their own. After carrying Abraham for nine months, there was grief in giving him away, Crouch says. But she knows it was best for both of them. She knows, too, that changing nine months of her life to have him was by far a better choice than abortion would have been. "Holding this child that at first I thought it was a mistake — there's nothing that says to me it would have been better to end life," she says, "I can't imagine him not existing. I think he was as much a person when he was conceived as he is to me now." RESOURCES AND SERVICES Advocate Pregnancy Center 1 Riverfront Plaza, Suite 100 (inside The LEO Center) 785-842-6499 The center offers free pregnancy tests, sonograms and pregnancy counseling, as well as free baby clothing and other items for newborns. It also provides post-abortion counseling, says director Barbara Watkins. Birthright 204 W. 13th St. 785-843-4821 800-550-4900 (toll-free 24- hour hotline) 12→ Birthright offers free pregnancy tests, as well as free baby clothes, formula and diapers. It educates women on resources available to them, such as programs that help single mothers financially, and helps them connect to these resources. Most of all, says director Tracy Waring, it tries to be a listening, caring ear. Birthright is open only part time, but women can call the toll-free hotline any time. 785-832-0281 Planned Parenthood 2108 W. 27th St. # J 755 823 9281 Lawrence's Planned Parenthood offers pregnancy tests for $18 and medical abortions up to nine weeks of pregnancy. Clinics also provide counseling, says Peter Brownlie, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri. Project Rachel/ Project Joseph 7315 E. Frontage Rd, Ste. 110 Shawnee Mission, KS 66240 913-621-2199 These outreach programs provide support groups for women and men who are suffering after abortion. They are confidential, says program coordinator Pat Klausner.