For the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Amanda Scherker for The Huffington Post produced a piece of “10 Abortion Myths That Need To Be Busted.” Not surprisingly, it is the abortion movement whose “reality” needs to be busted. Kristi Burton Brown mentioned some abortion myths to debunk, but it is worth correcting what else the abortion movement is spouting.
1) Myth: There’s not much to discuss about medical abortions.
Reality: There is much more to medical abortions than the abortion movement talks about.
Medical abortion, or RU-486, is certainly not as simple or safe as touted.
Several horror stories have been compiled about women who have undergone a medical abortion, including those who are pro-choice.
The Huffington Post also mentions that 28.5 percent of medical abortions took place within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. It is concerning how many abortions took place then beyond when the FDA has recommended is safe.
2) Myth: Most women will not regret their abortions.
Reality: The emotional pain and guilt many women experience after their abortion is unimaginable.
Grief after abortion is common.
The abortion movement is fond of turning to a study, to do with women one week after they had an abortion, to claim that women do not regret their abortions. It is almost laughable that such a study would be legitimate. Women may take time to regret their abortions, after they have processed this decision. Words of Hope, a group focused on helping women heal after an abortion, mentions that some women feel relief, but also denial.
Just the existence of groups like Silent No More and Abortion Recovery International or the necessity of Rachel’s Vineyard show that women do regret and suffer from their abortions.
Countless women have shared their stories of abortion, many of them expressing regret. The psychological risks of abortion can be abundant. This includes an increased risk of suicide.
3) Myth: Preborn babies can’t feel pain until at least the 24th week into pregnancy.
Reality: Doctors have testified that babies feel pain at 20 weeks, or earlier.
A preborn baby at 20 weeks
The Huffington Post points to various studies, with some even claiming that preborn children don’t feel pain until the 29th or 30th week of pregnancy. But doctors have spoken out that preborn children feel pain by the 20th week of pregnancy.
Doctors have also testified that preborn children can feel pain even earlier – even as early as 5.5 weeks.
Also, it is worth questioning why surgery conducted on preborn children involves anesthesia then, if they can’t feel pain.
4) Myth: Americans support legalized abortion.
Reality: Most Americans think abortion should be legal only in limited circumstances.
Abortion opinions over the years, from Gallup.
The Huffington Post claims most Americans support legalized abortion. The 78 percent which HuffPo claims supports abortion, is comprised, overwhelmingly, of those who support abortion only in some very limited circumstances.
The pro-life movement also points to the same Gallup poll to claim the tide is in their favor. However, when we accurately examine the matter, those who support abortion in some circumstances only support it in circumstances such as rape, incest, or when the life or physical condition of the mother is in jeopardy. The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute notes that abortion is largely a procedure performed for socioeconomic reasons, not so much for these hard cases.
5) Myth: Abortion restrictions harm access to abortion, and that’s a bad thing.
Reality: Abortion restrictions protect women.
When abortion restrictions are in places, lives are saved. This includes preborn children as well as their mothers. And if abortion businesses cannot remain open out of a failure to comply with commonsense abortion regulations, that’s because the abortion industry is inherently dangerous. The 231 new restrictions passed over the last four years also reflect that the states and their citizens are dedicated to ending abortion.
6) Myth: Women rarely are coerced into their abortions.
Reality: Over half of women report being pressured or coerced.
The Huffington Post ignores the plight of women, who have been pressured or coerced into their abortion. Some have even been violently threatened.
Live Action News contributors Adam Peters and Kristi Burton Brown have reported on many forms of violence against pregnant women. Entire web pages have also been compiled dedicated to reporting the reality of coerced abortions.
7) Myth: Whether or not a woman is already a mother is relevant to abortion.
Reality: How many children a woman already has does not speak to the reality of abortion.
As Feminists for Life, a pro-life group which offers resources, says, “Women Deserve Better.”
Pregnant women who are already mothers do not need to turn to abortion. There are programs to help women, including federal ones, such as WIC (Women, Infants, Children).
8) Myth: Holding abortion clinics to the same standards doesn’t have much to do with safety.
Reality: Women–not just preborn children–die at abortion clinics. And when abortion clinics shut down, lives are saved.
Women face complications because medical personnel could not get through an abortion clinic which had no gurney access. This happened to two women in Birmingham, yet abortion advocates still bemoan commonsense regulations like hallway requirements.
Admitting privileges are also necessary, as has been highlighted before.
In summary: The abortion movement is adept at lying to women. It has practically made doing so an art. But it is even more dangerous when it takes the efforts of those trying to educate women to save them and their children, and calls such truth out as lie.
