February 2018 – Article 2:
Pro-aborts deny it, but thousands of women regret their abortion. They suffer a lifetime of regret, depression and emotional issues, as well as physical injuries.
A 2000 study by Dr. Brenda Major, a professor of Psychology & Communications at the University of California, found that approximately 21% of women who terminated a pregnancy believe it did more harm than good.
That percentage grew to 28% two years after the abortion, which means that 280,000 of the nearly one million women who have an abortion every year lament their decision.
Based on other studies and empirical evidence Georgia Right to Life estimates the actual percentage is much higher.
The abortion totals include a large number of women who chose a medical/chemical—as opposed to a surgical—method to end the life of their child.
While a surgical abortion is irreversible, there is hope for a growing number of women who have second thoughts after starting the two-stage medical abortion procedure. By taking advantage of a process called Abortion Pill Reversal (APR), hundreds of women who changed their mind are now blessed with a child.
Over 300 Women and Babies Saved
APR, operated by Culture of Life Family Services headquartered in San Diego, CA, reports its program is responsible for saving 300 babies nationwide, with another 100 currently at more than 20 weeks of gestation.
Of the 300 saved nationally, 23 were in Georgia. Georgia Right to Life highlighted one of those stories in 2016: Reversing a Tragic Choice.
APR operates a 24/7 hotline—1-877-558-1333. Calls are answered by a nurse who offers counseling and can refer women to a participating healthcare provider in their area. There are 350 such providers nationwide, including 12 in Georgia.
The reversal process works by administering several injections of progesterone—the pregnancy hormone—to neutralize the first abortion pill (mifepristone), which blocks progesterone, a hormone necessary for nourishment, from reaching the child causing its death.
But speed is critical. The injections must be given within 24 to 72 hours after taking the first pill and before the woman has taken the second dose—misoprostol, which causes the baby to be expelled from her body.
APR got a boost of support in December when the California Board of Registered Nursing confirmed it will grant continuing education units (CEUs) to nurses who study the process.
That welcome decision flies in the face of abortion advocates who call APR “junk science”. In fact, progesterone has been used for 50 years to treat cases of repeated miscarriages.
“Worse than that, their position reveals their hypocrisy when it comes to women’s rights,” said GRTL President Ricardo Davis. “They support a woman’s right to choose killing their child, but not to change her mind.”
Medical abortions became legal in the United States in 2000 when the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of RU-486 during the first seven weeks of pregnancy. The protocol was later extended to 10 weeks.
A decade after it was introduced, the use of RU-486 represented approximately 18% of all abortions. Today, taking pills instead of surgery represent half of all abortions and that number is expected to increase.
A recent New York Times Magazine article on the subject said: “The experience of taking a few pills in private is on the cusp of becoming what we mean when we say abortion.”
The trend is being fueled even further by the dangerous practice of illegally selling abortion-inducing drugs on the internet. The Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) has identified 86 websites selling the drugs.
A recent paper published by Contraception sought to demonstrate the safety of buying abortion pills online. However, CLI noted that all of the pills were purchased without a prescription and none of the packages contained any instructions.
Abortion Pill Harms Women
No matter how or where they are obtained, abortion pills have proven dangerous, painful and even lethal. Women have died due to complications – heart attack, blood loss, and bacterial infection – after using these drugs.
Also, one in twenty women will require surgery to complete the abortion, or will end up in the emergency room.
Despite these known problems, The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing the FDA demanding that the drugs be available in pharmacies without the need to visit a physician first.
The conclusions are clear: aside from being evil, abortion pills are dangerous. At the same time, the abortion pill reversal process works.
Pro-life supporters are encouraged to be prepared to discuss this issue with state lawmakers if it is ever brought before the legislature.
Sharing this article with family, friends, neighbors and our churches is also encouraged.
Sources: care-net.org; christianpost.com; lozierinstitute.org; nytimes.com; christianheadlines.com.
By Wayne DuBois
Georgia Right to Life
Media Relations Advisor