Before you have an abortion...

...you have a right to know.

Abortion ends the life of a separate, unique, innocent human being 

At conception, there is an integration of 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 chromosomes from the father to create the 46 chromosome strands of DNA that will determine every genetic thing about their baby: eye color, height, curliness of hair, etc.¹

The tiny new person differs from born children and adults only in size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency, none of which makes him or her less valuable.

The fetus can feel pain from a very early age: by 7 weeks the lips are sensitive to touch, by 11 weeks the entire face can feel and by 13.5 to 14 weeks most of the body can feel pain.² 

Click here to learn more about fetal development

Abortion has many negative emotional and physical side effects 

Studies show that within the first few weeks after an abortion between 40% and 60% of women questioned report negative reactions.^3,4,5 

Within 8 weeks after their abortions,

• 55% of women expressed guilt
• 44% complained of nervous disorders
• 36% had experienced sleep disturbances
• 31% had regrets about their decision
• 11% had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor.⁶

Women who have undergone post-abortion counseling report over 100 major reactions to abortion. Among the most frequently reported are:

• depression
• loss of self-esteem
• self-destructive behavior
• sleep disorders
• memory loss
• sexual dysfunction
• chronic problems with relationships
• dramatic personality changes
• anxiety attacks
• guilt and remorse
• difficulty grieving
• increased tendency toward violence
• chronic crying
• difficulty concentrating
• flashbacks
• loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities and people
• difficulty bonding with later children^7,8

In addition, second trimester miscarriage and premature birth frequently follow induced abortions.^9,10,11,12 

Abortion also contributes to an increase in breast cancer,^13,14,15 though for political reasons, many institutions deny this is the case.

What if I'm not ready to have a child? 

Women choose abortion for many reasons with the top ones being:

• financial burden
• interference with work, school or ability to care for other children
• not wanting to be a single parent
• having troubles with their partner¹⁶

Having an abortion will not relieve your problems - if anything they will intensify. Adoption is a heroic choice that will preserve the life of your child and leave you with none of the side effects of abortion. The referrals listed in the pregnancy help section can offer you adoption information, material help, counseling and more.

1. B.M. Patten, Human Embryology (New York: McGraw Hill, 1968)
2. S. Reinis and J.M. Goldman, The Development of the Brain: Biological and Functional Perspectives (Springfield, IL: C. Thomas, 1980)
3. J.R. Ashton. 1980. The psychosocial outcome of induced abortion. Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. 87:1115-1122.
4. D.C. Reardon, Aborted Women-Silent No More, (Chicago: Loyola University Press, 1987).
5. M.K. Zimmerman, Passage Through Abortion: The Personal and Social Reality of Women's Experiences (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1977).
6. Ashton 1980.
7. Reardon 1987.
8. D.C. Reardon. 1987. Criteria for the Identification of High Risk Abortion Patients: Analysis of An In-Depth Survey of 100 Aborted Women. Presented at the 1987 Paper Session of the Association for Interdisciplinary Research, Denver.
9. A. Arvay, M. Gorgey, L. Kapu. 1967. Relation between abortion (interrupted pregnancy and premature labor. Review French GYN-OB 62:81-86.
10. A.A. Levin, S.C. Schoenbaum, R.R. Monson, P.G. Stubblefield, K.J. Ryan. 1980. Association of induced abortion with subsequent pregnancy loss. JAMA 243:2495-2499.
11. A. Jakobovits & L. Iffy, Perinatal Implications of Therapeutic Abortion. Principals and Practice of Obstetrics & Perinatalogy, New York, J. Wiley & Sons, 1981, p. 603
12. C. Madore, W.E. Hawes, F. Many, A.C. Hexter. 1981. A study on the effects of induced abortion on subsequent pregnancy outcome. Amer. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 139:516-521.
13. J.R. Daling, K.E. Malone, L.F. Voigt, E. White, N.S. Weiss. 1994. Risk of breast cancer among young women: relationship to induced abortion. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 86:1584-1592.
14. J. Brind, V.M. Chinchilli, W.B. Severs, J. Summy-Long. 1996. Induced abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 50:481-496.
15. J. Brind. 2005. Induced abortion as an independent risk factor for breast cancer: a critical review of recent studies. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons 10:105-110.
16. Alan Guttmacher Research Institute. Facts on Induced Abortion. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html (Accessed May 23, 2007).