Considering Abortion?

25 Questions to Ask Your Abortion Provider

Our commitment is to help women considering abortion realize what is in their best interest.¹ This means helping them avoid being hurt physically and emotionally, by assisting them in finding solutions to the distressing circumstances causing them to feel they have "no choice" but abortion. Having "no choice," is not a choice. We recommend that you not "just get in and get it over with." Slow down and think. Consider all your choices. All abortion procedures have inherent dangers that cannot be eliminated.² Therefore, we do not recommend or refer for abortion. However, our twelve point health and safety checklist can help protect you against physical and emotional injuries.

You may be wishing that this hadn't happened at all, and wanting to simply not be pregnant right now. It is a big change to have happen unexpectedly, and its easy to worry about what others will think of you. But they don't have to live with the decision that you make regarding your baby, you do. And no matter what, you cannot go back, and become "unpregnant." You will remember this experience for the rest of your life, and you will always have been pregnant, the difference looking back will be dependent on what you decided about caring for your child.

A Woman's Health And Safety 12-Point Checklist

1. Get a blood or laboratory quality urine test.

You may not actually be pregnant. We provide a laboratory quality urine test free of charge as a service to women.³ A trained counselor can provide additional information relevant to your situation. All of our services are free and confidential.

2. Have your pregnancy confirmed by a doctor who does not gain financially from abortions.

Carol Everett, a former abortion provider, testified in Congress that she regularly sold abortions to women who were not pregnant but feared they were.⁴ We can provide a free confidential medical exam and ultrasound from which the doctor can confirm pregnancy and answer any other medically related concerns you have.

3. Be sure you have a live, uterine pregnancy.

31% of pregnancies end early by natural miscarriage.⁵ The free medical visit we offer can confirm a live uterine pregnancy. Without this information an abortion could cause unnecessary damage to you.

4. Do not allow anyone to sell you a surgical abortion prior to the 8th week.

Providers may sell you one but then will not "guarantee success" prior to the eighth week. The fetus is simply too small to locate.⁶ Abortion is already a blind procedure (by feel and guess work) and when done prior to the eighth week, the dangers of internal damage is severe. In trying to detach the fetus from the uterine wall, the suction tube may perforate your uterus and bowel.⁷ More commonly, the abortion is incomplete, part of the fetus may be left behind causing severe infection, leading to infertility and in some cases, toxic poisoning and death.⁸ Don't be the victim of someone's desire to make a quick cash sale.

5. Ask for the name of the doctor performing the abortion.

Abortion is legal; malpractice and substandard medical care are not. Unless you insist on knowing the name of the doctor, they may not tell you. In case of injury, the abortionist may be relying on your not wanting anyone to know you were ever at their clinic; they may be counting on your not knowing who to hold accountable for the malpractice.⁹ In order to protect your interests in case of injury, know your doctor's name.

6. Verify that the doctor is competent and caring.

As a matter of consumer protection, the Board of Medicine is now disclosing the educational background, the number of complaints and the malpractice suits against doctors through the Physicians Profile Department of the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine. Call 1-717-787-2381 (M-F 8:45am--5pm). You deserve competent treatment. In case of complications, call your local hospital prior to the abortion, and confirm that the doctor has privileges to practice there.

7. Be aware that all abortions carry health rists. About 10% of women undergoing elective abortion will suffer immediate complications, of which about 2% are considered life threatening.

Surgical abortion risks include (but are not limited to):

Ectopic pregnancies: Studies show that the risk of an ectopic or tubal (not in the uterus) pregnancy is 30% higher for women who have had one abortion, and up to four times higher for women with two or more abortions.¹¹ Ectopic pregnancies account for 12% of pregnancy related maternal deaths.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): 5% of women suffer PID following induced abortion. PID can lead to fever and infertility.¹² There is a 23% higher risk of infection if you have an STD. 40% of the sexually active are suspected carriers of STD's.¹³
Breast Cancer: An analysis of all reputable studies done to date suggests that women who abort face an alarming 50% increase in breast cancer, a rate which doubles with each successive abortion, if the woman is under 18 or over 30 years of age or has a family history of breast cancer.¹⁴
Placenta Previa: The risk, which produces extreme severe life-threatening bleeding during future pregnancies, is increased by 600% after an abortion.¹⁵
Infertility: Abortion causes sterility in 2-5% of the women who have an abortion.¹⁶
Psychological/Emotional Trauma: 50% of post-abortive women report experiencing emotional and psychological disturbances lasting for months or years.¹⁷ This includes acute feeling of grief, depression, anger, fear of disclosure, preoccupation with babies or getting pregnant again, nightmares, sexual dysfunction, termination of relationships, emotional coldness, increased alcohol and drug abuse, eating disorders, anxiety, flashbacks, anniversary syndrome, repeat abortions, and suicide.¹⁸ Many go into the clinic thinking, "this is my only choice!" but come out saying "what have I done?" Be prepared.

Medical (Chemical) abortion risks include (but are not limited to):

"The Morning After Pill" (Emergency Contraception Pill) - - If taken within 72 hours of intercourse it prevents pregnancy 75% of the time. Sometimes they are abortifacient and the manufacturers are not encouraging their use for this purpose. Medical problems would be similar to birth control pills, however effects could be more pronounced.¹⁹
Methotrexate - (given prior to 8 weeks) Doctors are reluctant to prescribe the chemicals because of its high toxicity and unpredictable side effects. Those side effects include but are not limited to: nausea, pain, diarrhea, bone marrow depression, anemia, liver damage, lung disease, heavy bleeding for as long as 40 days, abortion may occur anywhere, surgical abortion may still be required.²⁰
Psychological/ Emotional Trauma: In addition to the risks listed above, women having chemical abortions often see the complete tiny bodies of their unborn child and are even able to distinguish the child's developing hands, eyes, etc. So traumatic is this for some women that it is recommended that women unprepared for the experience not take the drugs.²¹

If you are considering abortion because of your circumstances, know that you can change your circumstances. If you have ambivalent or conflicted feelings, take time to find out "why" you have these feelings. Do not ignore your conscience and values. They are what make you a strong and unique woman. Fight and overcome your circumstances, rather than submit to them. We are here to help you regardless of your situation or decision.

8. Verify what other procedures you will undergo, if there is follow-up care or added expenses.

IMPORTANT -- Will the clinic provide a blood test? It is important that a blood test for RH factor be done before an abortion so that the correct blood is available for transfusion, if necessary. Also, if you are RH negative and have an abortion of an RH positive baby, you must be given an injection of rhogam to protect future children.

IMPORTANT -- Will the clinic screen for STD's prior to an abortion? Most STD's can infect you for long periods of time with no symptoms. Studies have found that 20-27% of patients seeking abortion have a chlamydia infection and 23% of those will develop PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, a potentially life threatening disease), within four weeks following an abortion.²²

Some abortion clinics only provide group counseling, others provide none. Some provide an ultrasound test but do not allow you to see the screen, while others don't explain the picture. Some do not allow a follow-up visit, others discourage further contact.²³ Evaluate the services offered to determine if it is good quality health care.

9. Know your rights before an abortion.

It is against the law for anyone to force you to have an abortion. Not even a husband or parent can require you to undergo an abortion against your will, even if you are a minor (under 18 years old). Therefore you should be asked to sign a consent form at the abortion clinic. If you do not sign it, the abortion can not be legally performed. The law also requires abortion providers to give you information on: 1) possible complications, 2) the development of the baby, and 3) organizations that provide alternatives to abortion. If you are not provided this information 24 hours before the abortion is performed, the provider is breaking the law.²⁴

10. Demand your money back, should you change your mind, even when you're on the table.

Abortion providers know that this is an intensely agonizing decision and sometimes see women change their mind at the last minute because, as they say, "I simply can't kill my baby, no matter how difficult my circumstances." Know your rights. Don't be pressured or intimidated. If the procedure is not performed, demand your money back.

11. Understand your legal rights following your abortion.

Some abortion providers insist that all patients sign a statement saying they will not hold the clinic or the doctor liable for damages which might occur because of the abortion. However, this document has virtually no legal authority. If you are physically or emotionally injured, you always retain your constitutional right to seek financial compensation in a court of law, no matter what you signed. Call Legal Action for Woman at 1-800-634-2224 for legal help.

12. Know what abortion is and why it is such a difficult and painful decision.

Why so painful? By the eighth week the fetus is well developed, complete with fingers, even finger prints and a fully recognizable body. The heart has been beating for over a month, it has an entire nervous system and can feel pain. The fetus is a separate person with a unique genetic code different even from yours, probably a different blood type, and half the time its a little girl. The fetus is in your body, but not a part of your body.²⁵ Make sure you don't deny yourself this vital information. You're not a child who needs to be shielded from the facts. If you are pregnant, you are a mother. All mothers need help during this vital time in their lives. We're dedicated to helping you make a decision you can live with, whatever the cost! Feel free to contact us with any need or questions.

For every child placed into an adoption plan, there are 40 well screened families waiting for a child to cherish. There are also many families that want to adopt children with special needs or of any ethnic background. Making a loving adoption plan for your child will meet your responsibility to your child. We can help you decide what choice is best for you and your child and we can refer you to adoption agencies. Talking with a counselor does not commit you to adoption, but it will give you more information from which to base your decisions.

If you are considering parenting your child, we can help you decide if this is the best option for you. We can also assist you with this important responsibility by offering clothing, equipment, housing, education, medical, financial, and emotional support. We can also provide you with a Resource Directory of additional community services available to courageous women like yourself.²⁶

Alternatives: Adopting or Parenting

Works Cited:

1 A Woman's Concern, Pamphlet of the Pregnancy Resource Clinic, State College, PA.

2 Abortion: Making A Decision, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA.

3 Mainline Confirms hCG, Ann Arbor, Michigan: Mainline Technology, Inc.

4 Carol Everett, What I Saw In The Abortion Industry, Jefferson City, MO: Easton Publishing, Inc.

5 Mainline.

6 Caryle Murphy, "Abortion By Pill Is Not As Simple As It Seems," The Washington Post, Feb. 4, 1997, Z10.

7 Susan E. Wills, "Back To The Alley Clinical Psychosis," National Review, Nov. 23, 1998, 40.

8 "A List of Major Physical Sequelae Related To Abortion," Fact Sheet. Springfield, Illinois: Elliot Institute.

9 Everette.

10 "A List of Major Physical Sequelea."

11 Abortion: Your Risks, Stafford, VA.: American Life League.

12 Ibid.

13 Is Sex Safe? Lewiston, N.Y.: Life Cycle Books.

14 You Have A Right To Know, Jefferson City, MO.: Easton Publishing Co.

15 Abortion: Your Risks.

16 You Have A Right To Know.

17 Abortion: Your Risks.

18 Teri K. Reisser and Paul C. Reisser, Identifying and Overcoming Post-Abortion Syndrome, Colorado Springs, CO.: Focus on the Family.

19 "Oral Contraceptives & The Morning After Pill," Take Heart, Columbus Ohio: Heartbeat International.

20 "Abortion Some Medical Facts," NRLC.

21 Ibid.

22 "A List of Major Physical Sequelae."

23 Everette.

24 "Abortion," Title 18: Crimes and Offenses of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

25 "The First Nine Months," Colorado Springs, Colorado: Focus on the Family.

26 Centre Region Crisis Pregnancy Center Resource Directory, State College, PA.