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Coerced Abortion - Not a Woman's Choice
Many abortions are coerced or even forced.
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Coerced Abortion - NOT a Woman's Choice
Many abortions are coerced or even forced. |
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Education: Those in favor of legal abortion often talk about a woman’s “right to choose”.The truth, however, is that most abortions are unwanted, coerced, or even forced. 64% of women report feeling pressured to abort.(1) A report from the Elliott Institute (1) gives many examples of real cases in addition to references to a number of studies.Teens are especially at risk. |
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Coercion can occur in many ways.Husbands or boyfriends can threaten physical violence – and women have been killed for refusing to abort.One mother literally took her daughter to a clinic at gunpoint.(1) When a mother is dependent on her parents or her partner for support, there can also be a threat to kick her out of the house. In one case, a teen was hoping that the clinic counselor would help her boyfriend see reason and support her choice to have her baby, but instead she took his side and the two of them pressured her until she agreed to the abortion.
“Gaylene” became pregnant at 14, and turned to her school counselor for advice before going to her parents.He told her she was too young to be a parent, that adoption would be too difficult and that there was no need to trouble her parents about it; abortion was the answer. She did not feel she decided herself for the abortion, but did proceed with it.She later attempted suicide several times and got involved with alcohol, drugs, and crime. (2)
1. David Reardon, “Forced Abortion in America” available at
http://www.stopforcedabortions.com and at
www.ChristianVoicesforLife.org
2.Amy Sobie and David C. Reardon, “A Generation at Risk – How Teens are Coerced or Manipulated into Abortion” Accessed 4/6/17 from
http://www.theunchoice.com/EINews/2008Vol7/Vol7No7.htm
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Prayer: Dear Father God, please have mercy on women who are subjected to pressure and coercion to abort. Help them to feel your loving arms around them and send your Holy Spirit to give them strength and perseverance. Help them to find the support and resources they need to feel free to choose life. Help our legislatures to act to protect women against coercion and punish those who are guilty of the crime. Help church communities to make it clear to their members that they will support mothers in crisis pregnancies. Help them to offer Christ’s mercy and healing to both women and men who suffer from past abortions. |
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Action: If a friend confides in you about a past abortion, never assume it was her free choice. Do not judge, but ask what kind of pressures led her to that decision. Listen to her, and continue to be her friend. Let her know that you understand that she must have been in a very difficult position, and that you are not judging her. Let her know that post-abortion healing programs are available to help her find peace. For a national abortion recovery care directory, see:
http://www.abortionrecovery.org.
Support legislation to criminalize coerced abortion. Model legislation is available from Americans United for Life,
www.aul.org , which requires signs posted throughout the clinic to tell patients their rights, makes it mandatory to have a private interview with the mother and to report suspected abuse, and has other provisions.
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