Notbornyet. Helping Australia fall in love with the unborn.

• There are an estimated 80,000 children who aborted each year through surgical means.¹ This figure does not include chemical abortions, such as the morning-after pill given in the first 72 hours after intercourse, or RU-486, a combination of two drugs given up to nine weeks gestation to terminate a pregnancy. This is significant when you consider 91% of abortions are performed in the first 14 weeks.²
• The reason we use the term "estimated 80,000 children are aborted" is because no precise figures are kept on abortion in Australia. The three most populous States, NSW, Victoria and Queensland do not keep any statistics on abortion, and only one State, South Australia, publishes figures on abortion. National figures are estimated from South Australian, Western Australian and Northern Territory figures and from Medicare rebates paid to private patients.
• About a third of all Australian women will have an abortion. This represents about one-in-four pregnancies.³
• Various studies show about 97% of all abortions are performed for psychosocial reasons, including half of late-term abortions (after 20 weeks gestation).⁴
• Less than 3% of abortions are performed because the child has a disability.
• Less than 1% of abortions are performed on women who are the victims of rape. One extensive study of women who conceived as a result of sexual assault showed nearly all the women regretted their decision to abort. Those who continued their pregnancies were glad they did.⁵
• Late-term abortions are available in all States and Territories except NSW and Queensland.
• 60% of women were using at least one form of contraception at the time of their pregnancy.⁶
• Women of any age, including teenage girls, do not require parental permission to have an abortion.⁷
• The majority of women and girls who have abortions do so because of a lack of support from partners, parents and friends. 70% of women say they felt they had no alternative to abortion.⁸
• Abortion not only ends the life of a child (the foetal heartbeat is detected at 22 days from conception), but often leaves a woman and others deeply wounded, affecting existing and future relationships.⁹
• One comprehensive study of  400  international studies into the psychological risks associated with abortion concluded that 20-30% of women who had an abortion suffered from serious, prolonged, negative consequences.¹⁰
• About 60%  (polls range from 60-70%) of Australians are generally in favour of abortion, however this figure decreases as reasons for abortion are qualified. Most Australians believe there are too many abortions, and that women should receive independent counselling.¹¹
• 32% of women who have abortions are married or in a de-facto relationship. 

 

 

WHAT ARE THE AGES OF WOMEN HAVING ABORTIONS?

 Table 5: Abortion of pregnancy by age, South Australia, 2006

Totals	4,888	100%
Age (years)	Number	%
13	3	0.1
14	13	0.3
15	49	1.0
16	131	2.7
17	200	4.1
18	287	5.9
19	315	6.4
20 - 24	1,355	27.7
25 - 29	910	18.6
30 - 34	807	16.5
35 - 39	584	11.9
40 - 44	222	4.5
45+	12	0.2

 

 

 

 

1. Angela Pratt, Amanda Briggs and Luke Buckmaster, 2005 Australian Parliamentary Library Research Brief, How Many Abortions are There each Year in Australia? http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rb/2004-05/05rb09.htm;
2. Marie Stope s International Australia, Women and Abortion http://mariestopes1-px.rtrk.com.au/library/abortion/women-and-abortion; 
3. Stephanie Croft, Abortion in Australia in the 21st Century, Facts, Current Trendsand the Way Ahead 2006, NSW Right to Life, p7.
4. Ibid, p 15.
5. Selena Ewing, Women and Abortion: An Evidence-Based Review ,2005; a meta analysis of Australian and international research on why women have abortion, compiled for a Women’s Forum Australia parliamentary submission. See also www.afterabortion.org; citing David Reardon’s book, Victims and Victors, 2000, www.theunchoice.com/victimsandvictors; 
6. Marie Stopes International Australia, Women, Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2008, p 8.
7. John Fleming and Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, Common Ground, Seeking an Australian Consensus on Abortion and Sex Education, St Pauls Publications, 2007, pp 110-111
8. Selena Ewing, Women and Abortion: An Evidence-Based Review,2005; a meta analysis of Australian and international research on why women have abortion, compiled for a Women’s Forum Australia parliamentary submission. See also www.afterabortion.org; 
9. Philip G. Ney, Deeply Damaged, An Explanation for the Profound Problems Arising from Aborting Babies and Abusing Children, Pioneer Publishing Company, 1997.
10. Dr Priscilla Coleman, Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995-2009. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 2011, http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180; 
11. John Fleming and Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, “Common Ground, Seeking an Australian Consensus on Abortion and Sex Education’’, St Pauls Publications, 2007, citing polls over the past decade by Morgan,  Newspoll and others.

Abortion is often promoted as a viable choice for women with an unintended or difficult pregnancy. Below are responses to the most common arguments put forward in favour of abortion. 

 

1. No one knows when life begins.

Medical textbooks and the doctors who wrote and study them agree that a unique human being is formed at the moment of conception when a sperm cell and ovum unite. Consider the following: ¹ 

• Dr Bradley M. Patten’s textbook, Human Embryology states: "It is the penetration of the ovum by a spermatozoan and the resultant mingling of the nuclear material each brings to the union that constitutes the culmination of the process of fertilization and marks the initiation of the life of a new individual."
• Doctors E.L Potter and J. M Craig write in Pathology of the Fetus and the Infant, "Every time a sperm cell and ovum unite a new being is created which is alive and will continue to live unless its death is brought about by some specific condition."
• Dr Alfred M. Bongioanni, Professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics at the University of Pennsylvania, stated: "I have learned from my earliest medical education that human life begins at the moment of conception ... I submit that human life is present throughout this entire sequence from conception to adulthood and that any interruption at any point throughout this time constitutes a termination of human life."
• Dr Jerome LeJeunne, Professor of Genetics at the University of Descartes in Paris - who discovered the chromosome pattern of Down Syndrome - testified to a judiciary sub-committee: "After fertilization has taken place, a new human being has come into being."

 

2. The unborn is an embryo or a fetus, not a baby. Abortion is terminating a pregnancy, not killing a child.

Like "toddler" and "adolescent", the terms "embryo" and "fetus" refer to humans at particular stages of development. The word "embryo" is used of any living creature at an early stage of development. "Fetus" is a Latin word meaning "offspring",  "young one" or "little child". The human embryo is referred to as a fetus at eight weeks.

"It is scientifically inaccurate to say an embryo or fetus is not a human being simply because he is at an earlier stage of development than a born infant. That is like saying a toddler is not a human being - or less of a human being - because he is not yet an adult. Stage of development has nothing to do with human worth. One of my daughters is two years older than the other. Does this mean she is two years better?" ²  

From the moment of conception, the unborn is not simple, but very complex. A single thread of DNA from a human cell contains information equivalent to a library of one thousand volumes, or 600,000 printed pages with 500 words on a page.

The unborn child has a beating heart at 22 days after conception, before a woman is even aware she is pregnant. By 30 days, the baby has a brain, budding arms and legs and multiplied in size 10,000 times.

At three months, all the baby’s organs are formed. For the remaining six months, nothing new develops, the baby simply grows and matures.

 

Surgeon Robert P. N. Shearin says: "As early as eight to 10 weeks after conception, and definitely by thirteen-and-a-half weeks, the unborn experience organic pain ... First, the unborn child's mouth, at eight weeks, then her hands at 10 weeks, then her face, arms and legs at 11 weeks become sensitive to touch. By thirteen and a half weeks, she responds to pain at all levels of her nervous system in an integrated response which cannot be termed a mere reflex." ³

 

3. The unborn isn't a person with a meaningful and productive life.

Personhood is properly defined by membership in the human species, not by stages of development within that species. 

"A living being designation to a species is determined by the sum total of its biological characteristics - actual and potential - which are genetically determined. If we say that (the fetus) is not human eg a member of Homo sapiens, we must say it is a member of another species, but this cannot be." ⁴

The dictionary defines a "person" as a "human being", "human individual" or "member of the human race".

 

4. Life begins at birth. That’s why we celebrate birthdays, not conception days, and we don’t have funerals following miscarriages.

Our recognition of birthdays is cultural not scientific. The Chinese calculate a person's age from the estimated time of his/her conception. Other societies celebrate birthdays to mark the day the already living child entered our world. A birthday is not the beginning of life, but the beginning of a face-to-face relationship. Some families do have funerals after a miscarriage, and do mourn the loss of a child.

 

5. Even if the unborn are human beings, they have fewer rights than the woman. No one should be forced to donate their body as a life-support system for someone else.

An unborn child has equal rights to other human beings, regardless of age and size. A child, people with disabilities, the elderly, all have the same inalienable rights by virtue of their humanity. 

As a society, we generally provide extra protection and safeguards for those among us who are most vulnerable; the aged, those with disabilities, children.

In recent years, our society has worked hard to ensure minorities get equal rights. Everyone seems to be getting more rights, or at least their rights acknowledged and upheld, except the unborn.

 An unborn child's rights are enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1959 Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the more recent 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child states: "Whereas the child, by reasons of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special treatment and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth." ⁵

Rita Joseph, who wrote Human Rights and the Unborn Child (Brill 2009), and who has studied the context and language of international charters and declarations, concludes: 

"Context shines a powerful light on what the authors of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognised as definitive and universal when they framed that crucial first modern statement of human rights. This is particularly important when we come to examine later human rights documents that derive from, and codify the rights expounded in the UDHR, especially as they relate to the child before birth."

UNICEF agrees with Joseph's interpretation, stating that the Convention on the Rights of the Child "brings together the human rights articulated in other international instruments. The Convention articulates the rights more completely and provides a set of guiding principles that fundamentally shapes the way in which we view children." ⁶ 

UNICEF says of the convention: "Built on varied legal systems and cultural traditions, the Convention is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations. These basic standards—also called human rights—set minimum entitlements and freedoms that should be respected by governments. They are founded on respect for the dignity and worth of each individual, regardless of race, colour, gender, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth, birth status or ability and therefore apply to every human being everywhere. With these rights comes the obligation on both governments and individuals not to infringe on the parallel rights of others. These standards are both interdependent and indivisible; we cannot ensure some rights without—or at the expense of—other rights." ⁷

Article six of the convention says: "Children have the right to live. Governments should ensure that children survive and develop healthily."

As for arguments that no woman should be forced to act as a life-support system for a baby: We are not free to misuse our bodies when it injures another. In other words, personal rights and freedoms are limited or restricted when our behaviour affects others. You can get drunk in the privacy of your own home, but you cannot drive in such a state or abuse and neglect children as a result of being intoxicated. You cannot use your body ie your hands, arms or fists to injure another person.

 

6. Abortion rights are fundamental to advancing the rights of women.

Abortion has become the primary means of eliminating unwanted females across the globe. Unborn girls are routinely aborted in many Asian countries including Korea, China and India.

In Australia, abortion is increasingly used as a means of sex selection. In 2010, an Australian couple made national news when they chose to abort twin boys conceived through IVF "because they wanted a girl". ⁸

Despite their legal right to abortion and supposed accompanying freedom and empowerment, many women say they are forced into choosing abortion, either by circumstances, or pressure from partners and family.

Seventy per cent of  women say they felt they had no alternative to abortion. Many of these same women say abortion is morally wrong. One of the weakest arguments for the legitimacy of abortion is that it's legal in some juridictions of Australia. What is legal is not always right or best. Smoking, prostitution and pornography are all legal, but cause untold damage to the minds, hearts and bodies of Australians. Prostitution and pornography are demeaning to women.

 

8.  It’s unfair to bring children into a world where they are not wanted.

A famous quote from Mother Teresa says: "How can you say there are too many children in the world? That is like saying there are too many flowers."

There is a big difference between an unintended pregnancy and an unwanted child. Every child is wanted by someone.

There were 80,000 abortions last year in Australia, and a record low number of local adoptions. Only 46 Australian children who were not previously known to the adoptive parents were adopted in 2010-2011. ⁹

There are fewer children available for adoption, not fewer parents who want a child, particularly considering record rates of infertility in Australia. 

Adoption needs to be promoted and made easier for Australians.

 

9. ABORTION PREVENTS ABUSE AND NEGLECT.

Rates of childhood abuse and neglect have risen dramatically in the past decade, despite increasing abortion rates.

There were a record 35,895 children in out-of-home-care in 2009-10, and reports of abuse have increased from 103,302 instances in 1998-99 to 286,437 reports in 09-10.¹⁰

 

10. Abortion needs to be legalised to protect women from having backyard abortions.

Before abortion was made legal, most were done by physicians in their surgeries, and not by backyard butchers using knitting needles and coat hangers.

The single biggest advance in reducing maternal deaths from abortion has not been legalisation but improvements in medical advances such as improved surgical procedures and antibiotics, blood transfusions, improved emergency facilities and anaesthetics. ¹⁰

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data on maternal deaths from abortion fell significantly from a rate of about 100 deaths every year in the 1930s, to one death in 1969, the year before the first legal abortion clinic opened in Australia. The decrease in maternal deaths from abortion coincided with the introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s. ¹¹

 

11. Abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother.

Abortion was neither legalised or decriminalised to enable the medical profession to legally save the life of a mother whose life was in actual danger as a result of a pregnancy.

It is extremely rare for abortion to be required to save the mother's life.

In Australia, 0.35% of abortions are performed on women with a specified medical condition. ¹² 

In an ectopic pregnancy, the baby forms inside the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Without intervention, both the mother and child will die.

Some of the few conditions which may indirectly kill a preborn child include cancer treatments requiring a hysterectomy. The purpose of treatment in these occurrences literally is to save one life, instead of losing two.

A key test for considering the morality of such decisions is the actual and proximate threat to the mother’s life.

In the latter stages of pregnancy, there are rare cases when a mother’s life cannot be saved, but the child’s can.

 

12. Abortion is understandable when tests reveal an unborn child has a serious illness or life-threatening disability that will cause unbearable hardship for the parents and a reduced quality of life for the child.

History proves again and again that people with disabilities can and do live full and productive lives. 

Those with disabilities report lower rates of depression and suicide than able-bodied Australians.

Australian Nick Vujicic, 29,  was born with no arms and legs as a result of a rare condition known as tetra-amelia syndrome. He overcame childhood depression to become an international motivational speaker, author and husband. 

As a society, we are hypocritical and contradictory in our attitude to those with disabilities. Few Australians would consider killing a small child or adolescent who develops a life-threatening illness or disability, but many have no hesitation in recommending we abort an unborn baby with a disability.

Appropriately, Governments and charities raise and spend huge amounts of money on highlighting what people with disabilities can do and achieve, from the Special and Paralympics, through to creating meaningful training and employment opportunities.

The length of one's life does not determine its value or quality.

Abortions due to "imperfections" have no logical end, leading to designer babies.

 

13. Abortion is warranted in the case of rape, including incest.

As with abortion due to a life-threatening illness of the mother, pregnancy as a result of rape or incest is extremely rare.

Rape is never the fault of the child. The guilty should be punished, not the innocent.

Studies show that most women who continued a pregnancy as a result of rape and incest were pleased they did, compared with women who chose abortion.

"There is a close parallel between the violent attack on an innocent woman that happens in a rape, and the violent attack on an innocent child that happens in an abortion. Both are done in response to a subjective and misguided sense of need, and both are done at the expense of an innocent person. The woman might not hate the child in the same way the rapist hates his victim, but this is no consolation to the child." ¹³

A child is still a child regardless of the circumstances of conception. This in no way minimises or trivialises the real pain, shame and regret felt by victims of rape.

"Compassion for the mother is vital, but is never served by destroying the innocent. One person must not be killed under the guise of compassion for another. An alternative must be sought that is compassionate to the mother and child." ¹⁴

 

 

1. Randy Alcorn, Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments, Multnomah Books, 2000, pp 52 and 53. 
2. Ibid, p63
3. Ibid, p 189
4. Ibid, p 203
5. United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, http://www.unicef.org/lac/spbarbados/Legal/global/General/declaration_child1959.pdf; 
6. UNICEF, http://www.unicef.org/crc/index_understanding.html; 
7. Ibid, http://www.unicef.org/crc/;
8. Shelley Hadfield, Parents Want Right to Choose their Child’s Gender, The Advertiser, January 27, 2010
9. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, adoption statistics 2010-2011, www.aihw.gov.au; 
10. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Child Protection Australia annual reports.
11. Stephanie Croft, David and Catherine Cotton, Abortion in Australia into the 21st Century, 2006, NSW Right to Life, citing Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.
12. Ibid, citing Dr David van Gend, Backyard Distortions: Putting the Abortion Campaign in Perspective, Bulletin of Ovulation Method Research and Reference Centre of Australia, Volume 26 number 2, pp 12-16
13. Stephanie Croft, David and Catherine Cotton, Abortion in Australia into the 21st Century, 2006, NSW Right to Life, p15.
14. Randy Alcorn, Ibid, p 234

 

The abortion procedures used in Australia vary depending on the gestation of the fetus, and the size and risk of complications to the mother. These are the most common abortion procedures used in Australia.

 Medical abortion

Morning-after pill

In the first 72 hours after intercourse, the morning-after pill is used to either prevent conception by delaying or stopping ovulation or implantation of the embryo in the uterus. The morning-after pill Postinor-2 consists of a progesterone-only pill, taken in one or two doses, 12 hours apart. 

Physical side effects

• Bleeding
• Nausea and vomiting

 

RU-486

Mifepristone (RU486 or the “abortion pill’) can be used to terminate (end) a pregnancy up to nine weeks.  It is taken in combination with a second drug, misprostol, which expels the embryo from the uterus.

The mifepristone tablet is taken at the clinic or surgery.

The second dose of tablets, containing misoprostol, is taken 24 to 48 hours later to soften the cervix and help the uterus contract and expel the embryo.

Women are required to attend a follow-up appointment to ensure the embryo has been terminated.

Physical side effects

• Nausea or dizziness for a short time
• Bleeding from the vagina about 12 hours after treatment
• Bleeding and cramps that feel like a painful period (women who usually have painful periods are more likely to have severe cramping, but these symptoms usually lessen once the abortion is complete) 
• Headache, diarrhoea and chills (women who need further treatment with prostaglandin are more likely to have these symptoms).

 

A recent Australian study has found that the risks associated with medical abortion are significantly higher than those associated with surgical abortion. The study shows that 5.7% of women undergoing medical abortion require admission to hospital due to complications compared to 0.4% of women following surgical abortion. Infection rates following medical abortion are 1 in 480 for medical abortion compared to 1 in 1500 for surgical abortion. Risk of haemorrhage (severe bleeding) is 1 in 200 for medical abortion compared to 1 in 3000 for surgical abortion.

  

Surgical abortions

Suction curettage

This procedure is the preferred methods from 7 weeks to about 12 weeks of pregnancy. Women are usually given either a local or light general anaesthetic for the procedure.

The cervix is dilated with a series of rods of progressively larger sizes being inserted. A tube with suction is then inserted into the uterus, and the fetus and placenta are suctioned out. The lining of the uterus is then scraped to ensure all the contents have been removed.

 

Dilation and Evacuation (D and E).

This method is used for pregnancies greater than 12 weeks, usually 12-16 weeks

This method requires the use of vacuum aspiration, dilation and curettage and the use of surgical instruments, including forceps, to remove the fetus in pieces.

A local or general anaesthetic will be used.

The cervix is gradually dilated over a period of time with the use of plastic dilators or laminaria. (Laminaria is made of sterile, match-stick sized rods, derived from seaweed, which are inserted in the cervix and as they absorb moisture, they slowly expand to dilate the cervical canal .) The evacuation procedure is performed with a combination of suction aspiration and surgical instruments such as small forceps and the curette, a narrow, spoon-shaped instrument.

 

Prostaglandins 17-20 weeks

Prostaglandins are inserted into the vagina or injected into the uterus, and induce uterine contractions and cause the cervix to dilate. The woman is awake during the procedure, but may choose to have an epidural block. The infant may die in utero due to strong contractions or from prematurity.

Women may require curettage after delivery.

  

Late-term abortion procedures

Dilation and Extraction (D and X). After 20 weeks.

The procedure is also known as D & X, Intact D & X, Intrauterine Cranial Decompression and Partial Birth Abortion. Two days before the procedure, laminaria is inserted vaginally to dilate the cervix. During the procedure, the fetus is rotated and forceps are used to grasp and pull the legs, shoulders and arms through the birth canal. A small incision is made at the base of the skull to allow a suction catheter inside. The catheter removes the cerebral material until the skull collapses. Then the fetus is completely removed.

 

Intercardiac injection abortion

A long needle containing potassium chloride is injected through the mother’s abdomen and into the baby’s heart. Labor is then induced using prostaglandins.

 

 

Risks and Complications

The complications of termination rise as the pregnancy progresses.

Infection: Up to 10% which, if left untreated, can lead to future infertility.

Retained contents: in around 1-2% of cases, not all the contents may be removed and a further surgical procedure may be required.

Trauma to the Cervix: Occurs in less than 10% of cases

Perforation of the Uterus: 1-4 women per 1000 can be affected. This may require a surgical repair, and on rare occasions, a hysterectomy (complete removal of the uterus)

Severe bleeding requiring a transfusion: Up to 2 in every 1000 women

Cervical Stenosis: Approximately 1 in 500 women will develop a small amount of scar tissue at the opening of the uterus. This stops the blood from leaving the uterus. In the majority of cases, this can be treated, but in rare cases can lead to extensive scarring (Aschermann’s Syndrome) and lead to untreatable infertility.

Psychological Disturbances: Significant psychological problems following termination are more likely if the woman has suffered psychological problems in the past, if she feels pressured or coerced into having a termination, or if having a termination is in conflict with her own morals or beliefs. Some women do experience severe psychological and emotional difficulties following abortion. 

Retained products of conception: It is possible for the abortion procedure to fail to remove all the contents of the uterus. This may cause prolonged or heavy bleeding and can require a repeat curette to be undertaken. Symptoms include pain, heavy or prolonged bleeding or the passing of clots.

Perforation of the Uterus: During the operation a small hole or tear can be made in the lining of the uterus. This will usually repair itself, but not always. If not, a further operation will be required to repair it. Rarely, a hysterectomy (complete removal of the uterus) may be required.

 

 

 

References: 

Termination of Pregnancy, (2005) Royal Australian and New Zealand College of  Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Planned Parenthood of Australia, Risks of Abortion Procedures

Better health Channel, http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/abortion_pill_ru486_(mifepristone); 

Stephanie Croft, Cartherine and David Cotton, Abortion in Australian into the 21st Century, 2006, NSW Right to Life, pp 41-43

 

Other resources in addition to those already referenced include:
 

Books

• Defiant Birth. Women Who Resist Medical Eugenics, Melinda Tankard Reist, Spinifex Press, 2006.
• Giving Sorrow Words. Women’s Stories of Grief After Abortion, Melinda Tankard Reist, Duffy and Snellgrove, 2005.
• Making Abortion Rare, David C Reardon. A Healing Strategy for a Divided Nation, David C Reardon, www.afterabortion.org; 
• The Facts of Life. An authorative Guide to Life and Family Issues, Dr Brian Clowes, Human Life International, 2001.
• The Jericho Plan. Breaking Down the Walls that Prevent Post-Abortion Healing, David C Reardon, www.afterabortion.org; 

 

Useful websites

• www.herocimedia.org
• www.humanrightsforunbornchildren.com
• www.lifesitenews.com
• www.pricelesslifecentre.org.au
• www.realchoices.org.au 
• www.lifenetwork.org.au 
• www.feministsforlife.org
• www.billmuehlenberg.com;

 

 

Videos

1. Follow the amazing journey from conception to birth in this remarkable video using latest imaging  technology.

 

2. Other videos showing foetal development are available from the Baby Centre
www.babycentre.com.au

 

3. Watch a nine-month pregnancy in 90 seconds. A couple expecting a child have documented their journey in a time-lapse video leading up to the birth of their daughter Amelie.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/the-miracle-of-life-captured-in-90-seconds/story-e6frg12c-1226296990516

 

4. Ray Comfort likens the abortion epidemic to the holocaust in Nazi Germany during World War II: Jews, those with disabilities and other minority groups were firstly dehumanised and later exterminated as everyday Germans became desensitised to the normalisation of  genocide. Contains graphic scenes of the holocaust. Parental guidance recommended.

 

Congratulations! You have the privilege of being the "home" of a unique human being.

At the moment of conception, all of "Emily's" physical characteristics have been determined: sex, eye and hair colour, body type and fingerprints. She is essentially and uniquely, Emily, with DNA that has never previously existed and will never be repeated. By about 22 days after conception, before you knew you were pregnant, Emily had a heartbeat. Within the first month she will multiply in size 10,000 times. 

Learn more about your baby's development journey.

 Don’t panic

Pregnancy can be a very scary time, regardless of whether the pregnancy was planned or not.

Being a parent is a big decision and most people don’t feel fully prepared for it no matter how well timed the pregnancy is, however most people find the rewards of parenting far outweigh the challenges.

Please know that there is no rush, you have time to make a considered decision. Around half of all pregnancies are unintended so you are not alone if you find your pregnancy is unintended or challenging.

The first, most effective thing you can do at this point is not to panic. Take a deep breath…. and know that there are options available to you… and people available to support you. There are lots of reasons why women feel upset or panicked when they find out they are pregnant. These include:

• being young and scared to tell your parents
• not having a job or enough money
• feeling pressure from a partner, friend or family to not have a baby
• being single and feeling unsupported
• being older and already having enough children
• a possible (foetal) health concern
• previous pregnancy loss, including abortion

 

Your situation may be like one of these, or completely different. The good thing to remember is that women in these, and worse circumstances have faced your dilemma in the past and have got through it! They do so most successfully by taking the time to really explore all their circumstances and options, becoming fully informed and not rushing blindly into a promised 'quick fix'. You have time to work out what YOU really want. 

It can be difficult to work out a plan for the future with all of these thoughts and emotions. The hormonal changes occurring within a woman’s body can make it even more difficult to make a decision.

  

Identify the problem

Many people treat being pregnant as the 'problem'. If you are doing this, it can cloud your own judgment about how you truly feel about being pregnant and becoming a parent. Imagine if you were in different circumstances, married or with a supportive partner, enough money, family and friends to encourage and support you… Would being pregnant be the 'problem' that it is now? This may indicate that being pregnant is not the ‘problem’ at all, but the circumstances you find yourself in or the lack of support or encouragement you are experiencing. 

Remember that the circumstances around you can change rapidly and often unexpectedly. Whatever your circumstances, ask yourself 'if things were different, would I still be so worried or anxious about being pregnant?' If the answer is no, you now have the opportunity to really explore your thoughts and feelings about being pregnant.

Friends and family can be helpful to talk to, but sometimes it helps to talk to someone who is "outside" the situation, someone who is willing to listen.

For help, contact the Real Choices Australia Pregnancy Care Network on 1300 886 017, or email enquiry@realchoices.org.au;

  Some good questions to ask

• Is this my decision or am I feeling pressured in any way by any other person or circumstance? 
• Have I explored all the options? It is important to find out all the information on the options so that you are able to understand your options clearly. 
• What are my feelings? 
• How might I feel in 1 month, 9 months, years from now? 

If you are in this situation, we recommend the following service offering professional and confidential help and advice.

•  Pregnancy Care Network
• Pregnancy Help Australia 

 

 what are my options?

• Continue the pregnancy and parent the child
• adoption with another family
• end your pregnancy through termination

Each of these options has its challenges and short and long term difficulties. You have to live with the consequences of each decision for the rest of your life. It is important that you have all the information you need to make an informed decision and that you know how and where to access support to help you.

 

Continuing your pregnancy and parenting

There are many ways in which you can be assisted with parenting your child, whether alone or with a partner. Identifying what your needs may be, practically and emotionally is the first step in determining how they might be met. It is important that you understand any financial assistance that you may be entitled to as well as other supportive services particular to your community that may be available. These include antenatal classes, support groups, play groups and pregnancy support services. You can contact Real Choices Australia Pregnancy Care Network for assistance in finding supportive services in your local area.

Phone 1300 886 017 or email enquiry@realchoices.org.au;

 

Continue your pregnancy and placing your child for adoption

There are hundreds of couples waiting to adopt children in Australia but very few children relinquished for adoption, so many of these couples resort to overseas adoptions to avoid waiting many years for a child to become available. Adoption is quite a different prospect than it was years ago, with many people now opting for an open arrangement whereby they are able to keep in touch with adoptive parents and have access to information about their child, and in some cases even see their child. 

There are no private adoption agencies in Australia, as all adoptions are handled through state government departments. Contacting the following relevant departments can give you some more information:

• Adoption in Queensland
• Adoption in New South Wales
• Adoption in Victoria
• Adoption in South Australia
• Adoption in Tasmania
• Adoption in the ACT
• Adoption in Western Australia

 

Ending your pregnancy

Termination is a decision made by many women in Australia every year. There are a growing number of women who say that their decision was made because they felt they had ‘no other choice’.

There are also large numbers of women who feel that their decision was not a fully informed one and that they wish they had more information about how termination would impact them, or about the services they could have accessed to support them.

Because of the very personal and emotional significance of this decision, it is important that you feel in control and do not allow anyone to push you into making a decision you may not truly want. It is vital that you find out about all the services that could assist you through your pregnancy and during parenting if that is what you choose, so that you too don’t end up in a situation of feeling as though there is no choice but termination available to you.

Find out more about the physical and mental health risks of abortion, abortion procedures, and answers to the most common arguments put forward in favour of abortion.

First month

At the moment of conception, all of "Emily's" physical characteristics have been determined: sex, eye and hair colour, body type and fingerprints. She is essentially and uniquely Emily, with DNA that has never previously existed and will never be repeated. By about 22 days after conception, before her mum even knows she is pregnant, Emily has a heartbeat. Within the first month she will multiply in size 10,000 times. 

Three months

At three months after conception, all of "Jack's" organs are in place. Nothing new develops; he grows and matures. Jack moves constantly, has perfected a somersault, sucks his thumb, yawns, wiggles his fingers and toes, and can make a fist, even urinates, and is comforted by the sound of his mother’s heartbeat. He frowns, smiles and yawns.

Six months

"Ella" has long since made her presence felt with constant kicking, and can now recognise her mother’s voice. Soothing music settles her, while loud music or sudden noises can stimulate movement and startle her. She dreams, her heartbeat slowing when her mother is at rest. Ella is gaining weight, getting stronger and makes breathing movements in readiness for life outside the womb. 

 

Videos 

Follow the amazing journey from conception to birth in this remarkable video using latest imaging  technology. 

 

Other videos showing foetal development are available from the Baby Centre
www.babycentre.com.au 

 

Watch a nine-month pregnancy in 90 seconds. A couple expecting a child have documented their journey in a time-lapse video leading up to the birth of their daughter Amelie. 

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/the-miracle-of-life-captured-in-90-seconds/story-e6frg12c-1226296990516 

Adoption is the legal process of giving permanent guardianship and full family rights to another family who become the legal parents of your child. It is a legal arrangement and binding.

Alternatives to adoption include: 

• raising your child yourself 
• asking your child’s other parent or an immediate family member to care for your child 
• placing your child within your extended family or kinship group 

 

You may want to consider whether, with the right help and support, you would be able to parent your child yourself. Your partner, family, friends or a counsellor may be able to help you look at ways you can obtain the help and support you need to parent your child. 

Alternatively, relatives, such as the child's grandparents or the child’s other parent, may offer to accept responsibility for your child. Making decisions about the child's upbringing and about important issues, such as financial support and parental contact, can be decided between a relative and you and the child’s other parent. 

A parent may wish to arrange with the relevant state department for their child to be cared for by an approved carer while they consider adoption. A parent may voluntarily enter into an adoption care agreement with the Department while they receive counselling and information about adoption.

If a decision is made for a relative to care for your child, you may wish to formalise this agreement by applying for a Parenting Order or Residence Order through the Family Court. If you wish to arrange for a relative to care for your child, you may need to make these arrangements through a solicitor.

The possibilities exist now that allows a woman to communicate her wishes and requests in regards to the type of adoptive family she would like for her child.

While adoption is not an easy decision it can be a positive option when you aren’t ready to be a parent but you:

• Don’t want an abortion
• Want to provide your child with a two-parent family
• Want to provide your child with emotional and financial stability

 

In today’s adoptions, you can keep in contact with your child and be a part of your child’s life if you want to. You can have the peace of knowing your child is loved and cared for by the couple you choose.

You can also opt to maintain a disconnection from the adoptive process and choose not to have any access to your child.

 

Questions you might be asking yourself may include:

• How can I give up my child?
• What are the short and long term effects of adoption for me and my child?

 

Adoption laws vary from state to state. Perhaps like most people, you don’t know much about adoption.

For confidential advice about adoption, contact Priceless Life Centre on 1800 090 777 or email support@pregnancyhelpline.org.au

 

For specific information about adoption law and procedures in your state, click on the following links.

Adoption in Queensland

Adoption in New South Wales

Adoption in Victoria

Adoption in South Australia

Adoption in Tasmania

Adoption in the ACT

Adoption in Western Australia

There are many excellent websites and books available on all things pregnancy, parenting and family.

• The Baby Centre provides information on getting pregnant, including an ovulation calculator; what to expect when you’re pregnant, from body changes, and the influence of hormones, to how to stay healthy and calculate your due date; together with detailed information on the growth and development of your baby, including videos.
  
  They also provide information on after-birth care and parenting, as well as blogs and chats.
  
  
• The Australian Breastfeeding Association provides information and help on breastfeeding.
  
  
• The Raising Children Network provides information for parents, from newborns to teens, and is a partnership between the Federal Government and other early childhood agencies. 

 

For parents of children with special needs

• Visit the Raising Children Network
  
• To contact the Down Syndrome organisation in your state, visit http://www.dsansw.org.au/index.php?pg=200

 

For families

• The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs provides information on the various benefits and programs available to Australian families and individuals.
   

 

For dads

• The Fatherhood Foundation exists to improve the well-being of children by increasing the proportion of children growing up with involved, responsible, committed and loving fathers.
   
• The Fatherhood Project is a not-for-profit organisation that wants all fathers to be actively and positively involved in their children’s lives.

 

For teens

• The Brave Foundation provides specialist information, counselling and practical support for teens experiencing an unexpected or challenging pregnancy. This site also contains videos and information on foetal development.

Various studies confirm the link between abortion and emotional and psychological problems in men and women.

Abortion grief affects not only women, but impacts partners, parents and siblings. The severity of symptoms depends on many factors.

Perhaps the most extensive review of the effects of abortion on women is Dr Priscilla Coleman’s meta analysis of 22 international studies conducted from 1995-2009.¹

The study, published in 2011 in the British Journal of Psychiatry shows that women who had undergone an abortion experienced an 81 per cent increased risk of mental health problems, and that nearly 10 per cent of all mental health problems in women were shown to be directly attributable to abortion.

She found that abortion was linked with a 34 per cent greater chance of anxiety disorders, and 37 per cent higher possibility of depression, a more than double risk of alcohol abuse , a three times greater risk of cannabis use and 155 per cent greater risk of trying to commit suicide.

“Not only is there evidence for an association between abortion and poor mental health, but studies have further indicated that abortion is related to an increased likelihood of sexual dysfunction, communication problems, and separation or divorce,’’ Dr Coleman said.

Even Marie Stopes, Australia's largest abortion provider, acknowledges the emotional risks of having an abortion.²

 

Abortion's effects on relationships

Abortion Grief Australia says abortion is a leading cause of family breakdown, citing the following facts;³

• Most unmarried relationships fail shortly after abortion.
• Abortions done to save relationships almost never work.
• Married relationships often struggle to survive after an abortion.

 

 

1. Priscilla Coleman, Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009, British Journal of Psychiatry, 2011, http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180. Dr Coleman is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio.

  2.  Marie Stopes International Australia, Frequently Asked Questions, How will I feel emotionally?
http://www.mariestopes.org.au/our-services/women/abortion-a-pregnancy-termination-faqs#22m;n Grief Australia, Abortion trauma
  3. Abortion Grief Australia www.abortiongrief.asn.au;?

 

 

Men and siblings are not immune from the psychological effects of abortion.

Keep in mind that the law says men have no right to prevent an abortion regardless of the age of the woman or girl, the circumstances of conception, or whether you are the father of the unborn child, the father of the pregnant woman or girl, a father-in-law, sibling or male friend.

In WA, parents of girls under 16 years of age are required to be notified that she is considering an abortion, but the choice is ultimately hers.

Dr Vincent Rue, pioneer researcher in the field of men and abortion, wrote in an article, The Effects of Abortion on Men ⁷ that "men do grieve following abortion, but they are more likely to deny their grief or internalise their feelings of loss rather than openly express them ... When men do express their grief, they try to do so in culturally prescribed ‘masculine’ ways, i.e. anger, aggressiveness, control. 

Men typically grieve in a private way following an abortion. Because of this, men's requests for help may often go unrecognised and unheeded by those around them." He continues, "A guilt-ridden, tormented male does not easily love or accept love. His preoccupation with his partner, his denial of himself and his relentless feelings of post-abortion emptiness can nullify even the best of intentions. His guilt may prevent him from seeking compassion, support or affection. In turn, he 'forgets' how to reciprocate these feelings."

 

 

Men’s roles

The book, Fatherhood Aborted: The Profound Effects of Abortion on Men by Guy Condon and David Hazard, includes the following: ⁸

• Men who wanted their partner to continue her pregnancy but were overruled can experience grief, guilt, rage/anger and a sense of impotence for their inability to protect their child or partner.
• It is not uncommon for these men to seek solace in drugs, alcohol and sexual addictions, dangerous behaviour such as extreme sports, driving too fast.
• They may become violent towards their spouse or partner or others.
• Adolescents who opposed an abortion but were disregarded can also be more prone to suicide.
• Men who were passive, who abrogated responsibility for speaking up for the unborn child and supporting their partner, can also experience the same symptoms of rage, anger, sadness. These may be experienced later in life; at the birth of another child, a new relationship, a subsequent abortion.

Unsurprisingly, these men find it hard to trust, and so struggle with commitment and identity.

• They may feel resentful and frustration.
• They may become people pleasers, particularly those in authority.
• They may fear rejection, find it hard to bond with others.
• They may feel powerless, isolated and inadequate.
• They may become depressed

 

 

Getting help

We recommend the following organisations for men suffering as a result of abortion:

• Abortion Grief Australia, 1300 363 550 
• Real Choices Australia, 1300 886 017 
• Priceless Life Centre, 1800 090 777 
• See also, Men and Abortion

 

 

 

1. Marie Stopes International Australia, Frequently Asked Questions, How will I feel emotionally?
   http://www.mariestopes.org.au/our-services/women/abortion-a-pregnancy-termination-faqs#22m;
2. Dr Philip Ney, Deeply Damaged. An Explanation for the Profound Problems Arising from Aborting Babies and Abusing Children, Pioneer Publishing Co, 1997. Dr Ney graduated in medicine from the University of British Columbia and trained as a child psychiatrist and child psychologist at McGill University, London University and the University of Illinois. He is an academic and clinician of over fifty years. He has taught in five medical schools, been full professor three times, served as hospital and academic department chairman, and established three child psychiatric units. He has done research into child abuse for more than forty years and has published many papers and books on this subject.
3. Ibid, p 78
4. Abortion Grief Australia 
   www.abortiongrief.asn.au;
5. Priscilla Coleman, Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009, British Journal of Psychiatry, 2011, http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180. Dr Coleman is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green
6. Abortion Grief Australia, Abortion trauma
   http://www.abortiongrief.asn.au/abortion-trauma.php;
7. Vincent M. Rue, Reclaiming Fatherhood
   http://www.menandabortion.info/l0-aftermath.html;
8. Guy Condon and David Hazard, Fatherhood Aborted,: The Profound Effects of Abortion on Men, extract quoted on Reclaiming Fatherhood website
   http://www.menandabortion.info/l0-aftermath.html;

".  . . When they availed themselves of their fragile right to abortion, they often, even usually, went with grief and humiliation to carry out a painful duty that was presented to them as a privilege . . .  Abortion is the last in a long line of non-choices,'' Germain Greer, quoted in Melinda Tankard Reist's Giving Sorrow Words, (Duffy and Snellgrove).

Perhaps the most extensive review of the effects of abortion on women is Dr Priscilla Coleman’s meta analysis of 22 international studies conducted from 1995-2009.¹

The study, published in 2011 in the British Journal of Psychiatry shows that women who had undergone an abortion experienced an 81 per cent increased risk of mental health problems, and that nearly 10 per cent of all mental health problems in women were shown to be directly attributable to abortion.

She found that abortion was linked with a 34 per cent greater chance of anxiety disorders, and 37 per cent higher possibility of depression, a more than double risk of alcohol abuse , a three times greater risk of cannabis use and 155 per cent greater risk of trying to commit suicide.

“Not only is there evidence for an association between abortion and poor mental health, but studies have further indicated that abortion is related to an increased likelihood of sexual dysfunction, communication problems, and separation or divorce,’’ Dr Coleman said.

Her research drew on the experiences of almost 900,000 women, 163,800 of whom had had an abortion.

In her book, Giving Sorrow Words, author, mother, commentator and women's advocate, Melinda Tankard Reist, chronicles the grief, pain and regret of women who underwent abortions, many at the urgings of others: the medical profession, boyfriends and parents.

Carol, of Melbourne, describes her experience:

"It has been 10 years now, almost to this day, and I can still remember, clearly, those fatal few minutes that I will regret to my dying day. The abortionist did not speak or look at me except to growl 'be quiet and keep still' when I began to shake and cry against my own will as I felt this cold, sharp instrument cutting out the life that had been growing inside me for the past three months. The sound of the fetus dropping into the plastic bucket held between my legs is a sound I cannot erase from my memory, and to this day my throat feels choked and my stomach tenses, as I fight back tears for the baby I allowed to be killed.''

 Abortion Grief Australia says abortion trauma/grief, frequently destroys relationships and shatters families both present and future. Untreated it has a tendency to be trans-generational.²

Understood to be a type of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), abortion grief/trauma tends to (but not always) have a delayed onset (months/years) that is often precipitated by a triggering event.

The cardinal features are denial and suppression, meaning, most women and men do not consciously connect the problems they are experiencing with their abortion(s).

 Women known to be more at risk of abortion trauma include:³

• adolescents and teenagers
• sexual assault/abuse & neglect victims
• those who feel pressured to abort
• those who have difficulty making the decision
• the isolated or dispossessed (lacking support network)
• women who are already mothers
• those who abort for health reasons: mother’s or unborn’s
• those with developmental or psychological limitations
• second and third trimester abortions

 

Symptoms and severity will vary with individuals, but can include:

Self destructive behaviours

• suicidal behaviours
• alcohol and drug abuse
• eating disorders
• self injury
• abusive relationships
• risk taking behaviours
• workaholicism

 

Relationship problems

• marriage and family breakdown
• difficulty bonding with children
• child neglect / abuse / over protective
• sexual dysfunction
• domestic violence
• with friends/work colleagues

Replacement pregnancies

• repeat abortions
• the atonement child

Mental health problems

• postnatal depression
• anxiety attacks 
• obsessive compulsive disorders
• addictions
• phobias
• depression, mood swings
• personality disorders
• emotional breakdown
• hallucinations - hearing voices or babies crying, seeing child at would be age.

Other symptoms

• chronic anger or rage
• frequent crying
• lowered self esteem
• chronic fatigue
• inability to concentrate
• headaches, chest or abdominal pains, gastro-intestinal symptoms
• flashbacks
• feelings of impending doom
• sense of hopelessness
• self isolation
• inability to be around pregnant women, babies or small children
• unable to hold down a job / make decisions

 

While ‘crumbling inside’, many women and men are able to ‘keep up appearances’. One of the first signs that things are not right after the abortion is a loss of joy of living.

‘You can never go back to being the person you were before the abortion’, is a familiar statement from post abortion women.

 

Common ‘triggering events’ include:

• Anniversary dates: abortion date, due date of birth  (these anniversary reactions may not start until years after the abortion)
• Birth of a subsequent child (not always the first birth subsequent to the abortion)
• Birth of relative or friend’s child or grandchild
• Miscarriage
• Menopause
• Daughter reaches the age when the mother experienced abortion
• Some other event associated with children or reproduction
• A death experience
• Smells, sounds, location or being again in a position associated with the abortion, for example, smell of a hospital, positioned for an internal medical examination, sound of a vacuum cleaner or dentist drill
• Relationship break-up
• A personal crisis

 

OTHER HEALTH RISKS

There are over 50 studies dating back from 1957 showing that induced abortion, particularly in some circumstances, increases the risk of breast cancer.⁴ Other causes include obesity, family history, age, alcohol use.

In one of the most recent, Dolle et al (2009), a co-researcher was Louise Brinton from the US National Cancer Institute, one of the world's premier cancer research organisations.

However, there is widespread dispute about the studies linking abortion and breast cancer. The Cancer Council, for example, does not agree with the link. However, the Cancer Council does acknowledge the protective factors of breastfeeding.

In an article discussing the methodologies of various studies, Real Choices Australia writes: "Women can be told with certainty that carrying a first pregnancy to full term provides a degree of protection against breast cancer.'' ⁵

 

Getting help

Abortion Grief Australia
1300 363 550
www.abortiongrief.asn.au

Real Choices Australia
1300 886 017
www.realchoices.org.au

Priceless Life Centre
1800 090 777
www.pricelesslifecentre.org.au

 

 

1. Priscilla Coleman, Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995–2009, British Journal of Psychiatry, 2011, http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180. Dr Coleman is a Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green
2. Abortion Grief Australia, Abortion trauma
   http://www.abortiongrief.asn.au/abortion-trauma.php;
3. Ibid, Priceless Life, www.pricelesslife.org.au; Pregnancy Care Network, www.pregnancycare.org.au;

4. Dolle et al, 2009, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention; Russo J and Russo I. H, (1999) Cellular Basis of Breast Cancer Susceptibility, Oncol Res, Vol 11, no 4, pp 169-178; Dumitrescu RG and Cotala I, Understanding Breast Cancer Risk, Where do we Stand in 2005? J Cell MolMed 2005 Jan-March (9), 1, 208-21; Chan A and Keane R.J, Prevalence of Induced Abortion in a Reproductive Lifetime, American Journal of Epidemiology March 1, 2004; 159(5): 475-80

   5. Real Choices Australia, Really a Choice Magazine, 2011, Abortion and the Link to Breast Cancer, p26.