"I don’t think women make these [abortion] decisions casually. I think they — they wrestle with these things in profound ways, in consultation with their pastors or their spouses or their doctors or their family members."
These are the words of a USA presidential hopeful during his election campaign in 2008. This man was half right; many women deliberate seriously about having an abortion. But far too often, the individuals closest to these internally-conflicted women do not offer supportive consultation.
One would hope and expect that the facilities performing abortions-ultimately the most important people in a woman's decision to abort-would sympathetically and supportively consult with such women in this life-changing decision. Former abortion clinic employees report that they do not. From Catherine Anthony Adair: "In 1997, I began working at a Boston Planned Parenthood clinic as a young, idealistic college student who strongly believed in what I had been told about the organization, that I would be helping other young women access safe and affordable health care. My time there was not spent providing prenatal care to pregnant women, providing counseling or basic health care services or educating women about reproductive health. Instead, I spent my days urging women to terminate their pregnancies. My superiors constantly reminded me of our abortion-centered business model: abortion first, everything else came second. I began to recognize their emphasis on performing abortions each time a woman would express concern or have second thoughts about having an abortion. When I notified management, though, they told me not to worry and encourage her decision to move ahead with the procedure." Adair continues: "In fact, clinic workers would purposefully avoid providing information on fetal development, what the child looked like, the child's anatomical development and the pain he or she could feel...There is no counseling, no care, no waiting and no discussion. Once a pregnancy is confirmed, it is off to termination."
Says Carol Everett, once an owner of several abortion clinics: "I'm sure you're seen those [telephone] numbers advertised which say 'Problem Pregnancy' , 'Abortion Information', or 'Pregnant'? When a young girl finds out she is pregnant, she may not want an abortion, she may just want information. But when she calls that number that's paid for by abortion money, what kind of information do you think she's going to get? Remember, they sell abortions. They don't sell keeping the baby. They don't sell giving the baby up [for adoption]. They don't sell delivering the baby in any form. They only sell abortions."
Laurel Guymer, former abortion clinic worker from Australia, recalls co-workers telling her "this is a business" when Guymer tried to help women who changed their mind and didn't want the abortion: "What if they said 'no' when entering the operating room? In this instance I felt compelled to reassure them that they don't have to go through with it and walked them back to the changing room. This was not welcomed by my colleagues at the clinic. I was reminded that this is a business and that any slowing in the production line costs money."
The clinics directly responsible for performing abortions would, hopefully, take a woman's abortion decision so seriously that they would help these women "wrestle with it in profound ways". Instead, the clinics see abortions as a money maker, and the more money (and abortions) the better. We have every reason to believe that, should abortion become as acceptable in Swaziland as it is in so-called advanced western countries, women here will suffer the same strong pressures to abort.
Women already confused and uncertain about their next step due to unexpected pregnancies should not suffer pressure to abort, yet widespread legalized abortion will bring such pressure. The solution? Save sex for marriage, keep sex in marriage only, and parents cherish and protect the natural result of their marital embrace. In this way we build a culture of life and love. No to abortion; yes to love and life.
Rudy Poglitsh
rpoglitsh@live.com
more letters at http://letterstotheTOS.blogspot.com
