Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion

The Elliot Institute News
From the Leader in Post-Abortion Research
Vol. 8, No. 9 — July 28, 2009

Visit Us Online: http://www.AfterAbortion.org
The UnChoice Campaign: http://www.TheUnChoice.com

Read back issues of this e-newsletter at
http://www.theunchoice.com/backissues.htm

IN THIS ISSUE:

* Launch of August Outreach Campaign Nears
* U.K. Study Finds Women Having Repeat Abortions
More Likely to Be Abused
* Article on How to Coerce an Abortion Removed
From Web Site After Complaints
* UnChoice Lens Reached #3 on Squidoo

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Launch of August Outreach Campaign Nears

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We are getting closer to the launch of our
Outreach Campaign in August, and we are very
excited about the response so far. Please continue
to watch your emails for updates on the campaign
as we get closer to the launch date.

Thank you to everyone has participated so far. Here
are a couple of things you can do to help, if you
haven't done so already:
To give us your feedback about our work by taking
our survey, visit
http://elliotinstitute.questionpro.com/

To become an Outreach Partner by planning to tell
your friends and family about our campaign, visit
http://www.theunchoice.com/joinoutreachpartnerform.htm.

Thank you so much for your support!

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U.K. Study Finds Women Having Repeat Abortions
More Likely to Be Abused

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A new British study has found that women having
repeat abortions were more likely to be in an
abusive relationship.

The study, published in The Obstetrician and
Gynaecologist, the journal of the Royal College of
Ob-Gyns., found that 30 percent of women having a
second abortion reported being in an abusive
relationship and that the number increased for
women having three or more abortions. One in three
women in the study said they had experienced
sexual and physical abuse throughout their
lives.[1]

The research follows a U.S. study published last
December showing that women who had abortions were
more likely to report a history of sexual abuse
and to have experienced stressful events in
adulthood, such as miscarriage, physical violence
or being in a life-threatening accident. The U.S.
researchers noted that women who experience
domestic violence are more likely to abort
compared to women who are not in violent
situations. [2]

And a New Zealand study published last August
found that one in 10 women reported being abused
while pregnant and that abused women were 2.5
times more likely to undergo an abortion compared
to women who were not abused.[3]

While many men do want to have the child and
support the mother to continue the pregnancy, the
research comes amidst growing concern about
widespread unwanted abortions due to pressure,
coercion or violence. In some cases, violence can
turn deadly, with studies listing homicide as the
leading cause of death for pregnant women in the
U.S. [4] In a number of cases, women have been
killed or assaulted after refusing to have an
abortion. [5]

Earlier this month, the popular men's web site
AskMen.com published an article offering advice to
men on how to coerce their partners into an
unwanted abortion. The article was eventually
removed from the site after numerous negative
comments and complaints by readers and pro-life
organizations.

Evidence also suggests that abortion can increase
the risk of later violence. A U.S. study published
earlier this year found that both women and men
who had been involved in an abortion with their
current partner were more likely to report
domestic violence compared to those with no
abortion history. They were also more likely to
feel that they would be better off if the
relationship ended. [6]

The authors of the U.K. study wrote that no
matter what one's position is on abortion, "there
must be common ground that violence against
pregnant women is intolerable. Doctors and health
professionals working in a woman's health sector
that provides abortion services are in a prime
position to identify and provide support for women
experiencing domestic violence."

The new study also seems to point to the need to
ensure that women and girls are not being
pressured, coerced or abused to force them into
unwanted abortions. The Elliot Institute's model
bill would hold abortion businesses liable for
failing to screen for factors that put women at
risk for unwanted abortions and for psychological
problems as a result of abortion.

~~~

Learn More: Download the special report Forced
Abortion in America and find more information and
resources at http://www.theunchoice.com/coerced.htm

Take Action: Learn about the Elliot Institute’s
model bill at
http://www.stopforcedabortions.com/initiative.htm.

~~~

Citations

1. Aston, G, Bewley, S. "Abortion and domestic
violence." The Obsterician and Gynaecologist 2009,
11: 163-168.
2. See
http://www.theunchoice.com/News/colemanmentalhealthstudy.htm
3. See
http://www.theunchoice.com/News/newzealandviolencestudy.htm
4. I.L. Horton and D. Cheng, “Enhanced
Surveillance for Pregnancy-Associated
Mortality-Maryland, 1993-1998,” JAMA 285(11):
1455-1459 (2001); see also J. Mcfarlane et. al.,
"Abuse During Pregnancy and Femicide: Urgent
Implications for Women's Health," Obstetrics &
Gynecology 100: 27-36 (2002).
5. See the report, Forced Abortion in America, at
http://www.theunchoice.com/pdf/FactSheets/ForcedAbortions.pdf
6. See
http://www.theunchoice.com/News/relationshipswomenmen.htm

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Article on How to Coerce an Abortion Removed From
Web Site After Complaints

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An article on a popular men's web site that
offered advice on how to pressure or coerce your
wife or girlfriend into an unwanted abortion has
been removed after receiving a flood of criticism
from people on both sides of the abortion debate.

The article, published at http://www.askmen.com,
described a situation in which a woman become
pregnant after she and her partner agreed not to
have a baby. The author, Isabella Snow, wrote
about things the man could say to persuade the
woman to have an abortion, even if it was
unwanted.

Especially disturbing was the advice that the man
threaten to withdraw his support if the woman has
the baby anyway, which is a form of coercion. Snow
tells men that they aren't obligated to support
their child "beyond what your conscience and the
law expects of you."

"This was her decision, not yours, and the bulk
of the responsibility is now hers," Snow wrote.
"Take a moment to spell this out for her when she
gives you her final decision; it just may sway her
over to your side."

And while Snow warns men that "blaming the woman
for getting pregnant or threatening to end a
relationship rarely gets positive results,"
nowhere does she suggest that such behavior is
wrong. Instead, elsewhere in the article she tells
men to back up their position by laying out the
reasons they can't have a baby, asking questions
about how they will afford the child or who will
take care of the baby. Women and girls report that
this is a technique often used  at abortion
businesses to make them feel that they can't have
the baby and that abortion is their only option.

Many readers expressed anger, disappointment and
dismay at the author for endorsing and even
encouraging coercive actions that can lead to
unwanted abortions. There is strong evidence that
these concerns may be warranted and that many
abortions are, in fact, unwanted or coerced.

A survey of American and Russian women who had
abortions found that more than half of American
respondents reported feeling rushed or uncertain
about the abortion and 64 percent reported feeling
pressured to abort by others. [1]

Further, there is no evidence that abortion
businesses are attempting to give women viable
options or make sure that the woman or girl really
wants to abort. The same survey found that:

* 67 percent of American respondents said they
received no counseling beforehand,
* 84 percent said they did not receive adequate
counseling, and
* 79 percent said they were not counseled on
alternatives to abortion.

Men, too, can often be the victim of coercive
tactics on the part of abortion counselors or may
be told that they have no say in the abortion
decision. Several posters on the askmen.com site
pointed out that men have no legal right to stop
an abortion from happening if they do want to have
their child.

Although the article has now been withdrawn, it
points to a need for better efforts to stop
unwanted, coerced and dangerous abortions. The
Elliot Institute has proposed legislation that
would hold abortion businesses liable for failing
to screen for coercion or for other factors that
put the woman or girl at risk for psychological
problems after abortion.

~~~

Learn More: Download the special report Forced
Abortion in America and find more information and
resources at http://www.theunchoice.com/coerced.htm

Take Action: Learn about the Elliot Institute’s
model bill at
http://www.stopforcedabortions.com/initiative.htm.

~~~

Citation

1. See http://www.theunchoice.comNewsruestudy.htm

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UnChoice Lens Reached #3 on Squidoo

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A few weeks ago, we launched an effort asking you
to help us put our "lens" on Squidoo into the Top
5. Squidoo is a popular web site where people can
build "lenses" (web pages) on any topic. Those
that reach the Top 5 in any category are listed on
the Squidoo's home page where millions of visitors
will see them.

Thanks to your help, "The UnChoice" lens at
Squidoo was in the Top 5 in the News/Politics
category for more than two weeks, reaching as high
as #3!

This means that many, many people had the
opportunity to read our information about
widespread unwanted, coerced and forced abortions
and the risks of abortion and injustice to women
and girls everywhere.

We recently climbed back from #21 to #15, which
means that people are still visiting the lens.
Thank you for all your help, and please continue
to spread the word by forwarding the lens to
leaders, parents, youth groups, educators,
counselors, or others who might want to learn more
about this issue or make use of these resources.
Invite your family and friends to visit our lens,
too.

To visit the UnChoice lens, go to
http://www.Squidoo.com/theunchoice.