Advancing a Woman’s Right to Have a Baby
by Kirt Wiggins, President, Caring Network
The battle for human life in the womb is no longer being fought in the Supreme Court. With the Dobbs decision, responsibility shifted to the states. But the battle is not truly fought in any court or legislature. It is being fought in the hearts and minds of women and those around them who support or discourage their pregnancies.
What is the position of women on abortion? Statistically, it seems they are overwhelmingly in favor it. Guttmacher Institute says there are now about 2,000 abortions every day in the U.S. The number of U.S. abortions has been increasing from the low this century of 862,000 in 2017 to 1.1 million in 2023.[1] (The high was 1.6 million abortions in 1990). These are all horrendous numbers when you re-focus on the fact that every number is a lost child.
One key question that we deal with every day at Caring Network is not if women are having abortions, but if and why women want to have abortions. The answer to that is a lot more complicated.
No Young Woman Dreams of Having an Abortion
First, we all recognize that abortion is no young woman’s lifelong dream. No one looks forward to their first abortion! The anticipation is to never have an abortion. But hundreds of thousands of women have abortions every year. Why?
In one study, more than 60 percent of women who had abortions report high levels of pressure to abort from one or more sources.[2] Another study found 43 percent described their abortions as inconsistent with their own values and preferences, and one in four said they did not want to have an abortion, but were coerced.[3]
This is not to say that many women do not make their own choice to abort their babies. Many do. But in our Caring Network clinics we have talked to thousands of women who are conflicted about their decision and we have learned that much of the conflict is induced by external pressures or lack of support.
The Pressure to Have an Abortion
The pressure on women to have abortions can be significant. The women who we meet in our clinics say the main reasons for considering an abortion are:
- Bad timing. There were so many other things I had wanted to do first.
- My relationship is not going well and my partner is not as supportive as I had hoped.
- I am feeling overwhelmed. I already have so much on my plate.
It is clear that, largely, the desire to abort the child within them is not naturally in the hearts of women; it is enflamed by the forces, life situations, and people around them.
One study reveals that “the primary reasons women with unexpected pregnancies turn to abortion are lack of financial resources and lack of emotional support. Many women also say they felt abandoned, or even coerced into having an abortion. Despite child support laws, some fathers threaten to withhold support. Domestic violence against single pregnant women at the hands of a boyfriend is being reported with greater frequency. Coercion crosses all socio-economic classes.” [4]
Abortion Research Indicates Coercion
A broad review of research on reproductive and abortion coercion by Karen Trister Grace and Jocelyn C. Anderson of Johns Hopkins University was presented in the National Library of Medicine.[5] Four of the studies that were reviewed specifically aimed to study reported findings on abortion coercion.[6]
From the review: “Findings in this area centered on how partners influenced the decision to terminate a pregnancy. Some studies found large numbers of abortions being influenced by male partners not wanting a child, or other non-coercive partner-related factors (i.e., partner being the wrong person to have a baby with, in some cases due to abuse, partner being unwilling or unable to support the baby, or new or unstable relationship with partner).”[7]
Other qualitative findings described male behaviors of pressuring women to have abortions.[8]
There is political pressure to discourage those who provide counsel and services to women facing unexpected pregnancies. In 2023, the Illinois Legislature passed bills that were signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker that essentially banned pregnancy care centers, like those operated by Caring Network, that provided guidance, counsel and support necessary for women to choose life rather than abortion.
Political Moves to Protect Abortion Industry
Why in the world would they do that? Because these political figures are captured by the cabal of abortion advocates who want to maintain the pressure on women to abort whenever they or someone in their lives doesn’t find a baby convenient.
Fortunately, a federal court blocked the legislation. But this power move by the abortion lobby is instructive and worrying.
For many women, abortion “deals with” one situation—pregnancy–but leads to ongoing remorse and anxiety. Abortion looks like a simple solution – until afterward. Women, and often others in their lives, find emotional repercussions they were not expecting: Shame. Anxiety. Disturbing dreams. Relationship challenges.
A study found 44 percent of respondents voiced regret about their decision to abort.[9]
To help women in this situation, Caring Network began, a post-abortion recovery program offering hope to all whose lives have been touched by abortion. This program makes solidarity, group support and biblical insight available free of charge to all who seek it. Often, participants come to the program feeling burdened. They often leave feeling free.
Most women who “choose” abortion do so because they believe they have no other choice. It is our mission to reach them first and to walk with them all the way to hope, and the better path of abundant life.
References:
[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/03/25/what-the-data-says-about-abortion-in-the-us/; https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2024/03/19/1238293143/abortion-data-how-many-us-2023#:~:text=More%20than%20a%20million%20abortions%20were%20provided%20in%20the%20U.S.,were%201%2C026%2C700%20abortions%20in%202023.
[2] lozierinstitute.org study on pressure to abort
[3] Cureus Journal study on effects of abortion decisions
[4] https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/women-deserve-better-than-abortion
[5] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5577387/
[6] Hathaway et al., 2005; Miller et al., 2007; Moore et al., 2010; Nikolajski et al., 2015
[7] (Chibber et al., 2014; Finer et al., 2005; Silverman et al., 2010).
[8] (Hathaway et al., 2005; Miller et al., 2007; Moore et al., 2010; Nikolajski et al., 2015; Thiel de Bocanegra et al., 2010)
[9] Clinical study published in the National Library of Medicine
