Thirty Years of Abortion Has Failed Women
By: Serrin Foster
President
Feminists for Life

"Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy," notes two-time Emmy-award-winning actor and New York Times best-selling author Patricia Heaton, who also serves as honorary chair for Feminists for Life.

The sad reality, however, is that this is so rarely true. In fact, the very opposite is usually the case: Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy often end up experiencing the tragic violence of abortion.

Why is it this way? Or maybe more to the point, why should it be this way?

It is certainly not because women want abortion. We know even from numbers provided by abortion supporters themselves that the primary reasons women with unintended pregnancies turn to abortion are lack of financial resources and emotional support. Many women also say they felt abandoned, or coerced into having an abortion.

Despite child support laws, some pregnant women are threatened by the fathers of the child, who vow to withhold support.

Jennifer O'Neill, actor, model, author and spokeswoman for the Silent No More campaign, reluctantly had an abortion after being coerced by her powerful and wealthy fiance who threatened to take away her baby if she gave birth. She subsequently suffered nine miscarriages. "Nothing in the world could ever make me opt for that choice again," she said.

College-age women represent almost half of those having an abortion. Through FFL's College Outreach Program, women report almost universally that upon receiving a positive result from a pregnancy test they are told by campus clinic staff, "I'm so sorry" and are handed a business card to the local abortion clinic. Some colleges offer $300 loans for an abortion, but no financial aid for a live birth. Too often university clinic workers, counselors and professors tell women they can't possibly continue their education and have a child - as if women are suddenly incapable of reading, writing or thinking once pregnant. And those who are visibly pregnant are stared at like exotic animals crossing the campus. Forcing women to choose between sacrificing their education and career plans or sacrificing their children doesn't seem like much of a free choice.

Women in the workplace continue to hope for support through benefits - health care that includes maternity coverage, job sharing, flex time, telecommuting and the ability to make a living wage.

Many hope for support from well-meaning family and friends who - rather than offering congratulations, unconditional support and asking, "How can I help? - tell her a child will "ruin" her life.

In other words, most women "choose" abortion precisely because they believe they had no other choice. As we note this month the 30th year since the Supreme Court handed down its Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion, this is no reason for women to celebrate.

Abortion is not a measure of our society's success in meeting the needs of women, but of our failure. And why celebrate failure?

Instead, this month the Women Deserve Better Campaign - supported by several pro-woman and pro-life groups - begins a long-term public education campaign highlighting this failure of abortion. The campaign is an effort to refocus the nation on why women feel pressured into abortion and to promote women-centered solutions to these problems.

Many women who have had an abortion carry emotional scars from the experience. Studies from Finland, Great Britain, Canada and the United States reveal higher rates of suicide, attempted suicide and psychiatric admissions for women who have had an abortion compared to women who gave birth. Feminists for Life board member Marion Syversen had two abortions as a teenager while living in an extremely abusive home. She supports studies of the impact on women who experienced the most common surgery in America. Reminded that former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop said that it was problematic to study the impact of abortion because half of women would lie about their abortion, Ms. Syverson responded: "Well doesn't that tell you something? If it was such a great thing we'd all be talking about it!"

Women deserve better than this. FFL's honorary co-chair, actor Margaret Colin, recently asked members of Congress to "remember the woman" as we observe 30 years of legalized abortion and asked all of us "is this the best we can do for her?"

Abortion is a symptom of - not a solution to - the problems faced by women. As Americans, we like to say that "failure is not an option." Thirty years of abortion is a tragedy. Abortion has completely failed as any type of social policy designed to aid women. Abortion is a reflection that we have failed women.

After 30 years, let's put an end to this failure.

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