Random number, relevant information.
11 FACTS ON ABORTION
1. 88% of all abortions in America are performed before the 12th week of pregnancy. 11% occur between 13 and 20 weeks and the last 1% after that. Over half of all abortions are performed before 9 weeks, when the embryo is smaller than a dime.
2. Abortion is legal in all 50 states. Individual states have the right to limit access with parental consent and notification laws, restrictions on insurance payments for poor women, mandated biased counseling requirements, waiting periods or onerous licensing requirements for clinics, but no state can make all abortions illegal.
3. The majority of Americans, 75%, are in favor of keeping abortion legal so that women can choose it safely. Legal abortion is a public health issue as it protects women’s lives.
4. Pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion. The pro-choice position has always been to support every woman’s right to choose when to be a parent and of how many people.
5. Having one, or even several abortions performed by a trained professional, does not affect future fertility. 80% of women who have abortions have one or two.
6. First trimester abortion, in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, is a simple, safe procedure. Carrying a pregnancy to term is some 20 times more risky to women’s health.
7. First trimester abortions do not cause pain in the zygote, embryo or fetus. Medical professionals agree that the cerebral cortex has not developed to the point where it can receive a pain signal until around 28 weeks.
8. As long as there have been pregnancies, there have been abortions. Primitive cultures devised herbal and physical methods which had varying results and carried a high risk of injuring the woman. Modern medicine has developed safe, swift and humane abortion methods which protect women’s lives and future fertility.
9. The most commonly-reported psychological response to a first trimester abortion is a sense of relief. Extensive studies have shown that the women who experience severe guilt, remorse and emotional trauma are those who either had psychological problems before the pregnancy, or those who experienced extreme conflict with family or sexual partner as they made their decision.
10. The majority of mainstream religions are pro-choice. These include: United Methodist Church, Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Unitarian Church, Reform Judaism, Lutheran Church, American Baptist Church and Presbyterian Church.
11. 61% of minors tell a parent of a planned abortion. For the other 39%, confidentiality and privacy means access to safe, legal health care. Revised 6/03
