Abortion has become an acceptable resolution to an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. However, as Christians it is important that we know why abortion is unacceptable and the truth about what really happens during an abortion. I am going to cover the medical, spiritual, and legal perspectives of abortion. In this month’s article, we will look at the life of the mother and discuss the baby in a strictly medical scenario.

One thing that continually surprises me is how little people think about the affects an abortion has on their own body. It is true that pregnancy can be hard on a woman’s body. It puts pressure on blood vessels, and there are several conditions that can be related to pregnancy. However, getting an abortion can put you at higher risks for complications and most importantly, it ends a child’s life.

Is a “fetus” human?

I have done quite a few reports on abortion in the past for various courses I have taken. The more research I do, the more it hurts me. I heard my child’s heartbeat when I was 6 weeks pregnant. The baby’s heartbeat usually begins beating 21 days after conception. At that point, most women don’t even know they are pregnant yet. By 10 weeks of pregnancy, a baby has developed its brain, kidneys, liver, hands, fingers, eyelids, and fingernails, and can kick (although it’s usually unable to be felt by the mother yet). Most importantly, for those who argue that a fetus is not a human, upon conception, a fetus already has all the chromosomes needed to make up a human being and is constantly multiplying its cells. For cells to multiply, it must be living, and for it to have the 23 chromosomes (which determine hair and eye color, shoe size, etc.) it has to be human. These facts only point to the unborn as being a living human being.

The Bible also recognizes unborn children. Luke 1:41: “And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.” The child was recognized as a babe although it was not yet born.

For more detailed facts and information discussing the unborn, visit ChristianAnswers.net.

What happens in an abortion?

I have seen the images of what abortion doctors call the “products of conception” of an abortion. However, because we have established that it is a baby, I will refer to it as that. The images are too graphic to share, and frankly, if I were able, I would erase the images from my memory. However, I will tell you a little about the procedure. (I am putting all of this into layman’s terms to make it easier to understand; I am in no way inflating or worsening the procedure to scare anyone—this is what really happens! For those who are faint of heart, you may want to skip the next two paragraphs.) Depending on what stage of pregnancy you are in, your doctor, and your medical history, there are several ways in which doctors go about it. In one procedure they use a long thin tube and insert it into the uterus and attach a syringe to suction the baby out of the mother. This procedure is called manual vacuum aspiration and is done up to week 7 of the pregnancy. The most widely used method of abortion is called suction curettage. In this procedure, the mother is usually given some type of anesthetic for pain. The doctor will insert metal rods to stretch the cervix open. Once open, the doctor then inserts a long tube into the uterus and connects it to a suction machine. The machine pulls the baby’s body apart and out of the uterus.

As graphic as these procedures are, partial birth abortions are even more horrific and vile.  Partial birth abortions are done between 24-36 weeks of pregnancy. During the procedure, “the cervix must be dilated using laminaria. Forceps are then introduced into the uterus to grasp the baby’s legs. The baby is delivered breech while the head remains inside the birth canal. Using blunt-tipped surgical scissors, the base of the skull is pierced and a suction catheter is inserted to extract the brain. This causes the skull to collapse and the dead baby is then fully delivered.”

Any way you look at these procedures, it is clear to me that abortion in any shape or form is murder. It kills an innocent, living human being.

(Abortion procedure information taken from pregnancycenters.org/abortion.html)

What can abortion do to the woman?

Abortion has many side effects. It can cause excessive bleeding, infection, and sepsis, damage to the uterus and uterus lining, and damage to other internal organs. On top of these side effects, having an abortion could affect future pregnancies. Women who have abortions have an increased chance of delivering prematurely. Many women who have abortions also suffer emotionally. They have feelings of guilt, anger, depression, and other symptoms which could lead to more physical ailments. There is also talk of a link between breast cancer and abortion:

“Medical experts are still researching and debating the linkage between abortion and breast cancer. Here are some important facts:

Carrying your first pregnancy to full term gives protection against breast cancer.  Choosing abortion causes loss of that protection.

A number of reliable studies have concluded that there may be a link between abortion and the later development of breast cancer.

A 1994 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found: “Among women who had been pregnant at least once, the risk of breast cancer in those who had experienced an induced abortion was 50% higher than among other women.”(http://www.pregnancycenters.org/abortion.html)

Ok, what can or should I do if I am a pregnant teen?

My advice would be to first, confess and ask God to forgive you for your sins, and repent. In this time, there is no one you need more than Him. Second, find an adult you trust. This needs to be someone who will support you. This person can be your parents, a friend, a counselor, or a teacher. This is one scenario where I STRONGLY urge you to talk to your parents as soon as possible. Procrastinating is unhealthy. You need to get medical treatment (prenatal vitamins, ultrasounds, etc.) as early as possible to ensure you and the baby are healthy.

It is important that you remember that just because you may sin, causing an unplanned pregnancy, you can still ask for and receive forgiveness. There is no reason to physically punish yourself with a harmful, unnecessary procedure or take an innocent life because of your mistake. Confess, repent, and prayerfully make a wise decision for your child, and yourself.

By Sarah Ancheta