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'''Abortion''' is the induced termination of a [[pregnancy]],<ref>American Heritage Dictionary definition, [http://www.bartleby.com/61/7/A0020700.html abortion].</ref> often causing [[fetal pain]]. Abortion has two victims: the unborn child, and the mother who can never forget the loss she caused. Breast cancer rates increase by ''more than six times'' for women who have abortion, according to a recent study.<ref>[http://www.indianjcancer.com/article.asp?issn=0019-509X;year=2013;volume=50;issue=4;spage=316;epage=321;aulast=Bhadoria AS Bhadoria, U Kapil, N Sareen, P Singh, "Reproductive factors and breast cancer: A case-control study in tertiary care hospital of North India," 50 ''Indian Journal of Cancer'' 4, 316-321 (2013)</ref> Additional victims of abortion also include after-born children, who have a higher rate of premature birth and birth defects due to the harm caused by the a prior abortion.

Saying one can't criticize a woman's choice to murder her children is like saying one can't criticize the president without being the president.<ref name=lucente>Lucente Jr., T.J. (2012, January 29). [http://www.limaohio.com/articles/right-78475-privacy-one.html Right to Privacy is Not a License to Kill]. ''LimaOhio.com.'' Freedom Communications, Inc.</ref> Rape or life of the mother are extremely rare circumstances accounting for less than 1% of all abortions, with little bearing on the broader "abortion on demand" issue, particularly since all legislation the Pro-Life movement has been putting out recently has included exceptions for them, and many states had laws allowing abortion for such cases before ''Roe v. Wade'' - abortion was legalized for other reasons. (''See [[Abortion#Arguments_On_AbortionArguments On Abortion|Arguments On Abortion]]'')

* As of 2012, it is estimated there has been over 54 million babies murdered by abortion since the Supreme Court handed down its 1973 ''Roe v. Wade'' decision. After reaching 25 percent from a high of over 1.6 million in the year 1990, the number of abortions performed annually in the U.S. has leveled off at about 1.2 million infants murdered by abortion a year, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI). By 2016, the number of yearly abortions in America dropped to a historic low of less than 1,000,000.<ref name=factsheet >http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/17/health/us-abortions-historic-lows-trnd/ Abortions in the US have been dropping. Now it's at a historic low</ref>

* Women who have never married and are not cohabiting account for 45% of all abortions. 57% of all women having abortions between 15-44 are in their 20’s. 36% of non-Hispanic women are abortions were white, 30% are non-Hispanic black, and 25% are hispanicHispanic.<ref name=patients>Jones RK, Finer LB and Singh S, [https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/US-Abortion-Patients.pdf Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients], 2008, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2010.</ref>

''See also:'' [[Arguments on abortionAbortion arguments]]

-''BBC News''.<ref name=bbc>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/abortion/philosophical/selfdefence.shtml Abortion in Self-Defence]. ''BBC News''. Retrieved July 23, 2012.</ref>}} However, (A) danger to life of the mother, like rape, is a very rare circumstance that accounts for less than 1% of all abortions,<ref name=rare />, (B) all major legislation put out by the Right to Life movement over the past decade has included exceptions allowing abortions for rape and life of the mother (e.g. [[Mexico City Policy]], [[Born Alive Infant Protection Act]], [[Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act]], etc.) and (C) at least 13 states had legislation allowing abortion for rape or life of the mother BEFORE Roe v. Wade<ref>[http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/abortiontimeline.html Abortion History Timeline]. ''National Right to Life Committee''.</ref> - abortion was legalized for other reasons.

Logically, we one ought to be erring on the side of caution when potentially infringing on another person's inalienable right to life, rather than seeing how close we can come to committing murder without doing so. Abortion in the U.S. is legal in all 9 months (36 weeks) of pregnancy.<ref name=ninemonths />

Even though children can be born as early as 21 weeks after pregnancy<ref name=tooyoung /> the Guttmacher Institute, Planned Parenthood's research arm, reports that 1.5% of the 1.21 million abortions in the United States occur after the 21st week of pregnancy.<ref name=induced /> Therefore, 18,150 abortions occur each year after the earliest point that children can be born prematurely and live. An additional 3.8% occur 16-20 16–20 weeks after pregnancy, an additional 45,980 abortions each year that are most certainly murder given proximity to time of premature birth.<ref name=induced /> Why is a baby considered human outside the womb, yet nothing more than a fetus to be aborted at or near the same point in pregnancy if still inside the womb? And what will abortionists argue? That this is "only" 50-60 thousand innocent lives being taken each year?

According to Brian Clowes, Ph.D,<ref name=clowes />, as cited by the Pro-Life Action League,<ref>(2009). [http://www.whyprolife.com/life-in-the-womb/ Sharing the Pro-Life Message]. "Life in the Womb." Pro-Life Action League. Chicago.</ref>, fetal development occurs as follows after conception:

Specifically, the study found that Turkish women who received one or more induced abortions had a 66% higher risk of breast cancer than women who never had an abortion.<ref>Baklinski, T.M. (2009, July 29). [http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jul/09072903.html Study: Breast Cancer Risk 66% Higher in Turkish Women with Abortions]. ''LifeSiteNews.com''.</ref> <ref>Malek, K. (2009, July 28). [http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com/press_releases/090728/index.htm Study: Turkish Women with Abortions Have Statistically Significant 66% Increase in Breast Cancer Risk / Researchers Likely Underestimated the Risk, Reports Scientist]. ''Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer''.</ref>

Demographic evidence of abortion causing breast cancer includes the following. Breast cancer rates are far lower in Western countries that prohibited abortion than in those that promoted it. Ireland, which virtually bans abortion, reportedly has a lifetime rate of breast cancer of only 1 in 13, nearly half the rate of 1 in 7.5 in the United States.<ref>"Probability of breast cancer in American Women," National Cancer Institute (Apr. 15, 2005); K. O'Flaherty, R. Oakley, "Self-checks 'useless' in breast cancer fight," Sunday Tribune (Ireland), at 8 (Oct. 6, 2002).</ref> The rate of breast cancer increases steadily as one travels from Ireland, where abortion is illegal, to Northern Ireland, where abortion is legal but rare, to England, where abortion is common. <ref> R. O'Reilly, "New weapon in war against breast cancer," The Press Association Limited (Dec. 17, 1998); "Portugal-abortion referendum," Associated Press Worldstream (June 27, 1998).</ref>

Despite the overwhelming evidence -- and evidence—and inescapable logic -- for logic—for abortion increasing breast cancer, promoters of abortion cite flawed articles in an attempt to deny the link. The flaws in these articles are exposed in the [[Harvard abortion study]] and "Legal Implications of a Link Between Abortion and Breast Cancer" by Andrew Schlafly in the ''Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons''.<ref>Schafly, A. (2005, Spring). [http://www.jpands.org/vol10no1/aschlafly.pdf Legal Implications of a Link Between Abortion and Breast Cancer]. ''Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons'', 10(1), 10-14.</ref>

In 2008, the generally pro-abortion British medical journal, ''The Lancet'', admitted that a procedure often used in abortion increase the risk of premature birth:<ref name=lancet>Dr, Jay D. Iams, Dr. Robert Romero, Jennifer F. Culhane (PhD), Dr. Robert L. Goldenberg. [http://www.v2020la.org/pub/PUBLICATIONS_BY_TOPICS/ROP/Primary,_secondary,_and_tertiary_interventions.....pdf]Primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions to reduce the morbidity and mortality of preterm birth. Lancet 2008;371:164-175. While the text of this article conceals the connection with abortion, it cites as support for its claims two studies showing how abortion increases risk of premature birth: the 2004 'Ancel' study of ten European countries and the 2005 'Moreau' study that used French subjects. Ancel P-Y, Lelong N, Papiernik E, Saurel-Cubizoilles M-J, Kaminski M. [http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/19/3/734.full History of induced abortion as a risk factor for preterm birth in European countries: results of the EUROPOP survey]. Human Reproduction. 2004;112:734-740. Moreau C, Kaminski M, Ancel PY et al. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15777440 Previous I induced abortions and the risk of very preterm delivery; Results of the EPIPAGE study]. British J Obstetrics Gynaecology 2005; 112:430-437.</ref>

In [[England]], the "Royal College of Psychiatrists says women should not be allowed to have an abortion until they are counselled on the possible risk to their mental health." The medical royal college warned that women who have abortions may be at risk of mental health problems.<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3559486.ece (Link no longer works)</ref> A New Zealand study found that abortion in young women may be associated with increased risks of mental health problems.<ref>Fergusson, D.M., et. al. (2006, January). [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=16405636 Abortion in young women and subsequent mental health]. ''The Journal of Child Psychology andPsychiatry'', 47(1), 16-24. PMID: 16405636.</ref> The researcher in this study, who was not pro-life, was shaken by the study and had to go to four journals before he could find one who would publish it. <ref name=gilson>Gilson, T. (2006, February 24). [http://www.thinkingchristian.net/C1148465919/E20060224082323/index.html Abortion and Mental Health]. ''Thinking Christian''.</ref>

{{cquote|These findings are inconsistent with the current consensus on the psychological effects of abortion. In particular, in its 2005 statement on abortion, the American Psychological Association concluded that “well-designed studies of psychological responses following abortion have consistently shown that risk of psychological harm is low...the percentage of women who experience clinically relevant distress is small and appears to be no greater than in general samples of women of reproductive age” (American Psychological Association, 2005). This relatively strong conclusion about the absence of harm from abortion was based on a relatively small number of studies which had one or more of the following limitations: a) absence of comprehensive assessment of mental disorders; b) lack of comparison groups; and c) limited statistical controls. Furthermore, the statement appears to disregard the findings of a number of studies that had claimed to show negative effects for abortion (Cougle et al., 2003; Gissler et al., 1996; Reardon & Cougle, 2002). <ref name=gilson />}}

{{cquote|In view of the large families of the Slav native population, it could only suit us if girls and women there had as many abortions as possible. We are not interested in seeing the non-[[German]] population multiply…We must use every means to instill in the population the idea that it is harmful to have several children, the expenses that they cause and the dangerous effect on woman's health… It will be necessary to open special institutions for abortions and doctors must be able to help out there in case there is any question of this being a breach of their professional ethics. <ref>Hoffman, M.C. (2007, September 7). [Israeli Doctor Exposes Nazi Abortion Program http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/sep/07090708.html]. ''LifeSiteNews.com''.</ref>}}

{{cquote|I remember laughing when we made those slogans up. We were looking for some sexy, catchy slogans to capture public opinion. They were very cynical slogans then, just as all of these slogans today are very, very cynical. We persuaded the media that the cause of permissive abortion was a liberal, enlightened, sophisticated one. Knowing that if a true poll were taken, we would be soundly defeated, we simply fabricated the results of fictional polls. We announced to the media that we had taken polls and that 60 percent of Americans were in favor of permissive abortion. We aroused enough sympathy to sell our program of permissive abortion by fabricating the number of illegal abortions done annually in the U.S. The actual figure was approaching 100,000, but the figure we gave to the media repeatedly was 1,000,000. Repeating the big lie often enough convinces the public. The number of women dying from illegal abortions was around 200-250 annually. The figure we constantly fed to the media was 10,000. These false figures took root in the consciousness of Americans, convincing many that we needed to crack the abortion law. Another myth we fed to the public through the media was that legalizing abortion would only mean that the abortions taking place illegally would then be done legally. In fact, of course, abortion is now being used as a primary method of birth control in the U.S. and the annual number of abortions has increased by 1,500 percent since legalization.<ref name=nathanson />}}

Prior to 1973 abortion was illegal in most of the United States, though a few states (such as Hawaii and New York) allowed it with restrictions.<ref>''A Timeline of Reproductive Rights'' [http://ecampus.bentley.edu/org/wc/reproductiverights.html The Women's Center]</ref> The U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 [[Roe v. Wade]]<ref>Online text of [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?navby=CASE&court=US&vol=410&page=113 Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973)]</ref> decision ruled that abortions are lawful under the [[U.S. Constitution]] up to the point at which the fetus becomes able to survive outside the womb, and an accompanying decision issued the same day captioned [[Doe v. Bolton]] essentially legalized abortion in the unlimited discretion of the abortionist at any time during pregnancy, up to and including birth. Conservatives immediately criticized these decisions as examples of [[Judicial Activism]].Ironically, Norma McCorvey, also known as "Jane Roe," only sought an abortion for herself. She did not wish for her personal battle to result in a nationwide "legalization" of the procedure. The only reason the case bore her name was because of her pro-abortion [[feminist]] lawyer, Sarah Weddington, who sought to have Texas' abortion ban overturned.<ref>http://www.lifenews.com/2017/02/18/norma-mccorvey-jane-roe-of-roe-v-wade-passes-away-she-never-had-an-abortion-and-became-pro-life/</ref> Even more importantly, Roe became pro-life and sought to have the Supreme Court's decision overturned. 

''See also:'' [[Public opinion Views on abortion]]

According to Gallup's most recent poll (May 3-63–6, 2012), 20% of Americans believe abortion should always be illegal, and 39% believe it should be legal only in a few circumstances, a combined 59% that believe it should always or usually be illegal. 25% believe abortion should always be legal, and 13% believe that it should be legal in most circumstances, a combined 38% that believe it should always or usually be legal. 4% hold no opinion. The percentage of Americans which believe abortion should always or usually be illegal has varied from a low of 51% (Sept. 6-7, 1994, and Sept. 22-24, 1995) to a high of 62% (May 2-52–5, 2005). Gallup has polled the question 33 times since it began asking in 1994.<ref>''Gallup''. "[http://www.gallup.com/poll/1576/abortion.aspx/ Abortion]." Do you think abortion should be legal in most circumstances or only in a few circumstances?</ref>

Currently, 50% of Americans describe themselves as Pro-Life, 41% describe themselves as Pro-Choice, and 4% as Mixed/Neither, as of the most recent poll (May 3-63–6, 2012). The percentage of Americans describing themselves as Pro-Life has varied from a low of 33% (Sept. 3-6, 1995) to a high of 51% (May 7-107–10, 2009). Gallup has polled the question 41 times since it began asking in 1995.<ref name=gallupabortion/>

| 2011, June 9-12 9–12

| 2003, January 10-12 10–12

| 1996, July 25-26 25–26

| 2011, June 9-12 9–12

| 2003, January 10-12 10–12

| 1996, July 25-26 25–26

| 2011, June 9-12 9–12

| 2003, January 10-12 10–12

| 1996, July 25-26 25–26

According to the most recent Gallup poll (June 9-129–12, 2011), the following percentages of Americans say abortion should be legal under each circumstance:<ref name=gallupabortion/>

According to Gallup's most recent poll (July 15-1715–17, 2011) these proposals by the Pro-Life movement have received the following public support levels. Those marked "(2005)" were polled most recently on November 11-1311–13, 2005. Those marked "(2003)" were last polled on January 10-1210–12, 2003.<ref name=gallupabortion/>

The primary alternative to abortion is adoption. [[Liberty Godparent Foundation]] is a [[Christian]] organization focused on improving the lives of unwed pregnant teens, babies and adoptive families by providing two alternatives, The Liberty Godparent Maternity Home and Family Life Services Adoption Agency.<ref>[http://www.godparent.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=59 Family Life Services]. ''GodParentFoundation.org''.</ref>. [[Catholic Social Services]] provides adoption assistance to people of all beliefs in addition to supporting families in need.

Planned Parenthood's reported $374.7 million of revenue from "Health Center Income". Given that it reported performing 305,130 abortions,<ref>Page 9.</ref>, at an average cost of $450 (which lines up with statistics from the [[National Abortion Federation]]<ref>Dudley, S. (2003). [http://www.prochoice.org/about_abortion/facts/economics.html Economics of Abortion]. ''National Abortion Federation''.</ref>), approximately $137.4 million of that $374.7 million Health Center Income came directly from performing abortions per analysis by [[Live Action]].<ref>Schmidt, D. (2010, May 14). [http://liveaction.org/blog/data-36-7-of-planned-parenthoods-health-center-income-is-from-abortions/ DATA: 36.7% of Planned Parenthood’s 'Health Center Income' is from Abortions]. ''Live Action''.</ref>

Forced abortion caused by China's One-Child Policy leads to deaths of mothers,<ref>Bo Gu, B. (2012, June 14). [http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/06/14/12222877-gruesome-photos-put-spotlight-on-chinas-one-child-policy?lite Gruesome Photos Put Spotlight on China's One-Child Policy]. ''NBC News''.</ref>, as well as "gendercide".<ref>Hayes, A. (2012, April 30). [http://articles.cnn.com/2012-04-30/asia/world_asia_china-forced-abortions_1_reggie-littlejohn-china-s-national-population-abortions?_s=PM:ASIA Activists allege forced abortions, sterilizations in China]. ''CNN''.<br>Littlejohn, R. (2012, April 27). [http://www.lifenews.com/2012/04/27/the-real-war-against-women-forced-abortion-gendercide/ The Real War Against Women: Forced Abortion, Gendercide]. ''LifeNews''.</ref> Because men tend to be higher wage earners, many families choose to abort their female children, opting instead for males.<ref>Ling, C. [http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/category/topics/one-child-policy-china One-Child Policy Statistics]. ''AllGirlsAllowed.com''.</ref> Photos in 2012 of these forced abortions led to national outrage and calls to end China's One-Child Policy.<ref>Riviera, G. (2012, June 14). [http://abcnews.go.com/International/chinas-forced-abortions-child-rule-hits-women/story?id=16558428 How China's Forced Abortion Policy Hits Two Women]. ''ABC News''.<br>Wong, E. (2012, July 22). [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/23/world/asia/pressure-to-repeal-chinas-one-child-law-is-growing.html?pagewanted=all Reports of Forced Abortions Fuel Push to End Chinese Law]. ''New York Times''.<br>MacLeod, C. (2012, July 24). [http://www.usatoday.com/news/story/2012-07-25/China-forced-abortions/56465974/1 Pressure mounts to stop China's forced abortions]. ''USA Today''.<br>Sudworth, J. (2012, June 15). [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18453995 Chinese officials apologise to woman in forced abortion]. ''BBC News''.</ref> The sex-selective abortion policy has led to a huge gender disparity in China, 122.66 boys for every girl born, the highest ratio in the entire Asia Specific region,<ref>(2010, March 9). [http://www.un.org.cn/cms/p/news/27/1346/content.html Gender Inequality Persists in China]. ''United Nations in China''.<br>Ward, C. (2011, August 12). [http://abcnews.go.com/International/chinas-census-shows-growing-gender-gap/story?id=14288216 China's Preference for Boys Shows Growing Gender Gap]. ''ABC News''.</ref>, and resulted in 32 million single males.<ref>LaFraniere, S. (2009, April 10). [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/11/world/asia/11china.html Chinese Bias for Baby Boys Creates a Gap of 32 Million]. ''The New York Times''.<br>AFP (2010, January 12). [http://news.discovery.com/human/china-birth-rate-single-men.html China's Gender Gap Leaves Millions of Single Men]. ''Discovery News''.</ref> Logically this is a driving force behind human trafficking, prostitution, and the female slave trade which occurs near China.<ref>Weisenthal, J. (2010, April 12). [http://articles.businessinsider.com/2010-04-12/news/30049254_1_boys-and-girls-selective-abortions-village-hall Amazing First-Hand Account Of The Massive Gender Disparity In China]. ''Business Insider''.</ref>

"Each day '''1,786''' African American children are aborted." According to the [[U.S.]] Census of 2006, African Americans are at 1.96 birth rate which is <u>beneath</u> the replacement level of 2.1. <ref>[http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/1685410938.html African American Pro-Life Group Holds Protest at NAACP] Christian News Network, July 13, 2009</ref> At the continued rate, [[racism]] by abortion will decimate the black population of the U.S.

Planned Parenthood itself reported that its abortions on minorities in 1991 were 42.7% of its total abortions. <ref name=ppracism>Murphy, L.K. (1994, June). [http://www.ewtn.com/library/PROLIFE/PPRACISM.TXT Planned Parenthood's Racism]. ''Life Research Institute''.</ref>. However, during that time period, minorities comprised only 19.7% of the U.S. population.<ref name=ppracism />

== See Also also == *[http://www.conservapedia.com/Category:Abortion Directory of abortion related articles]*[http://www.investigatemagazine.com/mar3abrt.htm Abortion and breast cancer in New Zealand]

==External Linkslinks==