About abortion:

Essentially all speeches, sermons, articles, and books on abortion are based on
one of two beliefs:
That human life, in the form of an ovum and spermatozoon, becomes a human
person at the time of conception.
That human life becomes a human person after conception -- perhaps when
the fetus looks human, or becomes sentient, or when it has half emerged from
its mother's body, or is born, or is functioning completely independent of its
mother.
Unfortunately, these foundational beliefs are rarely stated up front.
This section of the OCRT web site is different. It has no preconceived beliefs
about when human life becomes a human person. It compares and contrasts all
viewpoints. Because of this, you will probably find some parts of our essays
infuriating even as you will affirm the accuracy of other parts.

About biases:
Discussions about abortion involves two very different concerns:
1. Whether an abortion is a good or bad option for a given woman in her
specific situation.
2. If a woman, after consulting with her physician and support network,
decides to have an abortion, under what conditions, if any, should the
government step in, veto her decision to have an abortion, and force her
to give birth.
Almost all websites on the Internet that discuss abortion are either strongly prolife or pro-choice. Some are seriously lacking in objectivity and accuracy. Some
distort data; others ignore information that contradicts their views. This web site
is maintained by an multifaith group, and is staffed by individuals who have
diverse beliefs about all aspects of abortion. We try to present all sides to each
topic clearly, completely, objectively and accurately. 2
If you feel that we have missed our goal in any of our abortion essays, please Email us, and include both the file name (e.g. abortion.htm) and your specific
concern. However, if you merely object to having the "other side's" positions
explained here, please don't write us. This section of our web site generates a lot
of Emails containing raw hatred and we would prefer to not receive more of that
type. Please direct your hatred to pro-choice or pro-life web sites.

About definitions:
Various groups define pregnancy and abortion-related terms differently. This can
make dialogue and even elementary communication very difficult. Most pro-life
and conservative Christian groups follow one set of meanings. Physicians,
medical researchers, and most pro-life groups define words differently. In this
series of essays, we will generally use the medical definitions, because they are
in widest use.
Three key terms used throughout this section are:
Human life: This is "any living entity that has DNA from the species homo
sapiens." 1 This includes an ovum, a spermatozoon, zygote, embryo, fetus,
newborn. It also includes an infant, child, adult, elder. It also includes a breast
cancer cell, a hair follicle, and a skin scraping. Some forms of human life, like
an individual ovum or spermatozoon, are generally considered to have little or
no value. Others, like a newborn or infant, are almost universally considered to
be extremely valuable; their life is important to preserve.
Human person: Any form of human life that is also considered a person, and
thereby is granted civil rights, including the right to live. People have different
opinions about the stage at which human life becomes a human person. There
is a societal consensus that a newborn is a human person. However, people
disagree about whether a zygote, embryo, or fetus is a human person. This is
the main disagreement that causes the conflicts over abortion.
Start of pregnancy: Pro-lifers typically define pregnancy as starting at
conception. Pro-choicers and the medical profession usually define it as
starting when the zygote is fully implanted in the wall of the uterus. We use the
medical definition in this section.
Abortion: We define abortion as the "purposeful termination of pregnancy with
intention other than to produce a live born infant or to remove a dead fetus." 3
This is one of many conflicting definitions in common use.

Choosing Abortion
The chances are high that a woman will have more than one unplanned pregnancy in
the course of her lifetime. More than one-third of all U.S. women will have an
abortion by the time they are 45 years old. About six million women in the U.S.
become pregnant every year. Half of those pregnancies are unintended. Nearly 1.3
million women choose abortion to end their pregnancy each year.

The most common reasons a woman chooses abortion are

She is not ready to become a parent.

She cannot afford a baby.
She doesn't want to be a single parent.

She doesn't want anyone to know she has had sex or is pregnant.
She is too young or too immature to have a child.
She has all the children she wants.
Her husband, partner, or parent wants her to have an abortion.
She or the fetus has a health problem.
She was a survivor of rape or incest.

Deciding If Abortion Is Right For You

Most women look to their husbands, partners, families, health care providers, clergy, or
someone else they trust for support as they make their decision about an unintended
pregnancy. And many women go to the clinic with their partner. But you don't have to tell
anybody. Specially trained educators at women's health clinics can talk with you in
private. You may bring someone with you. You will discuss your options adoption,
parenting, and abortion. You may be asked if someone is pressuring you to have an
abortion.
Teens are encouraged to involve parents in their decision to have an abortion, and most
do have a parent involved. But telling a parent is only required in states with mandatory
parental involvement laws. Such laws force a woman under 18 to tell a parent or get
parental permission before having an abortion. In most of these states, if she can't talk
with her parents or chooses not to she can appear before a judge. The judge will
consider whether she's mature enough to decide on her own. If not, the judge will decide
whether an abortion is in the teen's best interests. In any case, if there are complications
during the procedure, parents of minors may be notified.
Here are some things to consider if you are thinking about abortion.
True

False

1. No one is pressuring me to choose abortion.

[]

[]

2. I have strong religious beliefs against abortion.

[]

[]

3. I look down on women who have abortions.

[]

[]

4. I'd rather have a child at another time.

[]

[]

5. I can afford to have another child.

[]

[]

6. I can afford to have an abortion.

[]

[]

7. I care about what other people will think.

[]

[]

8. I can handle the abortion experience.

[]

[]

9. I'll go before a judge if necessary.

[]

[]

10. I would do anything to end this pregnancy.

[]

[]

Think about whether or not your answers suggest that abortion might be right for you.
You can get abortion information and assistance at Planned Parenthood and other family
planning centers, women's health centers, youth centers, and departments of health or

social services. Or you can call the National Abortion Federation hotline: 1-800-7729100.
To make an appointment with the Planned Parenthood center nearest you for information
about abortion and your other pregnancy options, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN.

Abortion Options
Early in pregnancy, you have two options for ending a pregnancy medication
abortion or abortion by vacuum aspiration. (The information about procedures is
presented alphabetically.) Medication abortion is the use of medicine to end a pregnancy.
Vacuum aspiration is the use of gentle suction to end pregnancy.
Pregnancy is usually dated from the first day of the last menstrual cycle. You may choose
medication abortion if you are early enough in pregnancy this may be defined as up to
49, 56, or 63 days, depending on how the medicine is taken. After 63 days, vacuum
aspiration is your only abortion option during the first trimester, which is calculated as
the first 14 weeks after the first day of a woman's last menstrual period.
After the first trimester, dilation and evacuation (D&E) is the most common abortion
procedure. In a D&E, the cervix is slowly stretched open. The procedure is completed by
emptying the uterus using a combination of suction and medical instruments. Another
option, induction in which premature labor is induced with various medicines is
not widely available.

Abortion Contraindications
Medication Abortion
You should not have medication abortion if you

are too far along in pregnancy

are unsure about having the procedure
are unwilling to have a vacuum aspiration if needed
cannot return for follow-up visits
do not have access to a telephone, transportation, and back-up medical care
have a known or suspected molar pregnancy one in which the placenta
develops abnormally
have severe adrenal gland, heart, kidney, or liver problems
take any medicine that should not be combined with the medications used in
medication abortion methotrexate, mifepristone, or misoprostol
take anti-clotting medication or have blood-clotting disorders
are unwilling to have your IUD if you have one removed before taking
the medicine

Special considerations may be necessary if you

are breastfeeding
have chronic heart, liver, respiratory, or kidney disease
have an infection or are sick
have severe anemia
have uncontrolled high blood pressure
have any other serious health problem

Vacuum Aspiration and D&E

You should not have vacuum aspiration or D&E if you

are unsure about having the procedure

Special considerations may be necessary if you

are extremely overweight

are running a fever
have an infection in your uterus
have certain kinds of sexually transmitted infections
have certain serious health problems
have problems with anesthesia
have seizures more than once a week

Effectiveness
Medication Abortion
There are two types of medication abortion offered in the U.S. mifepristone
medication abortion and methotrexate medication abortion. Mifepristone and
methotrexate affect the body differently. Mifepristone is used more often than
methotrexate because it is more effective and more predictable. Mifepristone is 96-97
percent effective. Methotrexate is about 92-96 percent effective.
Some of the medicines used in medication abortion may cause serious birth defects if
pregnancy continues. So, if they don't work, vacuum aspiration should be done.
Vacuum Aspiration and D&E
Vacuum aspiration and D&E abortion are more than 99 percent effective. Failure to end a
pregnancy can happen due to unusual conditions: there can be more than one chamber in
the uterus, or the pregnancy may not be in the uterus. Repeated aspiration or other
treatment may be needed if the initial procedure does not end the pregnancy.

Comparing Risks
If you choose abortion, you will also want to compare the benefits, risks, and side effects
of each of your options. For example, both medication abortion and early vacuum
aspiration are extremely safe. But current data suggest that medication abortion may
carry a higher risk of death than early vacuum aspiration abortion. Even so, both

procedures are much safer than abortion later in pregnancy or carrying a pregnancy to
term.
Some women prefer medication abortion because they feel its benefits outweigh its risks.
Other women prefer vacuum aspiration abortion because they feel its benefits outweigh
its risks. Your clinician can help you decide, but the choice is up to you.

Abortion battle heats up

Church group accuses health ministry of trying to push through
'back-door' legislation
BY LUKE DOUGLAS Observer writer
Wednesday, February 07, 2007

JAMAICA'S abortion battle appeared set to heat up following

accusations Monday by a group comprised of church leaders, antiabortion lawyers and doctors that the health ministry is trying to
legalise abortion in Jamaica without consulting with members of the
public.
Supported by a high-powered team of 'pro-life' activists
from overseas, including the niece of United States civil
rights icon Dr Martin Luther King Jr, the group strongly
urged Jamaicans to turn their backs on what they say is a
renewed thrust to legalise abortion in Jamaica.
The group also called on Jamaicans to reject all
explanations to justify abortion, even in instances where a
woman is raped or her life is in danger.
Shirley Richards of the Lawyers Christian Fellowship (LCF)
said a questionnaire regarding abortion circulated by the
Ministry of Health from November 2005 indicated that the
ministry, through its Abortion Policy Advisory Group,
intended to legalise "safe abortions". She said a series of public meetings
promised by the Advisory Group had not taken place, and the ministry of
health had told the LCF that recommendations of the Advisory Group had not
yet been finalised.
KING... abortion hurts
women, kills babies and
is bad for the economy

Efforts by the Observer to contact the ministry of health or Dr Wynante

Patterson, chair of the Abortion Policy Advisory Group, for comments were
unsuccessful.
"We want to make it clear that our laws should protect the unborn. To do
otherwise would further compromise and cheapen the value of life in this
country," Richards said.
She was speaking on Monday at a press conference at the Terra Nova Hotel

in St Andrew, staged by the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals in

association with Family Life Ministries, and assisted by the LCF.
Also supporting the anti-abortion campaigners was mother of six, Dr Alveda
C King, who revealed that she had had two abortions, one of which was done
by doctors without her consent. She told the gathering that
the trauma of the abortions resulted in her cervix being
damaged, depression and other personal problems.
"Abortion hurts women, kills babies and is bad for the
economy", said King, a minister of religion who is the
daughter of Rev AD King, who like his brother was a civil
rights activist and was also murdered.
There were also emotional testimonies from two other
visiting US activists, Pastor Rhona Arias and Yvette Murray,
both of whom related their emotional and physical pain
resulting from having done abortions.

GARTH... urged the

church to assist more
women who decided
to carry unwanted
pregnancies

Gynaecologist Dr Doreen Brady-West, representing a group

of concerned medical doctors, said no evidence had been put forward to
support the view that a large number of abortions were performed to save
the lives of mothers.
"The majority of abortions are done in Jamaica because it is socially, morally
or financially inconvenient for a woman to bear a child," Brady-West said.
Explaining that an unborn baby has a beating heart at five weeks, among
other milestones, Dr Brady-West suggested that a foetus became an
individual human being from conception, which takes place in the first 72
hours.

Her colleague gynaecologist Dr Clive Lai advised women who had been raped
to visit a doctor immediately after the ordeal before conception takes place.
He called on the media to push the message of abstinence, along with that of
contraception.
Rev Peter Garth of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals urged the church
to take greater responsibility in assisting mothers who decided to carry
unwanted pregnancies, or in assisting the adoption of their babies.

The Questions Asked

1. Do you believe that human life begins at conception (fertilization)?
2. Are there any circumstances under which you believe a woman should have
access to abortion?
(Note: Surgical or medical intervention, designed to prevent the death of the mother
i.e., in the cases of tubal pregnancy or cervical cancer, which results in the
unintended and undesired death of the preborn child is not an abortion).

3. If elected, will you actively oppose the testing and sale of the abortion-inducing
pill RU486 in Canada?
4. Will you actively work to prohibit by law the use of human embryos, at whatever
stage of their development, for the purpose of scientific experimentation?
5. If elected, will you work to exclude abortion as an insured health service under
the Canada Health Act?
6. If elected, will you actively work to defeat any proposed legislation designed to
permit the deliberate killing (euthanasia) of a human being regardless of age, state
of health or "anticipated quality of life" (especially the terminally ill, the handicapped
newborn, the disabled and medically vulnerable persons)?
7. If elected, will you oppose any initiative to permit "doctor assisted suicide"?
8a. If elected, would you support measures giving individual Members of Parliament
greater power to introduce legislation?8b. If elected, would you bring forward pro-life
measures to be debated and voted upon by the House of Commons?
8b. If elected, would you bring forward pro-life measures to be debated and voted
upon by the House of Commons.
8c. If elected, would you actively support measures to introduce and pass a law to
protect very human life from the time of conception (fertilization) onward?
8d. Do you believe that elected MPs have the moral responsibility to make decisions
on matters such as defining the legal rights of the unborn?
FOR CANADIAN ALLIANCE CANDIDATES ONLY
10. Canadian Alliance Policy # 68. "We believe that a high level of citizen
participation in the democratic decision-making process is vital to ensuring the
legitimacy of the political system. MPs must ensure major issues receive a full and
fair public airing so that an informed democratic decision can be made. Where an MP
finds that a clear consensus has been reached on an issue, his or her responsibility is
to represent that consensus over party or personal views."
a) In light of the above (Canadian Alliance Policy #68) would you agree or disagree
with the following statement: "I believe that this obligation cannot bind legislators to
vote in favour of measures which would abrogate inalienable human rights, such as
the rights to life, liberty, and property."
Agree__________ Disagree____________
11. Canadian Alliance Policy # 72. "We recognize there are issues so important to
Canadians that direct public input is desirable. Therefore, we will introduce measures
that allow citizens to initiate binding referenda. In addition, we will also seek the
consensus of all Canadians through judicious use of national referenda, both on
issues having significant implications for Canadian society and on proposed changes
to the country's Constitution."

a) Do you believe that a national referendum is an appropriate vehicle to address the

issue of defining the legal rights of the unborn?
b) Do you believe that a national referendum is the ONLY appropriate vehicle to
address the issue of defining the legal rights of the unborn?
FOR ALL CANDIDATES
12. Do you consider yourself _____ pro-life or _____ pro-choice? (check one only)