100 note cards
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Jerome Lejeune, the French geneticist who discovered the chromosome abnormality that causes Down syndrome, stated that "To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion... The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence."
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
Judicial bypass: An alternative means of obtaining permission to consent to an abortion for a minor living in a state requiring parental notification or consent; a minor can petition a judge to demonstrate that either she is mature and informed enough to make her own abortion decision, or that the abortion would be in her best interest.
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
June 2016, the US Supreme Court struck down a 2013 Texas law mandating that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges and that clinics where abortions are performed adhere to the same standards as ambulatory surgical centers.
Fetal development: The 1st trimester By Mayo Clinic Staff
Just four weeks after conception, the neural tube along your baby's back is closing. The baby's brain and spinal cord will develop from the neural tube. The heart and other organs also are starting to form
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
A peer-reviewed study comparing the mental health of women who received abortions to women denied abortions found that women who were denied abortions "felt more regret and anger" and "less relief and happiness" than women who had abortions. The same study also found that 95% of women who received abortions "felt it was the right decision" a week after the procedure
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
A peer-reviewed study published in BMC Medicine found that women who underwent an abortion had "significantly higher" anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale up to five years after the pregnancy termination
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
A peer-reviewed study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health found that "Young adult women who undergo... abortion may be at increased risk for subsequent depression."
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
A survey in the peer-reviewed Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health asking women why they had an abortion found that 73% of respondents said they could not afford to have a baby, and 38% said giving birth would interfere with their education and career goals
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Therapeutic abortion: An abortion performed (usually in the second trimester) to preserve the health or life of the pregnant woman, or when the fetus is determined to be nonviable or have significant defects.
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
There are physical risks associated with abortion, most of which are significantly reduced when the procedure is performed early in the pregnancy; most women recover from the procedure without physical complications. Some women who have abortions report emotional or psychological distress following the procedure
Counterpoint: Abortion Is a Women's Health Issue and Should Be a Constitutional Right. By: Lee, M., Sprague, Nancy
Thesis: Women throughout the world should have the right to a safe, legal, and accessible abortion. Protecting this right is not only a major public health concern, but a human rights imperative.
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
They also argue that parents' responsibilities to oversee their children's health outweigh teens' right to privacy. Moreover, many advocates believe that notification and consent requirements have reduced the numbers of teen abortions, as well as teen pregnancies
Abortion Statistics Current United States Data
Total number of abortions in the U.S. 1973-2013: 56.5 million+ 219 abortions per 1,000 live births (according to the Centers for Disease Control) Abortions per year: 1.058 million Abortions per day: 2,899 Abortions per hour: 120 1 abortion every 30 seconds
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Trimester: One of three periods of a pregnancy. The first trimester lasts approximately twelve weeks from the time of conception. The second trimester lasts approximately from the thirteenth week to the twenty-seventh week. The third and final trimester lasts approximately from the twenty-eighth week until birth.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Unborn babies are considered human beings by the US government. The federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which was enacted "to protect unborn children from assault and murder," states that under federal law, anybody intentionally killing or attempting to kill an unborn child should "be punished... for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being."
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Vermont -- The state House passed a bill on Feb. 21 that would declare a right to abortions without restrictions. The senate is considering the bill
Planned Parenthood
"Abortion pill" is the common name for using two different medicines to end a pregnancy: mifepristone and misoprostol
Late-Term Abortion: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
"Late-term abortion" refers to the termination of a pregnancy during its more advanced stages
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
"legalized abortion has contributed significantly to recent crime reductions." Around 18 years after abortion was legalized, crime rates began to drop abruptly, and crime rates dropped earlier in states that allowed abortion earlier. Because "women who have abortions are those most at risk to give birth to children who would engage in criminal activity," and women who had control over the timing of childbearing were more likely to raise children in optimal environments, crime is reduced when there is access to legal abortion.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
A Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology study of men whose partners had abortions found that 51.6% of the men reported regret, 45.2% felt sadness, and 25.8% experienced depression.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
A University of California at San Francisco study said fetuses probably can't feel pain until the 29th or 30th week of gestation.
When does brain development begin? https://www.zerotothree.org/
By 27 days, the tube is fully closed and has already begun its transformation into the brain and spinal cord of the embryo
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
In 2015, the abortion debate again spiked when the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress released undercover videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials discussing plans to raise money by selling tissue from aborted fetuses to a biotechnology company
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Pro-life: A general term that is usually applied to those in favor of outlawing abortions, and of empowering the government to determine whether specific types of abortion should be allowed.
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
In 2015, the abortion debate again spiked when the anti-abortion group Center for Medical Progress released undercover videos purporting to show Planned Parenthood officials discussing plans to raise money by selling tissue from aborted fetuses to a biotechnology company
What is Roe v. Wade?
Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), is a landmark decision issued in 1973 by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of the constitutionality of laws that criminalized or restricted access to abortions.
Counterpoint: Pro-Life Activists Need to Push the Anti-Abortion Agenda. By: Chittom, Lynn-nore, Newton, Heather
Abortion is a deadly and dangerous procedure
Guttmacher Institute
Abortions performed in the first trimester pose virtually no long-term risk of problems such as infertility, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) or birth defect, and little or no risk of preterm or low-birth-weight deliveries
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
According to Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (UK), "fetuses cannot be held to experience pain. Not only has the biological development not yet occurred to support pain experience, but the environment after birth, so necessary to the development of pain experience, is also yet to occur.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
According to a review by Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, "most neuroscientists believe that the cortex is necessary for pain perception." The cortex does not become functional until at least the 26th week of a fetus' development, long after most abortions are performed
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015, the abortion rate was 11.8 abortions per 1,000 women aged fifteen to forty-four. This number does not take into account illegal abortions. Women in their twenties accounted for more than 58 percent of abortions. More than 91 percent of abortions were performed at or before 13 weeks' gestation
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
Advocates argue that notification laws enhance family communication and promote the health and best interests of minors
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
Age of consent: The age at which, according to the law, persons are bound by their words and acts. State laws can vary in dictating the ages at which a person acquires the legal capacity to consent, for example, to get married, choose a guardian, conclude a contract, or undergo an abortion
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Alabama -- The House passed a bill on April 30 that would make performing an abortion a felony. The only exception would be if a mother's life was in danger. The Senate is now considering the legislation.
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
Although women aged eighteen and younger account for a relatively small share of all the abortions performed every year in the United States, their legal status as minors has made them a particular focal point in reproductive policy debates.
Counterpoint: Pro-Life Activists Need to Push the Anti-Abortion Agenda. By: Chittom, Lynn-nore, Newton, Heather
In every abortion the life of an innocent, unborn baby is knowingly ended, and its mother faces potentially life-long emotional consequences as a result of that decision
Counterpoint: Abortion Is a Women's Health Issue and Should Be a Constitutional Right. By: Lee, M., Sprague, Nancy
In the United States, a woman's right to choose to have an abortion is an extension of each citizen's fundamental right to privacy.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Instead of having the option to abort, women should give their unwanted babies to people who cannot conceive
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
It would be cruel to force women to carry fetuses with fatal congenital defects to term. Even in the case of nonfatal conditions, such as Down syndrome, parents may be unable to care for a severely disabled child
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Arkansas -- Gov. Asa Hutchinson has signed two anti-abortion bills this year. On Feb 19, he signed a bill legislation that would outlaw abortion if Roe v. Wade is reversed. The other bill, which bans abortion after 18 weeks, was signed on March 15.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Bernard N. Nathanson, MD, the late abortion doctor who renounced his earlier work and became a pro-life activist, stated that when an abortion is performed on a 12-week-old fetus, "We see [in an ultrasound image] the child's mouth open in a silent scream... This is the silent scream of a child threatened imminently with extinction."
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
House Representative Randy Hultgren (R-IL) wrote in Jan. 2014 that "When we tell one another that abortion is okay, we reinforce the idea that human lives are disposable, that we can throw away anything or anyone that inconveniences us."
Planned Parenthood
How early you can get an abortion depends on where you go. In some places, you can get it as soon as you have a positive pregnancy test. Other doctors or nurses prefer to wait until 5-6 weeks after the first day of your last period
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
Deborah Anne Driscoll, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania, said "many couples... don't have the resources, don't have the emotional stamina, don't have the family support [to raise a child with Down syndrome]."
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Despite the United States' ban on abortion, which lasted for more than a half-century, illegal abortions continued, particularly among poor women without access to or knowledge of contraception or other family planning methods
Planned Parenthood
Dilation and Evacuation (D&E) is another kind of in-clinic abortion procedure. It uses suction and medical tools to empty your uterus. You can get a D&E later in a pregnancy than aspiration abortion -- usually if it has been 16 weeks or longer since your last period.
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Elective termination: An abortion performed at the request of the woman for reasons unrelated to personal health or safety. A woman may elect to have an abortion without restrictions during the first two trimesters of her pregnancy. During this time, the only regulations that the state government can impose regarding the abortion are those regarding the credentials and experience of the practitioner and the condition of the facility where the procedure is performed.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
Embryos and fetuses are not independent, self-determining beings, and abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby.
Fact Sheet: Science of Fetal Pain By: Charlotte Lozier Institute
Fetal surgeons recognize unborn babies as patients--Perinatal medicine now treats unborn babies as young as 18 weeks for dozens of conditions. Pain medication for unborn patients is routinely administered as standard medical practice.
Planned Parenthood
First, you take a pill called mifepristone. Pregnancy needs a hormone called progesterone to grow normally. Mifepristone blocks your body's own progesterone, stopping the pregnancy from growing.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives."
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt, PhD, wrote that after abortion was legalized, "Conceptions rose by nearly 30 percent, but births actually fell by 6 percent, indicating that many women were using abortion as a method of birth control, a crude and drastic sort of insurance policy."
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that would ban most abortions once a doctor can detect a "heartbeat" in the womb — which supporters say happens around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women realize they are pregnant. Kemp has said he will sign the bill.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
Having a child is an important decision that requires consideration, preparation, and planning. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stated that unintended pregnancies are associated with birth defects, low birth weight, maternal depression, increased risk of child abuse, lower educational attainment, delayed entry into prenatal care, a high risk of physical violence during pregnancy, and reduced rates of breastfeeding. 45% of all pregnancies among American women are unintended
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Kentucky -- Gov. Matt Bevin signed a bill on March 9 that would make abortion after a heartbeat is detected a felony with the only exception being when a mother's life is in danger. Hours later a federal judge temporarily blocked the law. Five days after that, a judge blocked another Kentucky law that sought to ban abortion for reasons of race, gender and disability. Both laws have been suspended while a federal judge considers lawsuits challenging them.
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Late-term abortion: Refers to the removal of the fetus usually between the twentieth and twenty-seventh week of gestation
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Louisiana -- A Senate panel advanced a heartbeat bill on April 30.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
Many women who choose abortion don't have the financial resources to support a child. 42% of women having abortions are below the federal poverty level.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Maureen Condic, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, explains that the "most primitive response to pain, the spinal reflex," is developed by eight weeks gestation, and adds that "There is universal agreement that pain is detected by the fetus in the first trimester."
Guttmacher Institute
Medicaid was the second-most-common method of payment, reported by 24% of abortion patients. The overwhelming majority of these patients lived in the 15 states that allow state funds to be used to pay for abortion.6
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Medicine found that women who underwent an abortion had "significantly higher" anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale up to five years after the pregnancy termination
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
Minor: A person who has not attained the age fixed for entering in to a legal contract or for making him, or herself, legally liable for his or her own actions.
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Mississippi -- Gov. Phil Bryant signed a heartbeat bill on March 21. Last year, a judge blocked a less-restrictive bill that would've banned abortion after 15 weeks.
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Missouri -- On Feb. 27, the state House has passed a massive anti-abortion bill that would prohibit the procedure after a heartbeat is detected and also ban all abortions if there's is a change in federal law -- known as a trigger bill. Georgia lawmakers had introduced a trigger bill earlier this year, and Gov. Brian Kemp backed it. That bill did not advance.
Guttmacher Institute
Most U.S. abortion patients had health insurance in 2014. Thirty-five percent had Medicaid coverage, while 31% had private insurance.6 However, insurance does not necessarily cover abortion services, and even when it does, patients may not use their coverage for a variety of reasons (e.g., because they do not know their plan covers it, they are concerned about confidentiality or their provider does not accept their plan)
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
Much of the debate on the topic of abortion revolves around the question of whether an embryo or fetus is a person, or at what point an embryo or fetus becomes a person, or achieves viability. Most pro-life groups and conservatives who oppose abortion believe that human life begins at conception
Guttmacher Institute Induced Abortion in the United States
Nearly half (45%) of all pregnancies among U.S. women in 2011 were unintended, and about 4 in 10 of these were terminated by abortion
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
New York -- On Jan. 22, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a law that codifies Roe v. Wade into state law, which would allow abortions to remain legal even if the court decision is overturned. Late-term abortions are now legal if a mother's life is threatened or the fetus is not viable. The law also allows health care professionals such as nurse practitioners or physician assistants to perform abortions.
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Ohio -- Gov. Mike DeWine signed a heartbeat bill on April 11. The bill will take effect in July.
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Oklahoma -- The state Senate approved a bill on March 14 that proposes a constitutional amendment ballot issue that would allow voters to indicate that the state constitution does not protect the right to an abortion.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
Physical limitations don't make those with disabilities less than human. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 provides civil rights protection to people born with disabilities so they can lead fulfilling lives
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
Roe v. Wade: The United States Supreme Court case that was decided on January 22, 1973, in which the prohibition of abortion was ruled unconstitutional and, thus, illegal. The Supreme Court justices ruled seven-to-two in favor of Roe, the defendant, thereby overturning thirty state laws outlawing abortion that were found to be in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The decision prohibits states from banning abortions during the first two trimesters, as well as in the third trimester, except in special cases. The court decision does not define any of these special cases, and gives a broad definition of what constitutes an acceptable health risk for a woman choosing to abor
Counterpoint: Pro-Life Activists Need to Push the Anti-Abortion Agenda. By: Chittom, Lynn-nore, Newton, Heather
Sadness, depression, guilt, anxiety, numbness, and shame are just a few of the psychological effects common to women who have had abortions.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
Some fetuses have such severe disorders that death is guaranteed before or shortly after birth. These include anencephaly, in which the brain is missing, and limb-body wall complex, in which organs develop outside the body cavity.
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
South Carolina -- The House passed a hearbeat bill on April 24. This bill allows exceptions for cases of rape, incest or if the life of the mother is in danger. The Senate is considering the bill.
Planned Parenthood
Suction abortion (also called vacuum aspiration) is the most common type of in-clinic abortion. It uses gentle suction to empty your uterus. It's usually used until about 14-16 weeks after your last period.
A look at abortion bills around the U.S. in 2019
Tennessee -- A heartbeat bill has passed the state House on but failed to pass the Senate. Lawmakers later sent a trigger bill that would outlaw abortion if Roe v. Wade is overturned.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
The "flinching" and other reactions seen in fetuses when they detect pain stimuli are mere reflexes, not an indication that the fetus is perceiving or "feeling" anything.
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
The BBC states that "Traditional Buddhism rejects abortion because it involves the deliberate destroying of a life."
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
The act also states that an unborn child is a "member of the species homo sapiens." [126] At least 38 states have passed similar fetal homicide laws
Fact Sheet: Science of Fetal Pain By: Charlotte Lozier Institute
The basic anatomical organization of the human nervous system is established by 6 weeks
They Are Real: Meet Born-Alive Abortion Survivors
The bill would have provided protection for babies born alive after abortions, and every single Democratic candidate for 2020 voted against it. Thor Benson even went on to tweet that there is no such thing as an abortion survivor. This is void of anything truthful, and the testimonies of abortion survivors below prove it to be so.
Planned Parenthood
Then you take the second medicine, misoprostol, either right away or up to 48 hours later. This medicine causes cramping and bleeding to empty your uterus.
Fact Sheet: Science of Fetal Pain By: Charlotte Lozier Institute
The earliest neurons in the cortical brain (the part responsible for thinking, memory, and other higher functions) are established starting at 6 weeks
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
The effect of that law was the shuttering of about half of the state's abortion clinics
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
The health care reform legislation signed into law by US president Barack Obama in March 2010 maintained a ban on the use of federal money for elective abortions or for any health insurance plans that cover abortions. Although the ban was criticized by abortion rights groups, most maintained their support of the bil
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
The increase in abortions of babies with Down syndrome (over 80% of women choose to abort Down syndrome babies) reduced the Down syndrome population by 15% between 1989 and 2005
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
The justices ruled in a 5-3 majority that the law imposed an "undue burden" on women seeking abortions and did little to protect their health and safety. The decision was anticipated to affect ten states with admitting-privileges legislation and up to six states with similar requirements on ambulatory surgical standards
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
The landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, decided on Jan. 22, 1973 in favor of abortion rights, remains the law of the land. The 7-2 decision stated that the Constitution gives "a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy," and that "This right of privacy... is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy."
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
The legalization of abortion sends a message that human life has little value
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine,
The more the abortion issue is discussed, the more galvanized people on either side become, ensuring that the debate will continue for some time
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
The percentage of infants given up for adoption in the United States declined from 9% of those born before 1973 to 0.5% of those born in 2014
Fact Sheet: Science of Fetal Pain By: Charlotte Lozier Institute
The published scientific literature shows that unborn babies can experience pain at 20 weeks gestational
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org
The unborn baby should not be punished for a mistake made by adults. If women are unprepared to care for their children, they should at least put them up for adoption
Abortion: Overview. By: Rich, Alex K., Wagner, Geraldine
With advances in technology and education, and increased use of contraception, the abortion rate in the United States has dropped considerably. After peaking in 1981, the number of abortions in the United States has decreased steadily, except for a slight percentage increases in a few years. According to the Guttmacher Institute, in 2014, 926,200 abortions were performed, down 12 percent from 1.06 million abortions in 2011 and from 1.31 million in 2000. From 1973 through 2011, more than 50 million legal abortions occurred. In 2014, 19 percent of pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) ended in abortion.
Planned Parenthood
You usually can get a medication abortion up to 70 days (10 weeks) after the first day of your last period. If it has been 71 days or more since the first day of your last period, you can have an in-clinic abortion to end your pregnancy.
Interesting Fact
if you look on the planned parenthood website they do not use words referring to a baby. For example the website says, "In-clinic abortion works by using suction to take a pregnancy out of your uterus"
Abortion and Minors: An Overview. By: Ballaro, Beverly, Wagner, Geraldine
particular focal point in reproductive policy debates. Tracking the exact rates of abortion among minors is difficult, as the main source for abortion statistics is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which breaks the statistics down according to women's ages in five-year increments; thus, CDC statistics
Abortion - Pros & Cons Author: ProCon.org Counterpoints
study found that women unable to obtain abortions were more likely to stay in a relationship with an abusive partner than women who had an abortion, and were more than twice as likely to become victims of domestic violence.