ISS:Notes on Abortion in American and it's effects on us

   ECONOMICS OF ABORTION

   The abortion industry operates in all fifty states, generating as
much as $500 million a year. ('The Least of These', Curt Young, Moody
Press, Chicago, 1984, p.30).

   A study by the Center for Population Options (CPO) charges that teen
pregnancies cost local, state, and federal governments over $16.65
billion in welfare costs in 1985. The study contends that each first-
born baby of a teen mother would cost the U.S. taxpayers $15,620 (over
20 years). These findings are contradicted by Jacqueline Kasun, Ph.D.
(Teenage Pregnancy: Media Effects vs. Facts) who found that only 15% of
adolescent mothers remain dependent on the state 5 years after delivery.

   California's Medi-Cal pays for about 95,000 abortions annually at a
cost of over $29 million to the taxpayers (1986). (Christian Action
Council, "Action Line", Vol. 5, No. 1, Box 6114, Fullerton, CA 92631).

   Abortion is the cheapest way for the state to deal with unwanted
pregnancies or children with birth defects.

   STATISTICS

   Over 1.5 million abortions are done per year in the United States,
over 18 million since 1973.

   (Scientific American, June 1981, p.88).

   About 55 million abortions worldwide were to occur in 1985. (The
Plain Truth Magazine, 300 W. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91123, 5/85.)
(About 40 to 60 million abortions are done annually according to the
Alan Guttmacher Institute. 1986)

   Of the women having abortions in America, 75% are unmarried, 32% are
teenagers, and 20% are "repeat customers."

   (Newsweek, 6/5/78, p.39).

   For every 1,000 babies born in the U.S., 359 are aborted (One of the
highest rates in the world). No nation has a higher teen abortion rate
(730 for every 1000 live births). Among unmarried women in the U.S.,
abortions now exceed live births by a ratio of 3 to 2.

   NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IN AMERICA

   YEAR NO. ABORT

   1969 22,670 
   1972 586,760 
   1980 1,297,606 
   1981 1,577,340

   ("Abortion Surveillance 1979-80", Centers for Disease Control,
Atlanta GA, 30333, May 1983).

   1982 1,574,000 1983 1,525,000 1984 1,508,000

   (Christian Action Council newsletter, 701 W. Broad St., Suite 405,
Falls Church, VA 22046, 12-27-86).

   Who has abortions?

   (statistics for U.S., 1981)

   AGE GROUP  NO.  ABORT   %     DISTRIBUTION 
   under 15 15,240  1.0  15-19  433,330   27.5 
      20-24 554,940       35.2 
      25-29 316,260       20.0 
      30-34 167,240       10.6 
      35-39 69,510         4.4 
    over 40 20,820         1.3 

TOTAL 1,577,340          100.0

   RACE White....... 70.2% 
        Nonwhite.... 29.8%

   MARITAL STATUS Married..... 18.9% 
                  Unmarried... 81.1$

   (Alan Guttmacher Institute, as seen in "Abortion: The New
Militancy", Gannett News Service, Box 7858, Washinton DC, 20044, 12/85.)

   A 1985 survey of 1,500 adults by the University of Chicago's
Nat-ional Opinion Research Center got the following results: "A woman
should be able to get a legal abortion for any reason (37%); if she is
not married and does not want to marry the father (41%); if she is
married and does not want any more children (40%); if the family has a
very low income (44%), if the woman is pregnant from rape (81%); if
there is a serious chance of defect in the baby (79%). (Abortion: The
New Militancy, Gannett News Service, Box 7858, Wash DC, 20044, 12/85.)

   Since 1976 the United States Congress has cast more roll call votes
on abortion than on any other issue. The largest annual march in US
history is the March for Life, held every January 22 since 1974. About
100,000 citizens converge on Washington D.C. to protest abortion. ('The
Least of These', Curt Young, Moody Press, Chicago, 1984, p.2).

   WHERE WOMEN HAVE ABORTIONS 

   74% of women have abortions in non-hospital clinics, 18% in private
hospitals, 4% in public hospitals, and 4% in physician's offices.
("Abortion: The New Militancy", Gannett News Serv., Box 7858, Wash DC,
20044).

   87% of late term abortions are performed in hospitals. 72% of these
are saline abortions. (Christian Action Council newsletter, 701 W.
Broad St., Suite 405, Falls Church, VA 22046, 7/31/86).

   FETAL DEVELOPMENT 

   18-25th day HEART is beating

   3-4th week Eyes, spinal cord, brain, thyroid gland, lungs, stomach,
liver, kidneys, intestines forming.

   4th week Head is taking definite shape, arms and legs forming.

   5th week 1/3" tall, eyes, retina, lens, ear clefts, fingers, toes
forming.

   6th week Facial features, mouth and tongue, teeth forming in gums,
major muscles, begins to move, brain waves (EEG), reproductive organs
forming.

   8th week Eyes open, swimming strokes, major organs functioning,
grasps with hands, urinates. BABY IS CAPABLE OF FEELING PAIN!

   12 weeks 3 1/2" tall, swallows, vocal chords, fingernails, sucks
thumb, facial expressions.

   16 weeks 5 1/2" tall, weighs 6 oz, eyebrows and lashes, kicks,
somersaults.

   18-20 wks All further development is simply maturing. Babies have
survived outside of the womb from this age.

   (Life or Death pamphlet, Hayes Publishing Co., Cincinnati, OH 45224).

   TEEN SEX 

   Sexual activity among unmarried teens aged 15-19 rose 2/3's during
the 1970's.

   In 1981, out of a total of 27.6 million teens in the U.S., about
11.6 million had experienced intercourse. (56% were male).

   About 50% of boys aged 15-17 have abstained from sex. About 66% of
girls aged 15-17 have abstained from sex.

   The U.S. has the highest incidence of teen pregnancy rate of any
western country, with a rate of nearly 1 in 10.

   One-fifth of all teen premarital pregnancies occur within a month
after first intercourse. Half occur in the first six months.

   1.13 million teens (22% of sexually active teen girls) became
pregnant in 1981. 75% of those were unintentional pregnancies.

   In 1981, 537,000 teen pregnancies ended in live births, 449,000
ended in abortions, and 152,000 ended with miscarriages. 96% of the
live babies were kept by their mothers.

   (Statistics from: Alan Guttmacher Institute/ Planned Parenthood, San
Fransisco, as seen in the Oakland Tribune, May 20, 1985).

   From 1974 to 1982 the percentage of teen pregnancies terminated by
abortion rose nearly 70%. (Americans Against Abortion Newsletter, Vol
1, #3, Box 70, Lindale TX, 75771, Winter 1986).

   POST-ABORTION COMPLICATIONS 

   After legal abortion, it has been shown that there is increased:

   Sterility 5% higher

   Psychiatric aftermath (England) 59% higher

   Tubal Pregnancies 3.5% higher

   (Handbook on Abortion, Dr. & Mrs. J.C.Willke, Hayes Publishing Co.,
Cincinnati, OH 45224).

   The risk of the following are also increased:

   Miscarriage 85% higher

   Premature birth 67% higher

   Low birthweight 32% higher

   Labor complications 47% higher

   Delivery complications 83% higher

   (Study by HEW's National Institutes of Health, 5/78).

   The most extensive study ever including 2,000,000 abortions over 17
years in Europe showed that after abortion:

   Miscarriage 120% higher

   Premature birth 100% higher

   Tubal pregnancy 130% higher

   Damaged cervix * 100% higher

   Loss of interest in sexual activity 1 out of 3 women

   (The Medical Tribune, 2/5/75), (also see The British Medical
Journal, 5/29/76).

   POST-ABORTION STRESS 

   Dr. Anne Catherine Speckhard, Ph.D. of the University of Minnesota
published a study on women who had abortions. The women reported:

   Preoccupation with the aborted child 81%

   Flashbacks of the abortion experience 73%

   Feelings of 'craziness' after abortion 69%

   Nightmares related to the abortion 54%

   Perceived visitations from dead child 35%

   Hallucinations related to the abortion 23%

   72% said they held no religious beliefs at the time of their
abortion, yet 96% now call it the taking of a life or murder. (Crusade
For Life-Pomona Valley newsletter, 1634 Lakewood Ave., Upland CA, 7/86).

   The abortion is not easily forgotten. One man said "I firmly believe
the living hell Diahnn and I went through was due to overwhelm-ing
guilt (over the abortion)." Another young man said "While this
(abortion) was not the only reason for our subsequent divorce, it was a
major one." And Glamour magazine (Dec. 1980) ran an article titled "How
Abortion Tests a Relationship: Could Yours Survive this Emotional
Cri-sis?" In her book 'The Ambivalence of Abortion' Linda Bird Franke
states "In my research, almost every relationship between single people
broke up either before or after the abortion. ...Sex, which had brought
intimacy and relief, brought memories of pain and guilt." c ('The Least
of These', Curt Young, Moody Press, Chicago, 1984, p.54).

   Many women are psychologically damaged after seeing their dead baby.
For example, the American Journal of Psychotherapy (vol 30, 1976,
p.666) published an article titled "Obsessive-Compulsive Neurosis After
Viewing the Fetus During Therapeutic Abortion".

   FOR MORE INFORMATION 

   Americans Against Abortion Box 70 Lindale, TX 75771-0070

   Christian Action Council 701 W. Broad St. Suite 405 Falls Church, VA
22046

   The Rutherford Institute Box 510 Manassas, VA 22110

   Right To Life League of So. Ca. 1616 W. 9th Street, Suite 220 Los
Angeles, CA 90015

   California pro-life legislation hotline. 1-800-992-VOTE
