by Susan Dammann RN LAS, Medical Specialist

Did you know most abortions are unwanted, including as much as 64 percent of U.S. abortions involving coercion? Abortion-related coercion can lead to violence, including even homicide—the leading cause of death among pregnant women.

Do you know teens are especially at risk for unwanted, coerced and forced abortions, as well as the many forms coercion can take?

Escalating pressure to abort can come from employers, husbands, parents, doctors, partners, profit-driven abortion businesses, landlords, friends and family or even trusted financial, personal, academic or religious guides, gatekeepers or authorities.

These subjects and many more are included in the peer-reviewed Special Report from the Elliot Institute, Forced Abortion in America.

This valuable resource is free to download, and is an excellent tool for educating yourself and your staff about what society commonly calls a woman’s choice, but in reality is often the un-choice.



The report contains the following information:





Why abortion is the Un-choice: 64% of women reported feeling pressured to abort.

Most felt rushed or uncertain, yet 67% weren’t counseled.

79% weren’t told of available resources.

84% weren’t sufficiently informed before abortion.

Pressure to abort can escalate to violence.

Homicide is the leading killer of pregnant women.

Clinics fail to screen for coercion.

Women nearly 4 times more likely to die after abortion.

Suicide rates 6 times higher after abortion.

65% of women suffer trauma symptoms after abortion.

Why abortion is the Uninformed Non-Choice: 54% were unsure of their decision, yet 67% received no counseling beforehand.

84% were inadequately counseled beforehand.

79% not told or deceived about available resources.

Many were misinformed by experts about fetal development, abortion alternatives or risks.

Many were denied essential personal, family, societal or economic support.

Why abortion is the Unsafe Choice: • Nearly 80% of abortions take place in non-hospital facilities, ill-equipped for emergency care.

• 31% had health complications afterwards.

• 65% suffer multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

• 65% higher risk of clinical depression.

• 10% have immediate complications, some are life-threatening.

• 3.5x higher risk of death from all causes.

• Suicide rates are 6 times higher if women abort vs. giving birth.

This is just a sampling of the information contained in this report, complete with many documented case reports. As clients come into our centers looking for our help, it is critically important to educate our staff about what is happening to so many women who find themselves in an unexpected pregnancy.

Equipped with this information, your staff can be vigilant to listen for and explore any indications the client may give, suggesting she may be in a situation involving potential or real violence and coercion.

A woman dealing with both an unexpected pregnancy and coercion-related issues may be frightened to verbalize the threats she is experiencing so we must pray for God’s discernment as we meet with our clients, while developing screening skills to identify potential abuse victims, as well as policies and procedures for intervention when a case of abuse is identified.

Statistics above compiled April 2014.