What was considered the future of the abortion industry is now a reality.
The chemical abortion pill, commonly known as RU 486, accounts for a third of all abortions done in America.
Pro-abortion advocates predicted that this evolution of early abortion techniques would make it possible for the lethal medication to be dispensed quietly and surreptitiously from doctors’ offices.
That might be true if not for the women who are experiencing chemical abortions and speaking out about their traumatic ordeals.
During the nineties while opposing the FDA’s approval of this death drug, we and other pro-life organizations made a grave prediction: Chemical abortion will inflict a larger, more devastating emotional wound on women than surgical abortion.
With traditional surgical abortion the abortionist has been viewed as the evil culprit. He or she surgically imposes the physical and mental pain that often accompanies abortion.
More importantly, in the minds of countless women, it is first and foremost the abortionist who takes the life of their babies.
That paradigm is shifting with RU 486, because it’s the woman who takes the pill that kills her unborn child. Then at home and often alone, she ingests the second pill that will initiate strong uterine contractions to expel the dead baby. In the process, she will experience nausea, painful cramping and profuse bleeding.
Most traumatizing, however, is what she sees in the toilet bowl. As she gazes down in shocked horror upon the eyes, fingers and toes of a beautifully-formed unborn child, she sees the unmistakable evidence that she just killed her baby.
Have our grim predictions become reality? Many women have found solace by sharing their anguished experiences and raw emotions online. Here are some of their stories, as shared on AbortionChangesYou.org. All have remained nameless.
She had a chemical abortion at 13 weeks after being told her baby had a fetal abnormality and wouldn’t make it to full term. After expelling the child from her body, she wrote, “He looked perfect.” And she confided to taking a picture of him that “I look at every day.”
The emotional aftermath was particularly severe for this woman. “I miss my baby so much. I feel so empty inside, I get such bad mood swings that I break things and start screaming and crying, I feel so lost…inside I feel so dead.”
Another woman had been with her partner for 13 years and had two teenage children. An ultrasound confirmed that she was pregnant with twins. She could see in the father’s eyes that he wanted her to go through with the pregnancy. After the chemical abortion commenced, she wrote, “In my mind all he had to say was don’t do it, we will get through [this] together, but he didn’t.” Sadly, many women have expressed a similar sentiment. But most men, it seems, have been brow- beaten to believe that the abortion decision is hers alone and they must remain silent and supportive.
After the abortion, her personal torment began. “That night I tossed and turned and had visions of me looking at my aborted twins.” Fast forward six years, her relationship with the father of her children is over. “I am now a shadow of my former self, I’m weak and have no confidence, every day is a battle…mainly the month of the abortion.” She concluded her tragic story with this heartbreaking admission: “I am thinking not only did I destroy healthy twins, I’m now destroying my life and my children’s lives. I just wish I could turn back time.”
The account of another woman reveals, like many before her, she was told by the abortion center staff to “not look” at the baby she would pass into the toilet at home. But she did. “At 12 weeks the fetus was a perfectly formed baby…and I will live with this image forever.”
Heartbreak is a recurring theme. This mother who had a chemical abortion at nine weeks wrote, “It’s the biggest regret I have. I’ve become suicidal. I can’t sleep because I have horrible nightmares, and I cry all the time.” Like the others, she was told not to look, but couldn’t bear not to. “The image sticks with me all day every day. I’m still bleeding now, and the pain is horrible. But it’s nothing compared to the emotional pain I feel. I’d do anything to turn back time to keep my baby and love him/her forever. I wouldn’t wish this pain and suffering on anybody.”
In addition to the emotional trauma chemical abortion inflicts on women, there are sobering physical complications.
One woman wrote, “The abortion itself is a nasty, nasty experience, god forbid if I ever had to do that again. The pain was immense, pain killers did nothing.”
Another was traumatized by her intense pain. “The pain was continuous with no pauses. I was screaming. It was unbearable…I thought I was going to die from pain.”
Multiple studies on chemical abortion’s effect on women substantiate serious physical complications. A study of actual medical records of over 22,000 women who had a chemical abortion were compared with nearly an equal number of those who underwent surgical abortions.
According to the study, women had four times as many serious complications when they chose the chemical abortion route. One out of six women experienced hemorrhaging. Over three out of every 50 women had parts of the baby left inside, most of whom required surgery to remove it.
Six additional studies had similar results, which means that approximately one out of every 20 women who undergo a chemical abortion will need surgery for hemorrhaging or tissue left inside. Further, one out of 100 of those will be emergency, life-threatening situations.
As the abortion industry transitions to more and more chemical abortions, additional women will experience traumatic physical and psychological ramifications. This means the Pro-life Movement and the general public who deeply care about them and their babies must be equipped to warn unsuspecting women of the dangers of chemical abortion.
We should also be ready and able to refer women to the emergency hotline 877-558-0333 at AbortionPillReversal.com if she takes the first pill and then has second thoughts. New research shows that 68% of babies can be saved by this early intervention.
Finally, we must be prepared to assist the countless hurting mothers and fathers who have been emotionally traumatized by chemical abortion.
Let this be our call to arms — loving arms that will embrace them and support them through their path to healing.
An excellent article…the word has to get out concerning this “quick and easy” solution to an unplanned pregnancy. It’s never quick and easy. I will never forget a woman telling me of her secret abortion 29 years ago. It was to be over “in just a few minutes”. She told me, “it has never been over…I think about it every single day.” Shaking and crying as she spoke, I could see how abortion had impacted every part of her life. This truth about chemical abortion needs to get out so it is not seen as even more secret, simpler, safer…The deception must end.
Can the FDA pull this drug off the market?
Thank you for this candid article. The statistics of harm done to women were startling. Everything I have read about the promotion of chemical abortion is laced with the lie that it is without consequence. These drugs are sold right out in the open at many stores. So I have to wonder, since current findings state that the number of abortions in this country are decreasing, is it because many chemical abortions are never even reported?
Thank you. This is something all pro-lifers should know about. I recall Dr. Willkie warning us about RU 486 as far back as the 1980’s.
The Calif State Legislature is now considering making this pill available in all public universities and colleges under SB 320.
This is what a young college girl can expect when taking the RU 486 poison: “…in the process, she will experience nausea, painful cramping and profuse bleeding.
“Most traumatizing, however, is what she sees in the toilet bowl. As she gazes down in shocked horror upon the eyes, fingers and toes of a beautifully-formed unborn child, she sees the unmistakable evidence that she just killed her baby.”
A heart wrenching article. I wish there would be a resurgence of couples willing to take and raise these poor, unwanted babies. I pray for all concerned parties. That the Holy Spirit will inspire generous loving couples, or stable singles to share their lives . Thank you for the work you do. God Bless!
Oh My God! Please stop this heinous thing before it gets any worse. So many lives…., so many lives….. May God in His Mercy bring this to an end, because with Him all things are possible.
This article should be shared with everyone you know, especially those of us working in Pregnancy Resource Centers. Amazing that we have strict warning labels on alcohol, cigarettes, and every sort of chemical, as it should be, yet this “drug” is allowed to be marketed with minimal warnings. Where are the attorneys who supposedly protect us from these products and harmful drugs with their class action lawsuits? Should any other product or drug have so many health issues, we would be bombarded by ads from law firms wanting to take on your case. Unfortunately the women who experience these horrific side effects are afraid to come forward, as they will have to expose their actions. Thank you to the brave women who have been traumatized by this horrific drug, and have had the courage to speak out. This is the ultimate victimization of women shrouded by the political and financial gains of those who benefit from it.