Experiencing An Unplanned Pregnancy / Pro-Life Anti-Abortion. Published with permission from ILLUMINATEDFILMS. “Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy,” notes Patricia Heaton, winner of two Emmy awards and a bestselling author. Ms. Heaton serves as honorary chair for Feminists for Life (FFL), a pro-woman, pro-life organization. FFL continues the tradition of early American feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who opposed abortion and …

Experiencing An Unplanned Pregnancy / Pro-Life Anti-Abortion. Published with permission from ILLUMINATEDFILMS. “Women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy also deserve unplanned joy,” notes Patricia Heaton, winner of two Emmy awards and a bestselling author. Ms. Heaton serves as honorary chair for Feminists for Life (FFL), a pro-woman, pro-life organization. FFL continues the tradition of early American feminists like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who opposed abortion and sought to address its root causes. The sad reality is that the “unplanned joy” Patricia Heaton envisions for women is all too rare. Instead, women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy often end up experiencing the tragic violence of abortion. No “Choice” for Most. Statistics gathered by abortion supporters reveal that the primary reasons women with unintended pregnancies turn to abortion are lack of financial resources and lack of emotional support. Many women also say they felt abandoned, or even coerced into having an abortion. Despite child support laws, some fathers threaten to withhold support. Domestic violence against single pregnant women at the hands of a boyfriend is being reported with greater frequency. Coercion crosses all socio-economic classes. Jennifer O’Neill — actor, model, author and spokesperson for the “Silent No More” post-abortion campaign — reluctantly had an abortion after being coerced by her powerful and wealthy fiancé. He threatened to take away her baby if she gave birth. The abortion damaged her cervix and she subsequently suffered nine miscarriages. “Nothing in the world could ever make me opt for that choice again,” Jennifer O’Neill told Capitol Hill staff and legislators at a Senate briefing. The briefing was part of a pioneering campaign called “Women Deserve Better,” undertaken by pro-woman, pro-life groups Feminists for Life, Life Resources Network, Second Look Project, Solidarity with Women, Silent No More, and Women and Children First. The women at highest risk of resorting to abortion are those of college age. One out of five abortions occurs in this age group. For many years, Feminists for Life’s College Outreach Program has been listening to women on campuses across the country. Women who tested positive for pregnancy at a campus clinic tell us — almost universally — that the next words they heard from clinic staff were “I’m so sorry.” Then they were handed a business card for a local abortion clinic. University counselors and professors echo this message, telling students that they can’t possibly continue their education and have a child — as if pregnancy makes women incapable of reading, writing or thinking. Resources are similarly lopsided. Some colleges offer 0 loans for an abortion, but no financial aid if the young woman gives birth. Pregnant and parenting students report that housing, maternity coverage, child care and telecommuting options are nonexistent on many campuses, and expensive on others. Women who are visibly pregnant are stared at like exotic animals when they cross the campus. The damage that abortion causes to women’s bodies can result in infertility, future miscarriages, breast cancer and even death. Many women also carry emotional scars from the experience. Studies from Finland, Great Britain, Canada and the United States reveal higher rates of suicide, attempted suicide and psychiatric admissions among women who have had an abortion compared to women who have given birth. Abortion is a symptom of — never a solution to — the problems faced by women. As Americans, we like to say that “failure is not an option.” Yet abortion has completely failed as a social policy designed to aid women. It is a reflection that we have failed women — and that women have had to settle for far less than they need and deserve.