According to statistics, money is a factor in most abortions. Most people who abort do so at least in part because they feel they can’t afford to raise a child. In fact, in one poll, 73% of women having abortions gave this as a reason.
These women might have chosen to have their babies if they had had the financial support they needed.
Here is one example from an article in the New York Times.
The article says:
“Leah, 26, said money was a factor in her decision to have an abortion… she works in a clothing boutique, a job that she said did not pay enough to support a child….”
According to Leah:
“I always said I would never, ever have an abortion. I probably will regret it.”
She saw an ultrasound of her child, but she was only 5 weeks along, too early for the ultrasound to show detail. The child, at this point, is too small and isn’t developed enough to look like a baby on the ultrasound screen.
Leah says:
“If I saw an actual fetal baby on the ultrasound, I wouldn’t have been able to go through with it.”
Of course, Leah’s baby already had a heartbeat and a developing brain – he or she was a human being, regardless of what he or she looked like.
After her abortion, Leah said:
“I thought I’d be crying. I feel goofy now, but not in a bad way. I feel relieved more than anything. I know I’ll never forget it, but I’d rather do that than have a child I can’t take care of.”
Many women feel relief right after their abortions. After all, they’ve just gone through surgery and it’s now over. The “problem” has been taken care of – or so they think. All too often, depression, regret, grief, and guilt surface later.
On Medium, I wrote a post about poverty and how it drives abortion rates, and possible ways to solve the problem.
JOHN LELAND “Under Din of Abortion Debate, an Experience Shared Quietly” New York Times SEPT. 18, 2005
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