I want to give Brit Hume a hug for this!!!!! What a great commentary on Planned Parenthood and abortion which aired on Bret Baier. I am so grateful for his courage in saying what many feel and are thinking, but don't dare come out and say on the news.
Thanks Brit Hume!
This may be hard for some people to watch, but as people who have lost a child to abortion and may be suffering, I think he is saying what we all know, and some of us want to say...
Priscilla Coleman Ph.D. replies to the flawed study:
The Turnaway Study: The Latest Attempt to Reverse Evidence-based, Women-Centered Advances in Abortion Policy
Priscilla K. Coleman, PhD
The PLoS ONE study titled “Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in the United States:
A Longitudinal Study” is riddled with serious design flaws that render the results meaningless. The problematic issues are described in detail below followed by evidence that the true motivation for publishing the study is likely political. In recent years, credible science has informed policy with 26 states, now requiring information regarding mental health effects be shared with women considering abortion. This study is a poor attempt to provide counter “evidence” and obscure the reality of women’s suffering, reminiscent of the highly flawed research from the 70s and 80s.
Methodological Issues:
1) As reported by the authors, the consent to participate rate is only 37.5%. This is unacceptable, as the missing 62.5% who were approached and declined were likely the women who had the most adverse psychological reactions to their abortions. With sensitive topic research, securing a high initial consent rate is vitally important and in order to approach being representative, a minimum of 70% should be retained.
2) The authors note that the sample was comprised of a high concentration of women from low socioeconomic backgrounds, rendering the sample not representative of US women undergoing abortion today. There is an ethical concern here as a well, since providing $350 to participate is coercive, as it would be difficult for most of the women to turn down the money.
3) The authors fail to reveal the specific consent to participate rates for each group. Because prior research has demonstrated that second trimester abortions are potentially more traumatizing than first trimester procedures, it is likely that a significantly higher percentage of women in the first-trimester group consented to participate; and the percentage of willing to participate, second trimester participants was likely well under 37.5%. If the rates were comparable, why not report this? Failure to report critical information increases suspicion that this “near limit’ group is in no way representative.
4) In the Turnaway Study, women who secured abortions near the gestational limits included women for whom the legal cut off ranged from 10 weeks through the end of the second trimester.There is a wealth of data indicating that women’s reasons for choosing abortion and their emotional responses to the procedure differ significantly at varying points of pregnancy. Women aborting at such widely different points should therefore not be lumped together, particularly when gestational age information is available in the data.
5) No information is provided regarding how the sites were actually chosen. What type of sampling plan was employed? Why were only those identified with the National Abortion Federation used? What cities were included? Which areas of the country were sampled?
6) The majority of the outcome measures are single items, and this is problematic given the many psychometrically sound multiple item instruments available in the literature for the variables examined. Well-trained behavioral science researchers should not attempt to measure complex human emotions in such a superficial manner; and ethically responsible scientists would not extrapolate from such minimalistic assessments to women’s emotional reactions to one of life’s more challenging decisions.
Bias issues:
7) The authors’ uneasiness with recent litigation is stated in the opening paragraph: “Arguments about emotional harms from induced abortion—including decision regret and increasing negative emotions over time—have been leveraged to support abortion regulation in the United States. To uphold a 2007 law banning a later abortions, Justice Kennedy of the Supreme Court stated: “While we find no reliable data to measure the phenomenon, it seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort...” In support of a state-level ban, a researcher testified that abortion “carries greater risk of emotional harm than childbirth.” Arguments about emotional harm have been used to forward parental consent, mandatory ultrasound viewing, and waiting period legislation as well.” This is a rather odd way to open a supposed scientific investigation and the authors’ unapologetic decision to do so reveals their rather transparent political motivation (i.e., to provide counter results no matter what the scientific cost).
8) The authors’ effort to draw sweeping conclusions from this single, seriously compromised study is evident in their remarks regarding the implications of the study: “Results from this study suggest that claims that many women experience abortion decision regret are likely unfounded.” As scientists we never make such sweeping conclusions based on a single study, particularly when there is an abundant literature comprised of hundreds of sophisticated studies wherein the conclusions are quite discrepant. Courts throughout the US have concluded that women should be appraised of the risks before consenting to abortion; it almost seems silly that these researchers hope to shift the tide based on this study alone.
9) Funding was secured from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation among other sources with a political agenda. As described on their website, “Our work in the United States seeks to advance reproductive health and rights for women and young people by improving access to quality comprehensive sexuality education, family planning and safe abortion care.”
In the video below, Paul, a man from Utica, New York, shares about his years of depression following the abortions of two of his children. Forty years after the abortions, he made this video, speaking out specifically to other men who may also be suffering from the abortions of their children.
Paul says,
To this day, I regret the decisions that were made. … I have nightmares about the decision that we made, and I still mourn for the loss of those two kids.
He shares that, when he and his girlfriend walked into the clinic, he thought the clinic would help them know how to plan for parenthood. Instead, they were sold abortion – the death of a child they would never parent.
Paul also shares his gratefulness for those who stand outside abortion clinics, offering help to the women and men who are going inside. He believes that at least one of his children might have been saved if people had been outside the clinic that day, forty years ago. Paul himself now volunteers outside abortion clinics, doing what he can to save others’ children.
We’ve gotta do more than just say, abortion is wrong. We have to put a face behind the voice. That face is you and me.
Editor’s note. This appeared at http://liveactionnews.org/post-abortive-father-i-had-a-great-life-two-of-my-children-didnt/#more-66587 and is reprinted with permission.
Are you a man suffering from the aftermath of abortion? There is hope. There is healing. Join us for a Day of Prayer & Healing for Men, October 17, 2015, Bronx, New York. Contact Lumina at 1-877-586-4621 for more information.
With Heavy Heart - My Thoughts on the Latest Expose' on Planned Parenthood - Patti Smith
My heart has been heavy since the release of the undercover video of Dr. Deborah Nucatola of Planned Parenthood discussing the harvesting of body parts of aborted babies. She went into morbid detail while munching on a salad and drinking a glass of wine.
Being post-abortive, this latest atrocity not only broke my heart, but I was also shrouded once again with overwhelming regret over my decision to abort so many years ago. The nightmares have returned with graphic reenactments of the details Dr. Nucatola so dispassionately divulged between bites of lettuce.
How many other post-abortive women are going through the same despair? Yes, I’ve been through a healing program, in fact, I am a facilitator of one and thank God I have the tools that will, in time, help me get through this latest crisis. But what about those who have not yet reached out for help dealing with their regret? I can only imagine the heart-wrenching anguish they must be experiencing.
The Elliot Institute answers Times article on the denial of women regretting abortion.
Flawed Study Claiming Women Don't Regret Abortions Doesn't Settle Debate
*****************************************************
"This Study Should End The Debate About Whether Women Regret
Having Abortions," reads the headline from ThinkProgress. The
study, published in the journal PLoS One, claims that 95 percent
of women having abortions do not have regrets afterward.
From the study:
"Women experienced decreasing emotional intensity over time,
and the overwhelming majority of women felt that termination was
the right decision for them over three years. Emotional support
may be beneficial for women having abortions who report intended
pregnancies or difficulty deciding."
Far from settling the debate, however, the study has a number of
flaws that belie the conclusions drawn by the authors. Among the
flaws:
1) This study's findings and conclusions are overreaching due
to self-selection and high drop out rates. To quote from the
study: "Overall, 37.5 percent of eligible women consented to
participate, and 85 percent of those completed baseline
interviews (n = 956). Among the Near-Limit and First-Trimester
Abortion groups, 92 percent completed six-month interviews, and
69 percent were retained at three years; 93 percent completed at
least one follow-up interview." This means 62.5 percent of women
refused to participate in the study.
2) With 62.5 percent of eligible women refusing to participate in
the study, it is improper for the authors to suggest that their
findings reflect the general experiences of most women. There are
numerous risk factors which have been identified as predicting
which women will have the most severe post-abortion reactions
(http://bit.ly/1I3H3mY). One of these risk factors, for example,
is ambivalence about having an abortion or carrying to term.
Another is the expectation that one will have more negative
feelings about the abortion. In a similar post-abortion interview
study by Soderberg, the author reported that in interviews with
those declining to participate "the reason for non-participation
seemed to be a sense of guilt and remorse that they did not wish
to discuss. An answer often given was: 'Do do not want to talk
about it. I just want to forget.'" (http://bit.ly/1MaU0xW)
3) It is very likely that the self-selected 37.5 percent of
women agreeing to participate were more highly confident of their
decision to abort prior to their abortions and anticipated fewer
negative outcomes. This concern about selection bias is
highlighted by the study's own finding that "women feeling more
relief and happiness at baseline were less likely to be lost [to
follow-up]." Clearly, due to the large numbers of women choosing
not to be questioned about their experience, and the large drop
out rate of those who did agree, this sample is not
representative of the national population of women having
abortions.
4) Despite the initial selection bias, 15 percent of those
agreeing to be interviewed subsequently opted out of the baseline
interview and another 31 percent opted out within the three year
followup period. This indicates that even among women who
expected little or no negative reactions, the stress of
participating in follow up interviews lead to a change of mind.
The authors also make much of the claim that 93 percent of the
participants "completed at least one follow up interview" which
the media outlets incorrectly reported as meaning, "Only 7
percent of the participants dropped out of the study during
follow-up." (http://bit.ly/1CEytL7)
5) The bias of the research team is made clear in press
releases (http://bit.ly/1K86aqX) and an infographic
(http://bit.ly/1gCtBMH) purporting to summarize the study. In
these "summaries" the research group conceals the details
regarding the high non-participation rate and boldly claims "95
percent of women who had abortions felt it was the right
decision, both immediately and over 3 years" -- omitting the fact
that 62.5 percent refused to answer the question at the time of
their abortion and of those interviewed at the time 31 percent
were out of the study by the third year. Notably, the problem of
high non-participation and drop out rates is not mentioned in the
abstract, press release, or other summarizing materials published
by the authors. To the contrary, they consistently imply that
their results apply to the entire population of women having
abortions.
Notably, the claim of declining regret and declining negative
reactions is at odds with Brenda Major's (http://bit.ly/1MaUwfB)
two year longitudinal study, which also had high drop out rates,
that found that there was a trend of decline in relief and increase
in negative emotions over the two year period among those who did
not drop out of her study. (See Major B, et al. Psychological
responses of women after first-trimester abortion. Archives of
General Psychiatry. 2000: 57(8), 777-84.)
Another oddity, the authors report that in the final group
analyzed, average age 25, 62 percent were raising children. This
would appear to be a very high rate that is not typical of
national averages for women seeking abortion. Also, the sample
included 413 women who had an abortion near the end of the second
trimester compared to only 254 women having an abortion in the
first trimester.
Additionally, the authors do not report on any assessment of
whether women experiencing negative emotions sought any
post-abortion psychological or spiritual counseling. In other
words, it is unclear if the women reporting a decline in negative
emotions experienced this decline because of intervention
(counseling) or reconciliation (spiritual effort) or whether the
decline is "natural" as the authors suggest.
Yet another problem is that the questionnaire used by the authors
focused on just five emotional reactions which the women
attributed to their abortions: relief, happiness, regret, guilt,
anger. (Why "sadness" was omitted is unclear.) The "decision
rightness" measure was based on a single question of whether or
not the "abortion was right for them."
But there is clear evidence from other studies that many women
experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder which
includes symptoms of denial and avoidance behavior. In a study by
Rue, for example, among women reporting intrusive memories and
dreams related to their abortion, only half attributed these
thoughts to their abortions (http://bit.ly/1Jiwede). In other
words, half were in such denial that while on one hand they could
report certain intrusive thoughts, half denied that these thoughts
had anything to to do with their abortions.
Therefore, women reporting less "anger" relative to their
abortion may in fact have more feelings of anger in their lives
but may not be attributing this anger to their abortions, but
rather to other problems, though perhaps in counseling, they
might discover their increased feelings of anger were projected
on other issues but are related to unresolved hurt over the past
abortion.
Theresa Bonpartis, who herself underwent an abortion and now
offers support for others suffering after abortion through
Lumina post-abortion ministry, commented on the study:
I often wonder where they get the women for these "studies."
Certainly not from places where women who are seeking help go.
This one in particular was done at the Bixby Center for Global
Reproductive Health at UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine.
Biased? Please!
The study only looked at three years after a woman's
abortion. Most women do not even begin to deal with an abortion
until around seven years after.
Lumina receives about 200 new women every year who come to us
because they are suffering from a past abortion and have many
regrets. The prochoice side itself says that 10 percent of women
who have abortions suffer, which in a country where over 56
million abortions have occurred, brings the figure to millions of
women.
Other studies prove differently. One only has to visit the
Elliot Institute web site (http://bit.ly/1DhBwUv), or Priscilla
Coleman's research (http://1.usa.gov/1MaVLLx), or many others,
too many to list, to find that out. Time magazine's article,
"Hardly Any Women Regret Having an Abortion" which was
just published and written by "staff" makes a bold statement,
while only looking at this one study.
To be honest, this makes me angry. Mostly because it
perpetuates the feeling of being crazy if your abortion does
bother you, like there is something wrong with you if it does.
So, if you see this article and are suffering, please reach out
for help, You are not alone; there are millions of us out there
and many great resources for healing. Hope and healing are
possible.
Learn More:
* They're Still Trying to Disprove Post-Abortion Trauma Syndrome
http://bit.ly/1V4iH1Z
* Flawed, Biased Turnaway Study Now Claims 95 Percent of Women
Happy After Abortion
http://bit.ly/1J13jib
* Hardly Any Women Regret Having an Abortion -- Only Millions of
Us!
http://bit.ly/1Hvj26Q
Takeaways from the UCSF Abortion "Turnaway" Study (Series from
NRL News Today):
* Part I: Set up for a Spin http://bit.ly/1DhAZBT
* Part II: Finding What They Looked For http://bit.ly/1HNQimF
* Part III: Spinning the Consequences of Abortion http://bit.ly/1f4DPV2
* Part IV: Research Team with an Agenda http://bit.ly/1MaVlou
* Part V: How Bias Can Tilt Results http://bit.ly/1M6imrM
Get Help:
* Lumina Post-Abortion Ministry http://postabortionhelp.org/pah/
* Help After Abortion http://afterabortion.org/?page_id=3718
* Help During Pregnancy http://www.theunchoice.com/pregnancyhelp.htm
* Center Against Forced Abortions (legal help for those being
pressured, coerced or forced to abort)
http://thejusticefoundation.org/cafa/
Share this article at http://afterabortion.org/?p=10837.
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Elliot Institute, PO Box 7348, Springfield, IL 62791, United States
I just wanted to write a word to those who are post abortive and have been contacting me in light of the horrendous news that came to light last week. Many of you are feeling "unhealed" because you were deeply disturbed by the recent news of Planned Parenthood selling body parts.
As I was praying about this, it struck me how conditioned we are to make ourselves believe the lies the secular world has dealt out about abortion. Not only are we made to feel crazy if it bothers us, but we actually wonder if we are somehow un-healed because something as horrific as the latest exposure of Planned Parenthood upsets us.
They have done a good job!
There is of course, an irony to it all. What right do we have to be upset since we participated in the death of our children. However, contrary to what we may think, our participation gives us a huge right, more of a right than anyone else. They were our children!
Women have been lied to about abortion from the beginning. Even with this latest news, Planned Parenthood is trying to make the public believe that in the midst of an abortion decision, women have actually asked to have their child's body parts donated, as if that were on their minds! And the lies go on and on, because it is the work of the father of lies.
So, do not be disheartened if the news bothered you... it should bother you. That is a healthy response to such a horrific act. It does not mean you are not healed. It means you are a human being with feelings and a heart.
Some of you may just be beginning your journey of healing and are mourning, others may be outraged that this could have happened to their child. You are heartbroken knowing your child and the child of others may have been used by Planned Parenthood.
You have right to feel that way!
So, let us take comfort in knowing our children are at peace now, and although it is terrible to learn the evil acts of Planned Parenthood, they do not win in the end.
Let's pray that society begins to see Planned Parenthood for what it is. Let us pray for each other and for others who are hurting in silence to come forward for healing rejecting the lies they have been told.
Jesus, I trust in You!
************ Are you living in darkness and depression after an abortion? Unable to get past the pain of your loss? There is Hope. There is Healing. There is a way out of the darkness. Email us at [email protected] Call us at 1-877-586-4621 or 1-718-881-8008
Here is the video, although I warn you it is very disturbing. You may not want to watch it, and even if you do, I recommend much praying beforehand. In fact, I cried when I saw it. It is heart wrenching.
I sent it to a few people I know and they asked me if I was really surprised by it. Some also asked why I would watch something like this. I watched it because it needs to be seen.
For me it is a conviction of the need for praying and fasting to deal with this demon of abortion. Look at what we have come to, a society where somehow we allow this kind of behavior in the name of "choice."
I also watched it because the last I saw of my aborted son after my coerced abortion in my teens, was him being placed in a jar marked 3A. I always wondered what happened to him after that.
I would like to believe that at that time they did not do these things. But, we were given no indication of what would happen to him, and I was too young, ignorant, and traumatized to even wonder at that time. Since then however, I have wondered many times over the years .
Perhaps I was unable to think of it before my healing, having experienced so much trauma from the entire experience, from abandonment by family to the destruction of my child in a saline abortion at 4 months. It was just too horrific to even think of before I knew the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.
How does our society continue to justify this? How do truly good people continue to hide behind the rhetoric of "free choice" while millions of unborn babies are killed? How does our government, including the president who touts abortion as a good for his daughters, continue to twist this horrible procedure into something good?
I saw my dead son, believe me, there is nothing good about it.
How do we continue to deny that abortion causes damage to women, men, grandparents, siblings, and countless others as if it were no big deal? How do we make them feel they are crazy for it bothering them, as if that is something unacceptable?
Mostly, how do we live with ourselves?
It is only through the grace of God that I am able to deal with the horror of what I experienced. The grace and forgiveness that freed me from incredible evil and His continued grace that enables me to speak the truth of abortion. I am sustained by the gift of knowing my child is with the Lord and that I will meet him one day, and by the experience of the unconditional love of a God who died for my sin.
I pray those seeking the candidacy of President of the United States will listen to those who have experienced abortion and allow their voice to be heard in the coming elections. I can guarantee them there are millions of women and men sitting on their couches suffering in silence because of abortion, too afraid to come forward. I know compassion and healing will reach them because I was one of them.
It is through these people that abortion will end because they know firsthand the truth of the lies of abortion. Each year, more and more families are impacted by abortion and sadly are learning this truth.
There are a lot of terrible things going on in our world right now, but perhaps the biggest scourge on our nation is the destruction of millions of children in the name of choice. How can we expect peace? How can we expect protection if we slaughter our own children in the name of comfort, seeming convenience, or sexual promiscuity?
May we all wake up to the truth of abortion... before it’s too late.
Steven Tyler singing "Amazing Grace". I cannot help but think of his aborted baby and the fact that he, as I did, saw him after the abortion. It is a picture that never leaves your head.
If he hasn't already sought healing, I pray he finds our men's days, or some other venue to get healing so he can truly feel the "amazing grace" of God's mercy & forgiveness..
I often wonder where they get the women for these "studies." Certainly not from places where women who are seeking help go. This one in particular was done at the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Healthat UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine. Biased? Please!
The study only looked at three years after a woman's abortion. Most women do not even begin to deal with an abortion until around seven years after.
Lumina receives about 200 new women every year who come to us because they are suffering from a past abortion and have many regrets. The prochoice side itself says that 10% of women who have abortions suffer, which in a country where over 56 million abortions have occurred, brings the figure to millions of women.
Other studies prove differently. One only has to visit the Elliot Institute web site, or Pricilla Coleman's research, or many others, too many to list, to find that out. Time magazine's article "Hardly Any Women Regret Having an Abortion..." which was just published and written by "staff" makes a bold statement, while only looking at this one study.
To be honest, this makes me angry. Mostly because it perpetuates the feeling of being crazy if your abortion does bother you, like there is something wrong with you if it does. The truth is, there is something wrong with you if it does not. So, if you see this article and are suffering, please reach out for help, You are not alone, there are millions of us out there and many great resources for healing. Hope & healing are possible...
As for the staff writers at TIME, how about calling us for an article?
Eric Gay—AP Pro-life supporters try to disrupt anti-abortion supporters as they march to the Texas Capitol during a Texas Rally for Life in Austin on Jan. 24, 2015.
The conclusion comes after a three-year research period involving nearly 670 women of all social backgrounds
Ninety-five percent of women who have had abortions do not regret the decision to terminate their pregnancies, according to a study published last week in the multidisciplinary academic journal PLOS ONE.
The study was carried out by researchers from the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health at UC San Francisco’s School of Medicine, and from the university’s division of biostatistics.
Its conclusions come after a three-year research period in which nearly 670 women were regularly surveyed on the subject of their abortions. The sample group was diverse with regard to standard social metrics (race, education, and employment) and on the matter of what the study calls pregnancy and abortion circumstances. Financial considerations were given as the reasons for an abortion by 40 percent of women; 36 percent had decided it was “not the right time;” 26 percent of women found the decision very or somewhat easy; 53 percent found it very or somewhat difficult.
The authors of the study concluded that the “overwhelming majority” of the women participating in the study felt that abortion had been the right decision “both in the short-term and over three years.”
These results offer a statistical retort to the claim that women who have abortions suffer emotionally as a result, as anti-abortion campaigners claim. Previous studies cited in support of this claim, researchers said, “suffer from shortcomings, leaving the question of women’s post-abortion emotions unresolved.”
Entering Canaan Entering Canaan is comprehensive post abortion ministry consisting of Day of Prayer & Healing, weekend Retreats and monthly Gatherings. It also includes a yearly "Mercy Renewal Retreat" which enables those involved in the ministry to come aside each year to grow more deeply in their healing and faith.
Lumina Hope & Healing After Abortion A post abortion ministry of Good Counsel, Inc., Lumina provides groups, retreat days, trainings, public speaking, & referrals to post abortion ministries, professional therapists and clergy.
National Helpline for Abortion Recovery We provide 24/7 confidential help and care, find the nearest abortion recovery program, resources available by mail.
Ramah International Assistance for those hurting from post abortion syndrome through communication, resources, and local referrals.
Project Rachel The Catholic Church's healing ministry for those who have been involved in abortion.
National Office of Reconciliation and Healing A network of researchers and psychotherapeutic professionals working in the field within the U.S. and abroad, consulting on the formation of post-abortion support services within secular and religious settings.
Rachel's Vineyard Rachel's Vineyard retreats combines a unique and creative process for psychological and spiritual healing.
Safe Haven Ministries Safe Haven is a peer site for those who have had abortions to find comfort, hope, understanding, and healing.
Ramah International – Sydna Masse’s Blog
Ramah International, Inc. was founded by Sydna A. Masse, a post-abortive woman who experienced God’s healing touch eleven years after her abortion through a crisis pregnancy center’s ministry program.
After Abortion Life after abortion: News, opinion, personal experience, resources
In the video below, Paul, a man from Utica, New York, shares about his years of depression following the abortions of two of his children. Forty years after the abortions, he made this video, speaking out specifically to other men who may also be suffering from the abortions of their children.
Eric Gay—AP Pro-life supporters try to disrupt anti-abortion supporters as they march to the Texas Capitol during a Texas Rally for Life in Austin on Jan. 24, 2015.