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 The Sunday Times' (Perth) reported today that a record number of young girls in Western Australia are having abortions.
 
According to article, 44 girls aged 14 years or younger terminated a pregnancy last year. This figure is more than double the number six years ago, when 20 girls had abortions.  Abortion Grief Australia state director Julie Cook said that some of the girls were as young as 12.

Edith Cowan University psychology lecturer Bronwyn Harman, researcher of teenage motherhood, said that in a lot of cases young girls dating older boys or men were pressured into sex.

"Girls are being pressured to adopt adult behaviour at an earlier age than previous generations and that that pressure can come from boys their own age or, in a lot of cases, from older men who are predators and bullying them into sex" Dr Harman said.

"It can also come from the premature sexualisation of girls in the media and marketing gone mad", acccording to Dr Harman.

Ms Cook added that girls who had abortions were 3.6 times more likely to abuse hard drugs and twice as likely to be binge drinkers later in life.

"Thirty nine per cent of women who had an abortion had another later in life" said Ms Cook in the interview.

The article goes on to say that opposition child protection spokeswoman Sue Ellery called on the Government to reveal its plans for improving sex education.

"This Government is big on talk but slow to act - We need to invest in better and more effective education for young children about sexual relationships. We need to be a lot more pro-active in making sure that all young people know about contraception" Ms Ellery said.

Deb Garratt, CEO of Real Choices Australia, said that an investigation should be required into whether these abortion providers followed regulatory mandatory reporting guidelines for the protection of these girls.

"How many of these abortions are undertaken to protect perpetrators?  How much choice did these young girls really have in deciding to have sex, or in deciding to have a termination?  It is interesting that Sue Ellery, in response to this story, is concerned about young people knowing more about contraception.  In cases of child abuse, which is all it can be called when 12 year olds are getting pregnant, surely contraception only serves to better hide the crime" Ms Garratt said.

"Young people have the right to an education that teaches them how to advocate for themselves in situations of such coercion.  Not the same old 'safe sex' message and handing out of condoms that simply makes them feel that they are the ones abnormal if they aren't 'doing it'. The fact is, most of them are not having sex.. and we do little to resource and support them to make healthy lifestyle choices" Ms Garratt concluded.

An article posted yesterday by ninemsn reveals a British lady, Cheryl Harrison, aborted her baby at sixteen weeks due to the morning sickness she was experiencing. She described it as "The most horrendous decision I have ever made" and commented that her husband thinks about "the family that we might have had". She also said that she was not offered any counselling.

This is a tragic situation for all involved, and again highlights the lack of care offered to women facing difficult or unplanned pregnancies.

A situation in Melbourne, now some eighteen months ago, occurred where a lady (we shall call 'Louise') also experienced extreme morning sickness. It was a second pregnancy (the first was terminated).

Louise, while keen to keep her second baby, presented to hospital numerous times.  She was told that she could not be admitted.

I made a few calls to a doctor I knew in rural Victoria who shared my concerns about Louise and her baby. He looked into the possibility of her admission into his own local hospital, and while there were beds available, he was unable to offer her one, as it was no longer "policy" to admit women for morning sickness and they were to be treated as day patients.

Louise's day treatments (a drip to rehydrate) worked, but on returning to home, she would feel ill again. As she didn't have a licence, her mother was required to drive through Melbourne to take her frequently to the hospital.

The whole situation became unbearable for Louise, and she aborted for the second time. Louise has since been told by her doctor that if she were to consider getting pregnant again she must take out private health insurance (to ensure she gets a hospital bed)!!

Both of these situations highlight the need for women to receive appropriate physical and emotional care. Both women and their babies were failed by medical systems that showed little regard for their welfare.

As a mother of five, I am familiar with morning sickness, and able to sympathise with both of the women I have referred to. Upon reading the article about the woman in Britain, my husband and I discussed how many times I had also vomitted during each pregnancy. My third child (now eight) was due on Boxing Day...I recall still vomitting on the morning he was born.

I took comfort (between each spew) that the baby I was carrying was strong and healthy, as I was told that morning sickness was a good sign. I also clung to the knowledge that my baby deserved and needed my protection - I would have died for him/her. Thirdly, I drew comfort from knowing that in nine months (possibly less), the sickness would be over and I would be holding the most precious thing... my baby.

Sadly the mother in Britain and also Louise will only ever have sad memories of their pregnancies and their unborn babies destroyed by abortion. Yet another example of women, babies and families deserving better than abortion!!

Contributed by Julie Schoch
Used with permission
 
I am the mother of a child who was almost aborted due to the "counselling" given at the abortion clinic. My daughter's birth mom was raped at 13. She was taken to the clinic where she spent (according to her mother) approximately 6 hours. During this time she was given an ultrasound, but was not permitted to see the screen. She was counselled by staff, including a "doctor" who told her at 20 wks, that her baby wasn't formed yet. When she asked about adoption, she was told, "No one will want a bi-racial, rapist's baby". When she still hesitated, they told her if she did not consent to the abortion, she would die (due to her age). So, believing she would die giving birth to a baby no one would want, she gave in & they started to manually dilate her cervix with metal rods for a D&E. She was awake because her mother wasn't told to bring enough money to cover general anesthesia. During the painful dilation process, she got upset & the abortionist stopped & told her mom "she is making my job too difficult" and had them reschedule to allow the mother to get more money.
 
We were total strangers & from different states when my husband & I heard about the pressure this young lady was under to abort.  Her older sister (a Christian) sought help from a friend of mine who is post-abortive.  My friend contacted me for help because I am a pro-life educational speaker.  My friend & the girl's older sister wanted to see if I would be willing to share accurate information about fetal development & abortion w/ this young lady; which I agreed to do.  At the time I was told about this situation, I had a 2 yr old son & a 2 wk old daughter & was recovering from a c-section.  When we heard about this girl & her situation, we realized she was being manipulated & didn't have an advocate.  We further realized if we were going to ask a 13 yr old 8th grader to take a stand for the life of her baby, then we had to do absolutely everything we could to make that a realistic possiblility for her.   We knew we needed to offer to adopt her baby.  We didn't realize that our offer revealed the lie told to her by the clinic that "no one will want a bi-racial, rapist's baby".  ( My daughters are exactly 6 months & 2 days apart.  It was a lot like having twins! )
 
During the week before the rescheduled abortion, the young mother learned the truth about fetal development, her risks & options. That someone (my husband & I) would love her baby & that the baby was not "unwanted" under any circumstances. Once she had accurate information, she chose life.  The young mom had been given STD testing at the clinic, but never given the results.  Her consent to the abortion was made without full disclosure by the staff.  She could not, therefore, make an educated decision.  Once she chose life & adoption, she started prenatal care & was again tested.  Her rapist had given her Chlamydia, which left untreated & particularly if inserted into a womb raw from the instruments of an abortion, could have made her sterile.  They cared so much for her "reproductive future" that they NEVER bothered to tell her about the disease.  She may have aborted at 13 the ONLY baby she ever would have been able to conceive.  Thankfully, she was treated by her OB & cured.  Her ob/gyn also performed an ultrasound which produced an amazing image of my daughter's face at 23 wks. This photo brought great joy to both her family & ours. She framed the picture of the "rapist's spawn".  I hung my copy on my refridgerator.
 
We met in her state prior to the birth & had a lovely meeting w/ our daughter's birth mom, her mother, & her sister.  She invited me to be in the delivery room (what an honor!),  asked if we had been thinking of names and if she could share a name she really liked.  Two weeks prior to the meeting, we had heard a name that we loved & were planning to name the baby.  The name she offered & the name we had chosen was THE SAME NAME!
 
When she delivered, I was in the room. I think somewhere deep down, some in the room, after the "counseling", were believing that a tiny rapist was going to emerge. A monster with horns. I've heard of babies conceived from rape referred to as "demon seed" and "the Devil's spawn". But no. This was a precious baby girl w/ dark curls & fat cheeks. The tears of pure joy in that room were flowing freely & the love expressed for each other & this tiny baby was beyond measure. Some make wild assumptions & justifications for abortion following a rape without the life knowledge of what living through the experience is really like...or what it could be like. Our daughter's birth mom has remained a part of our lives & we keep in regular contact...we LOVE her too!   She thanks us for adopting & raising her daughter...how humbling. She loves her daughter & is, in every way, the very definition of a "mother" because she showed selfless love for her child. We honor her. Shortly after the delivery & adoption, she accepted Christ as her Saviour.  She was able to finish school, graduate, continue her education & is a medical assistant with goals to work with the babies in the hospital where she delivered.
 
My daughter was not left unscarred by the attempt on her life.  While her life was miraculously spared, she continues to suffer the effects of the dilation process & possibly from whatever medications her birth mom was given at the clinic.  She has multiple delays, requires PT, OT, speech & behavior therapy & experienced seizures (thankfully they are under control).  She is nearly 7 yrs old & we are believing she will be able to potty train.  Our goal is help her reach her maximum potential & we know that God rescued her for a purpose.  We rejoice that we have the privledge of having a front row seat to what He is going to do through her for His glory!  Please pray for her & her continued progress.  Thank you!
 
So what NOW?  And what role does the church play?:
 
I've been blessed w/ the opportunity to speak in some of our local schools & church groups.  I am the Director of Respond For Life.  We work w/ local groups including our area Crisis Pregnancy Centers to help meet the needs of women in our community who are in a crisis pregnancy or who are post abortive, but we bookend our efforts by educating about & encouraging foster care & adoption.  Currently, we as the Body look like hypocrites.  We say there are no unwanted children & the pro-aborts see a system full of "unwanted" children lanquishing away in foster care.  Not only are we called to be a "father to the fatherless", we as the Body, are best suited for this task because we will raise these children to know Christ.  We will teach them how to live in relationship w/ Him, how to be a husband/wife, mother/father.  We will be "Jesus w/ skin on" and we will introduce them to Him.  Further, if we REALLY believe we are going to end legalized abortion, we need to be prepared to welcome these children into our homes because there will still be mothers who cannot or do not want to raise their children.  If we do not prepare by completing a homestudy, we will not be ready to receive the children God could sent to us through adoption.  We decided to do this personally & are certified foster-to-adopt parents.  We have 1 adopted daughter, 4 bio kids & I am expecting...so 6 kids & counting!  LOL!  It is catching on in our church & several couples are now certified or are in the process.  We have also helped our local Children's Services department by providing filled backpacks & lunch bags for every child in foster care in our county.  We also included a Bible & a letter of encouragement for them & their foster parents.  Our current initiative is to address God''s plan for sex, fertility, & babies in marriage & the way His plan has been distorted by our culture.  It is a touchy subject & one I am in much prayer about.  The mindset is what has directly lead to the problems we are facing with divorce & abortion, so I feel it should be addressed in the church.