A brand new survey has revealed that women who have had an abortion or lost a child during pregnancy naturally are two times more likely to have tried to kill themselves than women who have successfully delivered their babies. All those women who are shouting about how awesome their abortions were and how they would do it again and again are likely putting on a show, or “coping” as the new generation says.
Really, they are probably feeling completely dead inside, devastated by the truth that the blood of their unborn child is on their hands forever. At this point, the only hope of healing from the deep seated pain they’re experiencing is by surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ.
They call him the Great Physician for a reason. During His earthly ministry, Jesus didn’t just heal physical maladies, but psychological and spiritual ones too. If we call on Him, truly surrender our lives to His will, the Holy Spirit will heal all wounds. It’s a fact.
“The topic-blind study surveyed 2,829 American women between ages 41 and 45 about their reproductive histories and any past suicide attempts. Elliot Institute Director David Reardon, an associate scholar at the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute, authored the study published in January in the Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology,” The Christian Post reported.
“A history of attempted suicide was highest among women who have undergone abortions. Over one-third (35%) of the post-abortive women surveyed reported that they had attempted suicide. Women who only had successful deliveries of their children had the lowest suicide attempt rate at 13%,” it added.
Females who reported experiencing a pregnancy loss, but did not have a history of abortion, the rate of attempted suicide was 30 percent. Women who unfortunately had a difficult pregnancy, defined as being unplanned or having other complications, found the rate of attempted suicide was 28 percent.
OB-GYN Dr. Ingrid Skop, who is currently the vice president and director of medical affairs at Charlotte Lozier Institute, revealed that the research further adds to that conducted in Europe which also found the rate of suicide among women who have had abortions to be significantly higher than in those who carried their children to full term and delivered them successfully.
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“We must believe these women who tell us directly that their abortion caused them harm,” Skop said in an interview conducted by The Christian Post.
Skop dismissed the Turnaway Study, research cited by media outlets to support the idea that over 90% of women do not regret their abortions. Critics of the study, however, often highlight its low participation rate and the high number of respondents who dropped out before the final interview as reasons to doubt the study’s accuracy.
“The devastating realization that abortion may lead to a woman’s suicide must motivate the pro-life community to continue to provide resources and support to vulnerable women encountering a crisis pregnancy,” Skop explained. “We must walk with these women through their pregnancy decision and childbirth, even into the early years of their child’s life, as so many pregnancy resource centers do.”
The latest study from Reardon pointed out respondents’ history of suicide attempts varied depending on their relation to the “abortion decision type.” Women who felt they were forced into getting an abortion had a 46 percent attempted suicide rate.
In comparison, women whose abortions were described as wanted and consistent with their own values and preferences had a suicide attempt rate (29.5%) similar to those who reported a natural pregnancy loss (30%) or a problematic pregnancy (27.9%). The rate was still higher than that of women who had never been pregnant (175) or only had successful deliveries (13.4%).
The study suggests abortion was “significantly more likely to be associated with self-destructive thoughts and suicidal thoughts or behaviors compared to all three other pregnancy outcomes.”
“Women who experience pregnancy losses, either induced or natural, are at higher risk of suicidal and self-destructive thoughts and behaviors,” Reardon told CP.
“Exposure to abortion, especially when the abortion is contrary to the values and preferences of the pregnant women, may contribute to higher rates of suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, and self-destructive behaviors,” the study author continued.
It’s important to state that women who have had abortions are just as in need of support services as those who have chosen to keep their baby or give it up for adoption. The Church is getting better at this aspect of care, but we still have a lot of room for growth.
A critical ministry for pregnant women are crisis pregnancy centers. We also need to ensure these facilities have programs and assistance for women who have had an abortion and have been shattered by the ordeal.