Cover Story by Katie Childs "I don't feel that an abortion is killing a child," Tedre said.

Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Send mail to The Voice The abortion battle continues on Roe v. Wade anniversary Lisa Heacock, counselor, stands outside the Pregnancy Resource Center on Northeast Halsey. -Katie Childs, photo January marked the 30-year anniversary of the court decision Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in this country. From the judge's controversial decision would spring decades of debate, hatred and even murder among activists on either side. In the center of the debate lie the clinics, some performing abortions, others strictly against the procedure. The Voice asked employees from an abortion clinic and an anti-abortion clinic to clarify their views and the facts about abortion. Lisa is a counselor at Pregnancy Resource Center in Portland. She experienced an abortion in the past and now runs H.E.A.R.T. (healing encouragement for abortion-related trauma,), a support group of women who have emotional scars from past abortions. Tedre, who declined to give her last name, is a registered nurse at the Downtown Women's Center in Portland. The Voice: When does life begin? Downtown Women's Center: You have different rights when you take your first breath than before. I don't feel that an abortion is killing a child. Pregnancy Resource Center: Conception. Abortion is a matter of life and death. The Voice: Describe a typical counseling session for an expecting mother. Downtown Women's Center: Phone screening is a requirement before women come into the clinic. Then a woman comes in and a nurse sees her privately. They discuss her health history and the details of an abortion procedure, depending on how far along the woman's pregnancy is. Pregnancy Resource Center: The expecting mother takes a self-administered pregnancy test. We discuss her history, feelings and circumstances. Some women are excited while others feel overwhelmed. If the woman is leaning toward abortion, we discuss what past experience she has had with abortions. We go through a brochure about making the best decision and tell her exactly what the abortion procedure will involve for her specific pregnancy state. We discuss the emotional risks, and I often share how having an abortion affected me. If the woman is still leaning toward abortion, we arrange an ultrasound. The Voice: Do you see a pattern in the women who come into the clinic? Downtown Women's Center: Many people still think of the typical abortion client as a 16-to-17-year old welfare kid. Our typical clients are between 20 and 30 and have had a child in the past. Most are unmarried and feel they are working hard to provide a good life for the child or children that they are already raising. They believe that having another child would be detrimental to the health of their family. Pregnancy Resource Center: There is no stereotypical client. We see younger and younger gals, the average age being from 16 to 22 years old. Most are unmarried; a high school girl wants to finish high school, a girl in college thinks her life will end with a child. They have plans, and a child will hinder their plans. Many women don't consider adoption. They cannot imagine carrying a child for nine months only to give it away. Adoption laws have changed so much; however, women can now get an open adoption and watch their child grow up. The Voice: What are the physical and emotional side effects of abortions? Downtown Women's Center: An abortion in the first trimester is statistically safer than carrying the baby to term, whether to keep it or put it up for adoption. Heavy bleeding and cramps sometimes occur though. Some women feel grief, sadness and guilt, especially those without a strong support system at home. It really depends on the circumstances. An abortion can cause relationships to be built up or to break down. I wish more women would go for counseling; people often bury things that have happened in their lives. Pregnancy Resource Center: We don't see many physical side effects, although intense cramping is common. We see sadness, regret, guilt, shame, secrecy, eating disorders, low self-esteem, alcohol, drugs, sexual promiscuity, and anniversary date reactions. Girls come in grief stricken, feeling that they have committed the unforgivable sin. Some say that they are not affected by the abortion, and typically, relief is the immediate response. They believe the myth that life will go back to the way it was, but it never does. We typically get a call 5, 10, 15 or even 30 years after the abortion. They didn't realize that the abortion had been at the root of their multiple marriages, alcohol abuse and depression. The Voice: Do you have many repeat clients? Downtown Women's Center: It is fairly common to have more than one abortion. Pregnancy Resource Center: We have many girls come in, get a pregnancy test, have a negative result and realize that they got lucky this time. Their lifestyle does not change, and two months later they may be back for another pregnancy test. The Voice: Does abortion promote sexual promiscuity? Downtown Women's Center: Abortions do not promote sexual promiscuity. Most women were using some form of protection that failed. Pregnancy Resource Center: Abortion does nothing to make a girl stop her behavior; she just decides to be more careful next time. Typically after an abortion, promiscuity is a huge thing. I know that when I had an abortion, I broke up with my boyfriend and had no self-esteem. I didn't care what I did to myself. The Voice: What is the best way of dealing with an unplanned pregnancy? Downtown Women's Center: The best way to deal with an unplanned pregnancy is to give it a lot of thought. It is very important to have at least one close person who will be supportive whatever decision you make. This moral support is what holds a lot of people together. Pregnancy Resource Center: The most important thing to do is find someone who is going to give you the truth and show you all the options without pushing either way. We want to help girls make the best decision for their children. It's not easy when you're 16 years old to face an unplanned pregnancy. If you have an abortion, that's not easy; you have to live with it for the rest of your life. If you are a single parent, that's not easy, but you have resources available and you don't have to live with the guilt and the shame of ending that baby's life. And if you decide to put your child up for adoption, that is not an easy choice either, but you know you've made the best decision for your child. The Voice: When would you recommend an abortion? Downtown Women's Center: We don't recommend one option over another; all we do is help someone look at a situation and make a decision. Most women have gone through a deep thought process before coming to the clinic. Women are smart and know that raising a child takes time and money. Our clinic only performs abortions up to 20 weeks into the pregnancy. I do not encourage partial-birth abortions, which can be a three-day process. Pregnancy Resource Center: We believe that when the abortion is saving the life of the mother, it is OK. For example, an ectopic pregnancy is when the baby is attached to the fallopian tube and has no chance of living. The mother's life is also threatened, and the baby must be removed. A woman should always get a second opinion, though. The Voice: What do you see in the future of abortion? Downtown Women's Center: The Bush administration is not pro-choice. But many restrictions are decided state-by-state, and Oregon does not have many restrictions on abortion. Pregnancy Resource Center: I believe that the turning tide of abortion will be when women and men receive [emotional] healing from past abortions and their voices are unleashed. Abortion is not a political issue; it's a moral issue, a matter of life and death. We need to get away from the political aspect and realize that abortion is a violation, a rape of women, not a means of empowerment. Back to Table of Contents | Back to Main Index Previous Cover Stories | Top Of Page Send mail to The Voice| Journalism department website © 2003 The Voice. No part of this publication may be reproduced in written or electronic form without prior written consent from the journalism adviser of Multnomah Bible College. All rights reserved.