The "hard cases" -- assault-related pregnancy
New facts, new answers, new hope
On this page ... Studies and personal stories from women who've been there
indicate that many are denied authentic choice, and that women want
support and a helping hand, not abortion, which only furthers the trauma
of an assault and can involve significant, even deadly aftereffects, too.
Surprising new evidence regarding
pregnancies, abortions and children
resulting from sexual assault. Find special reports, excerpts and
information about an important
book
about this issue, plus downloadable resources and a more hopeful
response.
Hard
Cases Booklet │
Hard Cases Fact Sheet
│
Special Report
│
Victims & Victors Book
Petition to Congress for Hearings
New evidence and answers from
women who've been there |
 “I, having lived through rape, and having raised a child conceived in
rape,
feel personally assaulted and insulted every time I hear that abortion
should be legal because of rape and incest. We’ve not been asked to tell
our side of the story.”
—Kathleen DeZeeuw, rape survivor and mother
"What rape takes away from a woman, abortion cannot restore. In
fact, giving birth proves she is better than the rapist."
—Robert Bennett, whose mother was assaulted
“Rape is horrible. ... but what I want to say to women out
there is: you can take something that was terribly done to you, and make
something good out of it. And that’s, [voice breaks] that’s me.” --
Ken, who was conceived in rape
Women affected by sexual assault have some important perspectives on
the abortion issue.
Studies
show that most don't want abortion. Those who had abortions in such
situations reported that it only increased their trauma. Those who
didn't abort said they had no regrets about giving birth to their child.
In many cases,
women are pressured into abortion by those whose support they seek.
Often, they're told it is the "only" option.
Before you discuss this heartbreaking and sensitive issue, ask
women who've been there. Their experiences change common presumptions
about assault-related pregnancies.
"I was never given a choice."
When she was 15, Denise was raped by her father, who then forced her
to have an abortion. Like other women who have had abortions as a
result of sexual assault, Denise found that abortion only
intensified her pain.
"[The doctor] asked three nurses to hold me down while he strapped
me to the bed ... I continued to scream that I didn't want an
abortion. He told me, 'Shut up and quit that yelling!'"
Years later, Denise writes: |
 |
Click the image to download
a
booklet on this issue |
"I was told that an abortion would solve
my problem, when it was never really the problem in the first place. ...
"I was told, 'Your parents know what's best,' when they obviously
were only concerned about their own reputations. ...
"I was told, 'You made the right decisions," when I was never given a
choice. ...
"I was violated and betrayed by my father. I was violated again by
the abortionist. ...
"Why do even pro-lifers talk about exceptions for rape and incest?
give this mother the opportunity to choose life for her child. ... Don't
let them be exploited again. ...
"The mom needs love, support and understanding, not the pain ... of
being violated again in order to kill her child."
Excerpted from Victims and Victors: Speaking About Their Pregnancies, Abortions and Children
Resulting from Sexual Assault.
Stories and Articles
Robert's Story -- A powerful testimony from a man who learned he was
conceived after incest.
Abortion and Sexual Abuse: One Woman's Story
Helping
Predators, Harming Teens
Off-Site Articles
Ken's Story -- Ken, whose mother was a victim of sexual assault,
reminds people to see that children conceived in rape are just as human,
just as “real," as everyone else. “It’s an emotional topic because I
just get tired of people treating these unborn children like they’re,
like they’re nothing. And they can be born, and they
can grow up, and they can have a great life.
As a teen, Ken promised himself and God that he would return the favor
of adoption, a promise that he and his wife fulfilled four years ago
when they adopted a special needs premature baby girl from foster care.
“I have an adopted child now because I was so grateful for having the
opportunity to have my parents who took care of me….She’s our, she’s my
daughter, and [voice breaks] I love her.”
Although Ken was
conceived in rape, that was not the final word in his life. Abortion
would have multiplied the violence, destroying the life of an innocent
human being. But thanks be to God, the power of love prevailed over
violence. Through the generosity and courage of his birth mother, both
he and his mother were free to love and be loved in many unanticipated
ways."
Women Who Became Pregnant through Sexual Assault Say, "Ask us." --
(off-site, Elliot Institute page)
Abortions to
Cover Up Sexual Abuse (LifeNews.com, off-site article)
Elliot News: Special Edition on Sexual Assault-Related
Pregnancies and Abortion
Assault victims coerced into and further traumatized by abortion
One survey of women who became pregnant as a result of sexual assault
found that:
►
70% had their babies. Of those who continued the pregnancy, none
regretted having given or said they wished they had aborted instead.
► Of those who
aborted, 78 percent said they felt that abortion was not a good solution
for them and that it only intensified their trauma.
► Many only
aborted because they felt pressured by others to do so. In many cases
where the victims were young, it was usually someone else, not the
victim, who chose the abortion. In a number of cases, abortion was used
by the perpetrator to cover up the crime and even to allow the abuse to
continue.1
"They say abortion is
the easy way out, the best thing for everyone, but they are wrong. It
has been over 15 years, and I still suffer." —Rebecca,
pregnant through rape at age 15
"A Baltimore man used up to 10 abortions to hide the sexual abuse of his
three daughters. At least five abortions took place at the same clinic.
The girls were returned to their rapist’s custody."
—from the special report
Forced Abortion in America
Assault cases have higher risk of complications.
The more difficult the circumstances
prompting abortion, the more likely a woman will suffer severe
post-abortion complications.2
Sexual assault is a known risk factor for post-abortion trauma.2
Other abortion risks:
► 31 percent suffer health complications.
► 65 percent suffer symptoms of post-traumatic stress
disorders
► Women who undergo abortions have higher overall death
rates compared to women who give birth.
► Women with a history of abortion are 6 times more likely
to commit suicide than women who give birth.3
Women impacted by assault-related pregnancy petition for
Congressional hearings.
Studies indicate abortion makes an already
traumatic situation even worse. An Ad Hoc Committee of Women Pregnant by
Sexual Assault has put together a
petition to Congress and State Legislators to request hearings on
this issue that will given them a chance to share their stories.
Download and share this information
Hard Cases Booklet (includes copy
of petition)
Hard Cases Fact Sheet
Special Report on Abortion and Sexual Assault
Victims & Victors Book
Get the book. Read the rest of the story |
 Victims
and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and
Children Resulting From Sexual Assault
Is abortion
helpful for, or even wanted by, women who become pregnant from sexual
assault? Learn the answer from nearly 200 women who've been there.
Includes research and personal stories from women who had abortions,
women who gave birth and those conceived in sexual assault.
Price: $11.95 plus shipping.
Order
here, or call 1-888-412-2676.
Citations
1. Reardon, Makimaa & Sobie, eds. Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions and
Children Result From Sexual Assault (Springfield, Acorn Books,
2000) 19-20. 2. DC Reardon, "Abortion
Decisions and the Duty to Screen," Journal of Contemporary Health Law
and Policy 20(1): 109, Winter 2003. 3. For
citations, see Research
Booklet.
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