This predominant mainstream media message is, unfortunately, true: Abortion won huge in the 2022 Midterm elections, even in so-called red states like Kentucky. And most voters in Montana even voted to allow babies who survive abortion to die on the delivery table.
But abortion’s win is America’s loss. Anecdotes and research shows that the killing and attempted killing of innocent babies and the wounding of their parents is never a win — no matter what narratives we’re being spun. I know this personally, having survived my mother’s attempt to abort me and now leading The Abortion Survivors Network. The stories I hear daily are chilling — and a direct refutation of the “shout your abortion” narrative.
A nurse at a recent educational lecture I gave said she was still haunted decades after witnessing a baby survive a saline abortion and being left to die in a utility closet. This nurse is not alone. Many medical professionals have whispered their stories to me and my staff, where we have connected with over 600 survivors. On a weekly basis, we hear from adoptive parents caring for children who survived medication abortions. We also hear from women who attempted to abort their child with “at home” methods touted on social media. These women come looking for hope that their child will be okay. They’re looking for support in the face of guilt and shame over their actions. Abortion drives loss.
These stories match a recent story by Support After Abortion which found that 63% of women sought help after abortion or said they could have benefited from talking to someone, but only 18% knew where to turn for this kind of support. Additionally, 34% of women who experienced a medication abortion suffered from negative self-image afterward. None of this should be a surprise, because the Guttmacher Institute has reported since 2005 that most abortions take place due to financial fears or relationship fears — a life-changing decision made under traumatic, stressful circumstances.
Support After Abortion’s study has largely gone unreported in the media because it doesn’t fit the narrative. Instead, we see stories like Hayley McMahon’s at Insider. A self-described “public-health scientist who studies structural and social determinants of abortion access,” McMahon says Twitter suspended her account because she promoted the World Health Organization’s medication abortion protocol. While her account was reinstated, the headline and narrative remain. Stories like mine go untold, stories about women and men needing help after abortion are sneered at, while the “abortion is a winner” narrative goes viral.
The Guttmacher Institute reported that medication abortions made up 54% of abortions in 2020. These numbers are likely to go up, which means that more women will need the services provided by Support After Abortion, professional therapists, religious groups like Rachel’s Vineyard, and networks like mine. But, again, that reality doesn’t fit the narrative.
Since the fateful June day that Roe was overturned, The Abortion Survivors Network has seen a nearly 40% increase in the number of abortion survivors reaching out to us every month. I hear from organizations serving those who experienced abortions that they’re seeing the numbers climb, as well. In our annual retreat with abortion survivors, I asked a question relevant to today’s climate: “Would your life have been different if your family had received support after the attempt to abort you failed?” Everyone raised their hands.
These statistics and whispered stories indicate that abortion and its impact are more far-reaching than the ballot box. Abortion overwhelms families. It impacts lives, both personally and professionally. The public deserves to know the impact of abortion and the stories of those hurt by this kind of “healthcare.” The public deserves honest reporting of data surrounding abortions, complications, and even failed abortions.
The true story is that abortion is the driver of loss. As this historic and tumultuous year focused on abortion comes to a close, the inconvenient truth must prevail.
Melissa Ohden is the Founder and Director of The Abortion Survivors Network and the author of You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir. Melissa has testified before Congressional committees and is a frequent contributor to conservative news outlets on pro-life issues on programs like Fox News, Focus on the Family, Hannity, The Eric Metaxas Show, and Huckabee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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