On Occasion of Henry Morgantaller being awarded an honourary doctorate at the University of Western Ontario on June 16, 2005

The decision to abort a child is not an easy one. It’s not easy because there are severe consequences to the decision. We are here today to mourn one of the greatest consequences: the loss of the life of a human being. In fact, we are here to mourn the loss of every child who has been aborted. We are also here to mourn the severe consequences for the woman who chose to have the abortion. As a nurse, it grieves me to think of the serious health ramifications of abortion on women and men. As a daughter, it grieves me to think of the daughter or son which many women have lost. As a living person with intrinsic value it grieves me to think of another person taking a human life of intrinsic value and then living with the results of that decision. As a saved soul knowing the joy of salvation in Jesus Christ it grieves me that women are suffering when they can be forgiven and receive eternal hope in Jesus Christ.
 
There are many effects on a woman’s health following an abortion. Health institutes and government organizations who support abortion would have women believe that health effects following an abortion are rare or that there are no health effects at all. Research in the past has been very short term which leads to misrepresentation of long-term health effects on women. Consequences of abortion are under-reported due to coding systems in the hospitals, for example, a woman who dies from an infection that was caused by an abortion would be reported to have died from the infection alone, without recording the original cause. Political agendas also result in hiding significant study findings. In actual fact, abortions affect women’s and men’s health in many ways.
 
Of great concern are the physical effects on a woman’s health: abortion increases a woman’s overall risk of breast cancer by 30% and increases the risk of cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and rectal cancer. Cervical damage following abortion leads to an increased risk of premature delivery in the future. Studies show a 30 to 510 per cent increased risk of delivering prematurely! The risk of placenta previa, a condition which increases morbidity and mortality for both mother and infant, increases by 7 times in women who have had abortions. Ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition for both mother and baby, increases anywhere from 2-fold to thirteen-fold in women who have had abortions. There is also an increase in the number of miscarriages due to cervical damage caused by abortion. Other serious consequences of abortion, such as pelvic inflammatory disease can compromise future fertility. The death rate within one year compared to women who carry a baby to term is nearly four times greater.
 
Women who have had abortions experience many different emotional difficulties. There may be a short-term feeling of relief, but other long-term emotions include grief, depression, guilt, anger, and anxiety. These women are also more likely to display self-destructive behaviour. The suicide rate is six times greater for women who have abortions compared to women who go through childbirth. Women who have had abortions may have difficulty bonding with future children. Many relationships come to an end following an abortion and marital, partner, and family relationships are affected. Men also suffer as a consequence of their partners having abortions. They experience depression, guilt, anger, grief, powerlessness and their future relationships and fatherhood are affected.
 
While all of these negative consequences of abortion grieve my heart and provide medical and psychological reasons not to approve abortions, of much more lasting impact, in fact of eternal impact, is the separation which having an abortion causes between a woman and God, and between the person who performs the abortion and God. God creates all human life in His image and values every human life. God’s judgment will come upon all who do evil. Today I stand here with a message of hope for reconciliation: that all of the guilt and shame and lasting negative effects of abortion can be forever dealt with through the mercy and grace of God. By recognizing sin or wrongdoing and believing that the blood of Jesus Christ and His death paid for our sin and that He rose again triumphant over death, each woman or man can have the promise of eternal life and be freed from the guilt and pain of a past choice such as abortion.

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