Once a fetus enters into the third trimester, many medical professionals deem it to be a viable life and so an abortion is often not recommended. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that there are some late-term pregnancies that may be discovered to be not as viable as originally predicted. A “late-term” abortion is generally one that occurs after the 20th to 24th week of gestation. For a mother to discover that her child won’t survive long past birth and suffer from pain, seizures, or unknown birth defects is about the worst news that can be received.
Statistics On Third Trimester Abortions
1. The number of doctors in the United States that openly practice third trimester abortions, after the 2009 murder of Dr. George Tiller: 4. (Mother Jones)
2.You.gov found that 66% of U.S. pro-choice adults oppose third-trimester abortions. (AP)
3. Virginia is the only state that bans abortions in the third trimester. (Guttmacher)
4. 22 states ban abortions at 20 weeks, 22 weeks, or 24 weeks from the woman’s last menstrual period, depending on the state. (Guttmacher)
5. Although it is a woman’s choice whether to have an abortion, a doctor ultimately must agree to do the procedure.
6. In 2018, 1.0% of all abortions in the United States are third trimester abortions. (CDC)
7. If the estimates are correct, then the total number of abortions after 20 weeks’ gestation are 11,500 per year. (Johnston Archive)
8.George Tiller, who was assassinated for performing third trimester abortions, once stated that only 800 fetal anomalies were discovered out of 10,000 patients, or 8% of total cases.
9. In 2011, 45% (or 2.8 million) of all the pregnancies in the United States were unintended.
10.The percentage of unintended pregnancies that will end in abortion in 2011: 42%. (Guttmacher)
11. 90% of the unintended pregnancies that are aborted will be done during the first trimester. (CDC)
12. 75% of women who have abortions are low-income, and almost half of them live below the federal poverty level. (MarketWatch)
13.Between 2008 and 2011, 50% of black women who had an unintended pregnancy aborted their child, versus 36-40% of people in other racial and ethnic groups. (Guttmacher)
14. In 2014, 59% of the women who choose to have an abortion have at least one child already. (Guttmacher)
15. 62% of women who have an abortion report a religious affiliation to their doctor or practitioner. (Guttmacher)
16. Catholics (24%) are more likely to get an abortion when compared to Protestants (17%). (Guttmacher)
17. In 2018, 619,591 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas (47 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City, excluding California, Maryland, and New Hampshire). Among 48 reporting areas (47 states and New York City), the abortion rate was 11.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 189 abortions for 1,000 live births. (CDC)
18. By age 45, nearly 25% of American women will have had at least one abortion. (Guttmacher)
19. In 2018, non-Hispanic white women accounted for 38.7% and non-Hispanic black women accounted for 33.6% of all abortions. (CDC)
20. In 2018, non-Hispanic white women had the lowest abortion rate (6.3 abortions per 1,000 women) and ratio (110 abortions per 1,000 live births), and non-Hispanic black women had the highest abortion rate (21.2 abortions per 1,000 women) and ratio (335 abortions per 1,000 live births). (CDC)
21.63% of pregnancies among Blacks are unintended, while that number is 48% among Hispanics and 42% of pregnancies among Whites in 2011. (BMC – ContraceptionMedicine)
22. In 2019, 46% of people called themselves pro-choice, and 49% called themselves pro-life. (Statistica)
The Abortion Debate
A lot of the abortion debate tends to revolve around the sanctity of life and the rights of the mother. In order to fully have this discussion, it becomes necessary to define where life truly begins. For some people, the definition of life begins before conception. The sperm and the egg are both seen as living things, so any act of abortion is considered morally wrong. For others, life begins with the development of a heartbeat or the development of brain tissue. Does life begin while in the womb? Or does life begin once birth and the first tiny breaths are given?
It’s the process of the third trimester abortion that is so problematic for people. In order for a safe procedure to take place, the practitioner of the abortion must euthanize the fetus. This is done by injecting a drug directly into its heart. Once this has been done, the woman is induced into labor so that the stillborn child can be delivered. Whether you are for or against the practice, it is a devastating moment. Not only does a woman have the desperation of survival, but they must say hello and goodbye to their child at once.
Most women who are going to have an abortion will do so before the third trimester. In some jurisdictions, a third trimester abortion is against the law. The House of Representatives passed a bill that would make a third trimester abortion illegal as well, but that bill has stalled in the Senate. By knowing the facts about this procedure, you can make up your own mind about it.
The Facts About Abortion
The fact that people are willing to solve a problem that they see as murder by committing murder is rather problematic. Numerous abortion clinics and doctors have been killed by performing actions that some women deem to be necessary.
If you are against abortion, then there has to be a better way than violence to change hearts and minds. The Civil Rights movement succeeded primarily through non-violent means because logic and reason were used more than fists or guns. The same can be said for numerous successful reform movements around the world. When people are killed for doing what they think is right, the only thing that happens is a galvanization of the support base.
If you are for abortion, even third trimester abortion, then understanding the strong feelings that others have about the issue is equally important. Set aside the demands for compliance that are being heard and understand that these demands are being said because there is a passion that is equal to your own. Passion is what makes humanity great, but it can also lead to humanity’s downfall. When we let passion spiral out of control, we lose reasoning. When we lose our reasoning, then we have nothing.
Only 4 doctors are performing this procedure in the United States. These men might be characterized as evil or performing immoral actions, but the fact remains that this is a service that some women need. The reasons why they have this need is their own. It may be because of a malformation, birth defect, or anomaly. It could be a denial of their pregnancy because they are afraid. A woman’s reasons are her own. Instead of condemning these women or even praising them, we should all be working together to help them because they are in a time of need. That’s what it means to be human.