Do abortion bans really endanger women?

Over the last year, the overturning of Roe v Wade in the United States and the strengthening of Poland’s pro-life laws have sparked the abortion debate.

The tragic death of Polish woman, Izabela, caused abortion activists to falsely proclaim that it was not medical error, but Poland’s restrictive abortion laws that have contributed to her death and that this was bound to endanger more women. This is horribly misleading for several reasons.

Poland does not prohibit elective abortion when there is a risk to the mother’s life. However, even if the law did prohibit elective abortion completely, that still would not endanger women in high-risk pregnancies because it is ‘spontaneous abortions’ which are necessary when complications occur. This is whereby a foetus is delivered prematurely without the intervention of any elective medical or surgical measures to terminate it in utero. The doctor tries to save both the mother and the baby, but unfortunately due to limited technology, sometimes the baby loses its life. Examples of spontaneous abortions are miscarriages, still births and preterm deliveries.

In contrast, an elective abortion always includes the intentional killing of a foetus in utero and this is what is opposed by the pro-life movement and heavily lobbied by abortion activists.

It is manipulative to lump in emergency, life-saving procedures with the intentional destruction of a baby in utero. It is akin to comparing the tragic loss of a loved one to cancer with murdering them.

It is crucial to note that 1,013 medical specialists have agreed in the Dublin Declaration that elective abortion is never medically necessary to save the mother’s life. Where her life is at risk, the doctor simply delivers the baby quickly and safely, with consideration for both the mother and child. There is absolutely no medical need to first destroy the baby in utero and then deliver it. Therefore, this argument for the legality of abortion is completely void.

However, even if elective abortion was necessary to save a mother’s life (which it is not), that would account for only 1-2% of all elective abortions. It is important to note that the abortion lobby relies on these ‘exceptions’ like risk to mother’s life or rape/incest (1% of elective abortions) to argue for why abortion should be legal on demand for any reason, even up until birth.

This is deceitful because 98% of abortions are not for those reasons, yet this is forming the basis for a large part of abortion propaganda. This is clear as during the protests in Poland fueled by Izabela’s death, many were chanting ‘abortion without restrictions’.

If the life of the unborn is not safeguarded, the pendulum will keep shifting as to whose life is less valuable, especially endangering those who are defenceless and vulnerable. As Ronald Reagan said, “everyone who supports abortion has already been born”.

As citizens of democratic nations with rich human rights traditions, it is our duty to cease being passive about this grave human rights violation based on misinformation and misleading terminology. It is time we educate ourselves on the realities of abortion, empower mothers and defend the right to life for the unborn.

Victoria Sophia, lawyer and board member of the European Christian Political Youth. Based in Poland and the UK.