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Silent No More Awareness
Campaign– Defund Planned Parenthood – Experiences at the
Clinic
The following are brief statements from
women of the Silent No More Awareness Campaign. More
statements and stories of abortion experiences can be read at
http://www.silentnomoreawareness.org/testimonies
Experience Trumps
Rhetoric!
I had a botched abortion in
Atlanta's Planned Parenthood abortion clinic. The
doctor left the dead fetus inside and I needed
immediate medical attention. For the health of women,
please defund Planned Parenthood. Christy,
NC
I was 17 years old - the lady at the
Planned Parenthood clinic in Council Bluffs, Iowa told
me I could go to Women's Services clinic in Omaha,
Nebraska to get the procedure. My boyfriend at the
time was 23 or 24 and I was told not to mention that
or he would get into trouble. I don't feel like they
really had my best interest in mind. From what I
understand, they still give young girls the same
advice. I was devastated by that abortion and my life
spiraled downward. Sherry
The clinic I had my abortion in told
me my "fetus" was 7-8 weeks and being only 15 years
old, I didn't know what that meant. Afterward they
told me I was actually 10-12 weeks. I got very sick &
was vomiting directly after the procedure, the room
was spinning and I could barely stand. They pushed me
out the door with a plastic bag for my trip home. I
had severe pain and hemorrhaging afterward but was too
embarrassed to go for help. I suffered with very
serious depression & emotional issues for 20 years
after. -- Marci, PA
I was 15 years old when my mother
and I returned to Planned Parenthood after the
contraceptive they provided months earlier failed. I
was told I was 11 weeks pregnant and that my pregnancy
was a 'clump of cells.' I was told to hurry to make an
appointment if I wanted an abortion because at 12
weeks, the price would be higher. I was not given any
counseling of any kind whatsoever. Today, I deeply
regret my abortion. -- Shadia
34 years ago, as a 17 year old
teenager I walked into a Planned Parenthood office for
relief of the overwhelming shame of being pregnant. I
was 5’ tall with short dark hair, using my 18 year old
friends ID with her picture, she was 5’6” long blonde
hair. Guess what? They didn’t notice, didn’t even
question it. I was put in line with the others and
escorted out the back door after my abortion. It was
only the start of a lifelong regret of the choice I
made. Sue, Michigan
My name is Barbara and I am
43 years old. When I was 21, I had an abortion with
the help of Planned Parenthood of West Bend,
Wisconsin. Planned Parenthood told me at that time
that my baby was nothing but tissue at that point in
my pregnancy. I was about 10 weeks along. It was
nothing but lies,,,, I was in a horrible relationship,
and was forced into having this awful procedure
performed on me. This is a decision I will have to
live with the rest of my life. Not a day goes by that
I don't think about that precious baby that I killed.
There was no counseling afterwards, and no one to talk
to..... Please stop this from happening to other
women...
I had an abortion in the early
seventies, right when they became legal. Every day I
regret it. I received no counseling. I was only 19.
The doctor was actually coming on to me a little. It
was a wrong decision and the entire abortion system
was supporting my lost thinking. – Kathy,
Louisiana
Abortion procedure completed at
Planned Parenthood, in West Hartford, CT @ age 32, in
1999. I was given absolutely no counseling regarding
the procedure or the possible effects afterward. I was
visibly upset just prior to the procedure when they
did the ultrasound in the surgical room. I was not
allowed to see the ultrasound, nor was I asked if I
wanted to reconsider or be counseled. I have
significant post abortion emotional/mental stress. --
Shelley
My name is Anne-Marie and
I'm from Michigan. I want to let you know that I had
an abortion in February 1983 at a Planned Parenthood
Clinic in Southfield, Michigan. I was 18 at the time
and 11 weeks pregnant. There was no counseling at all.
It was pay at the front desk, then sit in a small
waiting room for a few minutes, then into the room
where they did the abortions. After the abortion, I
was taken to an area with cots and given some orange
juice and cookies. When I think back, it astonishes me
at the speed with which I was in and out the door. I
was not the only one…as the waiting room was full of
young women. Planned Parenthood or should they be
named Money Grabbers???
My name is Christine. I’ve had 6
abortions, 3 of my abortions were done through Planned
Parenthood. It was the most awful thing I've ever had
to do. It was nothing but a death experience, parts of
me died with it. Planned Parenthood gave me no other
options. Planned Parenthood buildings have very cold
atmospheres, along with the nurses being distant
emotionally, no support, just get it done. They need
no money to kill humans, the money needs to go to
helping these women to give life to their babies.
They never explained the procedure
to me. They never did a pregnancy test. My parents
were not informed, and I was 15. I was not counseled
in any way about the consequences. They served milk,
juice and cookies after the abortion and gave us
antibiotics to take home. Bottom line, I was never
able to conceive a child again. -- Nicole,
Connecticut
My name is Toni, and I’m from North
Carolina. I had an abortion at a Planned Parenthood
clinic in Santa Ana, California in 1982. I do not
recall any counseling at all about my pregnancy or
that it was even a baby or alternatives. Immediately
upon leaving, I had severe abdominal pains and
bleeding. Within a month, emotional stress set in,
depression in particular, which I still struggle with
to this day. – Toni, North Carolina
I have had an abortion, I did not
know I was killing a baby at the time. I was told it
was too early to “be anything.” All I had in me was a
cluster of cells and tissue. I chose to believe it. It
is a decision that has affected me for 30 years. My
name is Kathy, Louisiana
I am trapped in silence because of
my past abortions. I am trapped in shame because of my
past abortions. Planned Parenthood told me to lie
about my income so I could receive free or reduced
services. Planned Parenthood told me the lie that the
abortion would be quick and that the "blob of tissue"
would be easy to get rid of. Abortion is not easy or
quick. Abortion is forever. That "blob of tissue" was
a baby that was prevented from being born because of
Planned Parenthood. That "blob of tissue" is how every
baby starts out. It is not a blob of tissue, it is a
baby. I learned that from a medical doctor. My doctor
who told me, "Congratulations, you're having a baby!"
Planned Parenthood helped me kill my babies but never
told me I would suffer every day after the abortions.
It has been 26 years and my mind will never forget the
shame, the pain and suffering, and the crime of
killing my babies. It doesn't matter if abortion is
legal because the shame women feel is as if it were
illegal. Planned Parenthood does not help anyone plan
to be a parent. Planned Parenthood shows young girls
and young women how to kill their own children, and in
doing so we are killing a piece of ourselves. Abortion
hurts mothers, fathers, and babies. Planned Parenthood
does not ever care about the fathers of the babies
they want to kill. Planned Parenthood takes your money
or the governments money and then they forget you. But
we can never forget Planned Parenthood. We must live
with our shame and pain every day. -- Kathy, New
York
The process was horrifying. I was
not treated as a person in any way once inside the
office and procedure room: There was no eye contact
from the doctor conducting the procedure, there was no
explanation as to what was happening or going to
happen, and he didn’t even re-enter the room once the
anesthesia wore off. The irony of the entire episode
is that while my child was being brutally ripped from
my womb, a child's ceramic balloon wind chime hung
above my head from the ceiling above the "examination
table." -- Sarah
I had an abortion that caused
immense emotional repercussions. I was given no
counseling beforehand, which is an abuse to young
women. Planned Parenthood harms women and should be
de-funded. A woman from Moudatsos, NJ
The decision I made ten years ago to
have an abortion was decided through a Planned
Parenthood. Words cannot begin to tell you the damage
I felt physically, mentally, and spiritually, as well
as the emotional trauma and deep depression and
blackness that followed this decision. Planned
Parenthood helped me make the one choice that I will
regret for the rest of my life, and I implore you not
to let them "help" any more women make the same one.
Kim, Pennsylvania
There was absolutely no counseling
about the possible emotional aftermath of having an
abortion. I became suicidal and had no one to turn to.
And to find out that what I was aborting was not a
"blob" of tissue, but an identifiably human form,
complete with heartbeat, fingers and toes. Planned
Parenthood was woefully wrong to lie and not offer any
post-abortion counseling. Susan, New
Jersey
Reflecting on my experience walking
into a Planned Parenthood, I am reminded of a naïve
person who walks into a car dealership just 'looking'
and walks out with a very bad deal on a bad car due to
high-pressure sales tactics from a slick salesman,
followed by buyer’s regret the next day.
I went to Planned Parenthood 'just
looking.' I walked in, with a living human being in my
womb, still unsure of what I wanted to do. I walked
out without that human being in my womb. I was asked
why I was there and told them that I was pregnant and
not sure what I wanted to do. The woman brought me in
an office and proceeded to push papers in front of me
to start the abortion process. I asked if they had any
information on options. She motioned to a rack with a
few pamphlets in it and treated me like I was wasting
her time. Instead she started to ask, "Do you want
your life to be ruined by a baby? Do you think the
father is going to stick around?"
It didn't take long for me to be in
a room taking off my clothes and putting on a hospital
gown. As I waited, I thought. It was my turn to go.
They sedated me. I was cold, lonely, scared. I tried
to hold the assistant's hand as they wheeled me into
the operating room. She pulled away. I said I did not
want to do it. I said I wanted to leave. Last thing I
remember she said, "It will be over before you know
it." It sure was. I will regret it till the day I die.
– Alfreda, New Jersey
I had an abortion at Planned
Parenthood. It was horrible experience. I never went
back there. I regret this very much. -- Paula
My first abortion was at 14 in a
medical hospital done at just under 3 months and done
by saline solution in the first year abortion became
legal in Ohio - I think it was 1974. I was told by my
mother that this was the right thing to do, even
though I wanted to go to an unwed home and give the
baby up for adoption. After the saline solution was
injected into the umbilicus cord, I was left in a
hospital room by myself. I delivered a dead baby in
the bathroom toilet and cradled it back to the bed
with me, then called the nurse. Two years later, while
in love in high school, I became pregnant again. My
mother and sister took me to a Planned Parenthood
clinic. I was given group counseling before the
procedure to help alleviate getting pregnant again in
the future. When I told them I would abstain, they,
everyone in the group, laughed at me and told me I
could never do that. I was shamed into thinking the
abortion was the only way to handle my behavior. A
year later, I was pregnant again and determined to NOT
let my mother know. I wed the baby's father and was
married for 23 years. Abortion doesn't solve the
problem. Education on self-esteem, peer pressure,
abstinence, and what real love is all about DOES solve
the problem of teenage sex leading to abortion. I have
spent millions of hours healing from these horrible
actions. – Joan, Ohio
My first abortion experience was
when I was fifteen I went to Planned Parenthood and
had:
1) Lack of counseling
2) I was not told correct information about the
development of my baby.
3) I felt coerced by the staff members.
My second abortion experience was when I was
seventeen, and again with Planned Parenthood I had the
same experience. By then I was spiritually, mentally
and emotionally damaged further.
They were not a help to me - The
agency not only helped me kill my unborn children,
they helped me kill my own spirit, my psychological
health and my emotional health. This agency harms
women and young girls along with killing unborn
children. -- Noel
I was approximately 16 years old,
pregnant, excited and scared at the same time in a
crisis pregnancy. I went to Planned Parenthood and
they instructed me to abort. I went to El Paso, Texas
approximately 30 years ago. I can remember clear as
day being there. The doctor telling me I’ll be
terminating tissue/a pregnancy, never once making
reference to a baby. Instructing me that this was for
my own good... I was approximately 6 TO 7 WEEKS.
Remembering someone at Planned Parenthood making a
comment that if I waited any longer, it would cost
more and I’d have to go out of town to Albuquerque.
This procedure cost $150.00 cash and changed my life
forever for the worst. Planned Parenthood destroys
lives. -- Emily, New Mexico
I am writing because of my
experience with an abortion that I had May 27, 1976. I
was flown by my parents to Minneapolis to an abortion
clinic. It was a horrific experience. I told
them I didn't want to be there. No one cared. I was
called back into a room to (meet) with a counselor who
asked me if I had anyone to talk to when I got home
after the abortion. This was after I told her I didn't
want to have this abortion. She didn't care, she knew
my mom brought me there to have an abortion and she
explained she had to have me sign off that I had had a
meeting with her so I could have the abortion. I was
so afraid and I knew there was no where I could go.
They took me back to a white, stark room and put me in
the stirups. They didn't give me anything for the
pain. They were stern and told me to just hold on for
a little longer. Tears streamed out of my eyes as I
laid on that table and the pain was something I never
experienced before or after, ever. The jar was barely
covered by a white paper and I could see the blood and
parts of my baby that were being sucked out of me. I
was taken out of that room to a "recovery" room. This
room was filled with beds and I was told I had to be
there for about an hour to "make sure" the bleeding
would slow down. They sat me up, and I was a little
dizzy, sick to my stomach. My mom was there and asked
them when we could leave as we had to catch a plane
back to South Dakota. The nurse released me. I felt
weak and sick to my stomach. I kept having to stop to
throw up and could hardly walk in the airport.
I went home and felt like I wanted
to kill myself. They gave me no number to call, I
couldn't talk to anyone. It was my dirty secret. In
six weeks I had to go to Sioux Falls to a Planned
Parenthood clinic to get a follow-up exam, and the
doctor said I needed "birth control" because, as the
doctor told me, "girls who have had an abortion" were
more likely to get pregnant again. I was told the
"Pill" would be best. I told him I didn't want it, but
there was no discussion, he just handed me the
prescription. I have had recurrent nightmares about
what happened, how helpless I felt and I have
depression and anxiety every spring during the time
when I was pregnant and the horrid experience of the
abortion and clinic. I do not think the American
Taxpayers should fund abortions. Sharon,
South Dakota
My name is Deb and I had an
abortion in Michigan on May 19th, 1975. I
do not remember who ran the abortion clinic but I
could tell you every ugly detail from the time I
walked in there until the time I walked out and I was
offered no counseling and or explanation of what was
happening. My life was turned upside down for 19 years
before I was able to begin to heal from the horrible
decision I made that day and there is not a day that
goes by where I don't think of the child that I
murdered that day! -- Deb
I was a scared 16 -year old girl
when I had my abortion. It is the worst decision I
have ever made and I have regretted it for the nearly
20 years since it happened. I went to a clinic in
Granite City, IL. I was a minor, of course, and did
not have to have any parental consent. I also did not
receive proper counseling - I have no idea to this day
what kind of procedure I had. I was also not sure how
far along I was in the pregnancy. I do remember
discussion between the doctor and nurse stating the
pregnancy was farther along than they originally
thought. That did not stop them from doing the
procedure. I was left afterward feeling worthless,
empty, and I regret this experience every single day.
It has taken years for me to recover emotionally,
although I am not sure if a woman can ever completely
recover. It is my hope that women will no longer have
abortions and the damage that occurs to women and
children will be stopped. Tammy, Colorado
I was 'referred' for my abortion
from Planned Parenthood. They acted as if it were
absolutely nothing at all; except perhaps a 'Whew!' of
relief.Counseling? What a laugh! Truly, they acted as
if it was a Dentist's office and I was there to have a
tooth pulled. And the abortionist and his 'staff'? An
assembly line; and the only thing they cared about was
getting their $. I was a nurse at that time, and I've
never seen a rougher, more speedy post-partum 'exam'.
The 'doctor' acted as if he was on amphetamines,
seriously. He ran in, stuck his hand up my vagina,
then exited without a word. Of course, he had 15 other
'patients' to see. -- Kathy
I had an abortion in 1983 at a
hospital not associated with Planned Parenthood. I was
given no information at all about fetal development or
risks (accept risks of anesthesia). I was told that I
may experience sadness from hormonal imbalance for a
day or two – similar to what I might feel with a
menstrual period.
I had my abortion under full
anesthesia. When they came to put me to sleep, I told
them I wanted to talk to my doctor first. I kept
insisting they not put me to sleep until I spoke with
my doctor, as I was feeling uncertain. They told me
they were just giving vitamins in the IV, but it put
me to sleep, and I never saw or spoke with my doctor
at all.
So after abortion, when I continued
to have extreme emotions, crying spells, suicidal
thoughts, nightmares, and more that lasted for years,
I didn’t tell anyone since I thought I was very
abnormal. -- C.
My child would be 37 today, as I was
one of the first to obtain a legal abortion at the age
of 19 at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Long Island,
New York. Even though I was adamantly pro-choice at
that time, I asked nervous questions. The nurse
assured me the baby was just a mass of cells. I was
nine weeks pregnant and I found out many years later
that my child had a heartbeat by then. Even though I
never planned to remember that day, I can still
vividly remember the waiting room, the gurneys lined
up along a dirty hallway and the smell of Pine Sol. I
was just as terrified as the other young women lined
up all around me as we laid there naked with a sheet
over our body, nervously glancing around while waiting
for our turn to go into the double doors at the end of
the hall. It was easy to see that the cattle-car
environment made all of us feel dirty and ashamed.
Afterward, I was helped off the bed, handed a brown
lunch bag with pain pills and birth-control pills and
walked out to meet my fiancé in the waiting room. I
was at such a vulnerable age, very much influenced by
the mantra that nobody should dictate what I could do
with my body. It never occurred to me how much that
day would haunt me until it was too late. --
Lauren, GA
Many years ago, I had two abortions
where Planned Parenthood recommended abortionists to
perform these horrific procedures. The trauma from
these abortions had scared me for many years. I was
yelled out by the PP counselor which frightened me so
that I was paralyzed into having one of these two
procedures. The shame and disgrace I experienced prior
to the one, was nothing compared to the anguish and
suffering post. The second abortion, was a result of
the void I experienced from the first..no counseling
was provided and I was left in a state of depression
and nowhere to turn for many years. This scaring and
inability to grieve or be counseled is cruel and in
human and any organization that offers help should
never, ever treat someone like I was treated or any
other woman. – Maryann, New Jersey
I was shocked when I heard that
congresswoman indicate that they were not cold at all
to her abortion. Her experience was much different
than mine. I was 17 when I went to Planned Parenthood
and was not counseled at all they told me just about
the procedure obscurely but never spoke of the child
onside of me as a real baby just a thing to get rid
of, on the day I had the procedure it was never spoken
of as even a fetus just the procedure that would
remove the pregnancy. As such I never really
comprehended what I was doing or that I would spend
the rest if my life burdened by the tremendous guilt
of the horrendous act I had done. I wish I could turn
back time and have anyone there show me the heartbeat
or a sonogram anything to let me fully understand what
I was doing, Someone to talk to me about options in a
serious non judgmental manner to help me reach out to
my parents but now all I can do is stand as a witness
that Planned Parenthood in particular should not be an
option to anyone ever. -- Megan, Caliornia
October 1985 I was driven to Planned
Parenthood in WI by my sister who thought she
was helping me I was ushered into the building by a
woman to prevent me from talking to the protestors
standing outside. The pre procedure counseling
consisted of a brochure that I was given when ushered
into a small room to change into a gown. I wasn't
mistreated by the staff that isn't possible when they
don't acknowledge you are in the room. The doctor
never even said hello before he touched me and started
the suction machine. The true travesty occurred hours
later after I got home and started bleeding so
profusely and had such excruciating pain that I got in
the hot shower hoping to stop the bleeding and passed
my child. I was scared and alone I picked it up and
flushed it down the toilet. I bled for days. --
JoAnn, Wisconsin
I was lead to believe this child was
just tissue and not a baby, and there would be no
serious consequences from the abortion. All were lies:
Abortion hurts women. I can never have a child again,
since my uterus was removed. This was a real human
being from the moment of conception, a truth I learned
too late, and this has left me with everlasting heart
and soul consequences. – Rebecca
In 1974, I was 4 weeks pregnant, and
went to Planned Parenthood for advice, because I
didn't really want an abortion, since my best friend
had had a second trimester abortion at Planned
Parenthood, and I watched her sob inconsolably
afterward, saying "I saw the (dead) baby." No
alternative was given except an appointment for an
abortion, to "terminate a pregnancy," saying my fetus
was just tissue. On the day itself, I was led
downstairs to a holding room like a lamb to a
slaughter, and I remember being strapped to the
abortion table and my doctor looking into my eyes. I
hoped he might ask me if this was what I really wanted
to do, but it was over before I got the chance, and 37
years later I am still emotionally paralyzed and
overwhelmed with grief over having lost the only child
I would ever have. -- Janet, RI
I had an abortion at the age of 14
in state of California. Was not counseled at
all--begged to not kill my baby was told it was not a
baby, it was tissue at 10 weeks along. Was told I
would have no future if did not abort. I was suicidal
for years after, did not understand my need to hurt
myself after for years. After counseling from
Christian pastor came to realize it was from the
abortion. I also had suicidal actions with I later
identified the date the baby would have been born. I
have sense accepting the Lord been able to forgive
myself and move on--but it took 20 yrs-of self abuse.
-- Linda, Alaska
I had an abortion at Planned
Parenthood. Options counseling? It was a lie. I regret
it more than I could ever express. I think about it
every day. Please defund Planned Parenthood. –
Jean, Oklahoma
My experience was with Planned
Parenthood in Pennsylvania 34 years ago. I went into
the Planned Parenthood three times before making the
decision to have my abortion. What scared me and took
me so long to make the decision was listening to the
many women in the clinic who were talking about not
their first abortion but that they were having their
third, fourth, fifth, or sixth abortion; this truly
shows me that they were not educating women on sexual
health...it was all about the money they were making
from the abortions. -- Barbara, Pennsylvania
I was 15. First time having sexual
intercourse with an 18 year old boy who loved me.
Oblivious to what sex was as I was a high honor
student and a gymnast slated for Nationals. There I
was pregnant. Went to TWO clinics who told me I was
too far along for an abortion. There was NOT a
counselor 100 miles from those clinics in Connecticut
or the Bronx as that is where we found ourselves. Not
one person counseled my college aged-sister,
boyfriend, and I regarding all the options. I was from
a middle class family, there was money, there were
options. Not one human being in the Planned
Parent Hood Clinics helped us. We were
scared, that's all. But, you do not kill a 4 month-old
fetus, a 4 month-old healthy baby girl who was 100%
healthy as shown on the ultrasound-- a child of God. I
was told to tell my parents. I did. My parents were
100% distraught. Not one person counseled them
either. Same story! I was 20 weeks pregnant
and perfectly healthy. My parents were advised to
abort at the late term clinic at Brigham and Women's,
Boston. We lived just outside of Boston.
I am now 44. I am physically and
mentally healthy. But, I have no family or children of
my own. My career life is barren but I have a master's
plus. HMMM? Had four opportunities to marry and start
a family. I was offered a job as an anchor intern
in Washington my SOPHMORE year at college. I ran
from the thought. The abortion killed me, too. That
day at Brigham and Women's, just about a month before
my 16th birthday, my 4 month pregnancy, my child,
Allison, was murdered, I died too, and my parents
died. So did my boyfriend and his family who were
anti-abortion! They loved us kids. We were not
homeless children. We had support and financial
resources and two middle class homes.
Yes, I do healing work EVERY DAY!!!
I take care of myself but I am "barren." An educated
family girl whose life never became "operational,"
such that Father Brian Hehir of Harvard said to me one
day!I will speak on my behalf in Washington. I can be
there in 24 hours! This is an URGENT issue! --
Kristine
I had an abortion at the age of 18.
I was in an emotional state of shock at the time I
entered the clinic. I received NO COUNSELING or
EVALUATION of my mental status. Nor was I informed of
any alternatives. The "doctor" who performed the
procedure did not speak a word to me. -- Jana, Maryland
I had an abortion in Chicago in
1984. I went to a Planned Parenthood office for the
pregnancy test. They gave me no information about
fetal development; no information about abortion
procedures; no information about my options. They
asked me if I knew what I wanted to do and I said I
was thinking about having an abortion. They gave me a
list of clinics to call. The abortion clinic that
Planned Parenthood referred me to also gave me no
information about fetal development; no information
about abortion procedures; no information about my
options. When I went back for a check-up two weeks
later I was crying while I was there. Aside from
receiving a pelvic exam to determine that "everything
was OK" no one there asked me how I was doing
emotionally and no one seemed concerned about my
tears. -- Lori
My child would be 37 today as I was
one of the first to obtain a legal abortion at the age
of 19 at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Long Island,
New York. Even though I was adamantly pro-choice at
that time, I asked nervous questions. The nurse
assured me the baby was just a mass of cells. I was
nine weeks pregnant and I found out many years later
that my child had a heartbeat by then. Even though I
never planned to remember that day, I can still
vividly remember the waiting room, the gurneys lined
up along a dirty hallway and the smell of Pine Sol. I
was just as terrified as the other young women lined
up all around me as we laid there naked with a sheet
over our body, nervously glancing around while waiting
for our turn to go into the double doors at the end of
the hall. It was easy to see that the cattle-car
environment made all of us feel dirty and ashamed.
Afterward, I was helped off the bed, handed a brown
lunch bag with pain pills and birth-control pills and
walked out to meet my fiancé in the waiting room. I
was at such a vulnerable age, very much influenced by
the mantra that nobody should dictate what I could do
with my body. It never occurred to me how much that
day would haunt me until it was too late. --
Lauren, Georgia
I have had two abortions, one in a
Planned Parenthood clinic, one in a hospital where I
was referred by Planned Parenthood. Neither time did I
receive any counseling. The second time, I had an
ultrasound at Planned Parenthood and they were very
careful to turn the monitor away from me so that I
could not see my baby on the screen. I was told it was
just a small mass of tissue at such an early stage of
pregnancy. I would have made different decisions if I
had been given complete information. -- Donna, Indiana
I went to a Planned Parenthood in
Rhode Island. I had severe bleeding and
clotting within hours of the abortion procedure. There
were no follow-up visits to check on my condition or
offering of phone numbers or contacts to reach out to
nurses or doctors to call with questions regarding the
condition of my health. I made a call to Planned
Parenthood to ask about my condition and was told
bleeding is normal.
I could have died with the huge
amount of blood loss, and didn’t understand the
extremity of how abnormal this actually was at the
time. I have had THREE DNC’s due to miscarriages
(similar to the abortion procedure) and never had the
physical outcome similar to the Planned Parenthood
abortion procedure. I HAVE EXPERIENCED all of this and
am speaking from experience, not opinions.The lack of
counseling is an understatement. There was NO
COUNSELING - period. I was in college, afraid, and
didn’t have anyone to look at all of my options
because I was petrified. Planned Parenthood is not a
woman’s advocate. Planned Parenthood is a business
that saw a niche market and as an alternative to
back-alley abortions.
As an immediate fix to truly
liberate woman, please demand that Planned Parenthood
needs to have at least one ultra-sound machine at each
office and it is REQUIRED to perform an ultra-sound
PRIOR to terminating the pregnancy. I was not given
this opportunity and Planned Parenthood shaded the
development of my baby and made me believe there was
no life at the time the pregnancy was terminated. They
do nothing to acknowledge that there is indeed a
beating heart and fingers and toes being formed and
all the other organs. In addition, they told me I had
to wait a certain number of weeks “before” the
abortion could take place (it actually in layman’s
terms had to grow larger to be sucked out)… I was
actually almost 12 weeks pregnant and they in essence
tried to tell me it was a much shorter time (only 6
weeks). I had no idea at the time. Planned parenthood
has a pregnancy time table much different than any
other ob/gyn that cared for my past 6 pregnancies.
Sincerely and from the heart (all at risking my
anonymity & reputation to shed light on this subject
from a former Planned Parenthood customer), Lorri, Maine
I had an abortion in 1988 at 18
years of age. Not a day goes by that I don't think of
my child that should have been. I received no
counseling before or after the killing of my baby. I
wish the clinics would have shown me what really was
happening instead of having the TV tuned to Phil
Donahue and a nonchalant attitude. Wendi, TX
I had an abortion 13 years ago,
though I tried to persuade my boyfriend at the time
that this was not the RIGHT choice. I did really want
our baby despite the shock of becoming pregnant. It
was done at a Planned Parenthood facility. Now that I
consider the name, planning a family was not, nor ever
will be on their priority list. When calling about
scheduling the "procedure," the woman who answered the
phone came across quite rudely. I did ask her if a
non-harmful option existed, trying to convince myself
that there had to be a humane way of taking a life.
She basically said no in a very unpleasant tone of
voice. You could tell she was as unhappy in dealing
with this truth as me. Following the abortion, I threw
up the apple juice they offered me in the waiting
room. There was no counseling offered, or explanation
of what was to take place before or even after the
abortion. I was just kindly ushered into the waiting
room where I could leave whenever I felt up to it. As
I woke up the following morning, I felt a stabbing
pain in my stomach that caused me to buckle into fetal
position and lie back down. I remained in bed most of
the day, and wondered why I was never told about these
painful symptoms. – Patricia, Florida
I was sixteen when I went to Planned
Parenthood. They lied to me. Never confirmed my
pregnancy. I was awake during the whole procedure. Saw
god awful instruments on the back of the door to where
I was at. I even asked about the pregnancy counseling
center next door, I was told that they were closed.
Asked me if I was being forced. I was visibly shaking,
still the abortion was signed off. Never told about my
options. Never shown what my baby looked like. You are
not offered to see your baby. I was given 6 pills to
take before and an IV during. I was uncomfortable with
the man doctor touching me, I wasn’t told it was going
to be a man. I was told to sit still and be quiet. I
was too drugged up to say stop before he started If
one was just “tissue,” than others were as well…I
can’t tell you how many abortions I have had, women
lying to women, a convenient ‘present’ that became
nothing but an alcoholic blur. I was unable to love my
unborn children because I had to believe what they
told me, that ‘It was nothing but a tissue.’ How I
hate the women who have destroyed the lives of not
only the unborn children but of other women, as well -
all in the name of “rights”… The health issues for me
are many due to the ugliness and horror, the weight
greater each year in the suppression and then
realization of what I have done; the violation of who
I was created to be. If anything else I will be a
greater strain on society due to the medical and
psychological neglect over the long haul of denial;
many will be seeking because they will not know from
where the turmoil comes. I need to be heard because I
denied myself a voice. – Melissa
Planned Parenthood told me I would
feel relief after my abortion. Hardly, I tried to
commit suicide and ended up having to stay in the
hospital for a week and counseling for well over 20
years now. The pain and loss never goes away. My child
was taken from me, even though my blood pressure
measured at shock level. Please make abortion illegal
so no one has to suffer the mental anguish I and
others have gone through. Abortion does not solve
problems, it only creates them. –
Kimberly, MA.
I wanted to share some of my own
experience about abortion: I had an abortion in 1996
in a Planned Parenthood clinic, at the age of 21. We
were counseled as to the procedure and birth control
options, but were never counseled about emotional
issues relating to the abortion. We were never offered
counseling. I was scraped out, set in a recovery room
for a little while, then sent home. Now, at 35, I
still mourn the loss of that baby. Women are not being
told the emotional ramifications of this procedure,
and it harms women and babies. – Emily
Having had an abortion in 1972, I
was made to feel like a cow going through a cattle run
to the slaughter. Stretcher after stretcher lined up
waiting for the end. I’m 58 and my child would have
been 39 years old this past month, February. –-
Bonnie DiGeronimo, Island Park, NY
I am 43 years old. When I was 21, I
had an abortion with the help of Planned Parenthood in
Wisconsin. I was sent to Bread and Roses. Planned
Parenthood, and Bread and Roses both told me at that
time, that my baby was nothing but tissue at that
point in my pregnancy. I was about 10 weeks along. It
was nothing but lies,,,, I was in a horrible
relationship, and was forced into having this awful
procedure performed on me. This is a decision I will
have to live with the rest of my life. Not a day goes
by that I don't think about that precious baby that I
killed. There was no counseling after wards, and no
one to talk too...Please stop this from happening to
other women...Barbara
No
counseling at all, except to push abortion. No
ultrasound or heart beat monitor. Told it was like
scraping your arm...losing a few skin cells.
Afterward, it was a mess. Like a battlefield hospital,
cots stretched throughout the room," here are your
pills, it's time to leave." No warning of the intense
feelings of guilt and shame, the inability to forgive,
the propensity to drink or behave in a high risk
manner, the emotions over seeing babies in commercials
or in strollers or pregnant women. No warning. No post
counseling. And yes. It was a Planned Parenthood.
Kristyn, Colorado
I had an abortion in 1985. It was a
method of birth control after the birth control pills
that Planned Parenthood gave me failed. Having an
abortion was the worst mistake of my life. Please
don’t spend any more federal money on Planned
Parenthood. It is not the government’s job to fund
reproductive health services. It is my responsibility
to take care of myself and deal with the consequences
of my behavior and choices. It’s called accountability
and it’s time that the government held people to it.
Jane, Wisconsin
My abortion tale of horror: In 1974,
my wife and I went to an abortion clinic in Memphis. I
remember saying to the doctor, "I hope this is the
right thing to do." He answered, " This is better than
a lifetime of disorder." HE WAS WRONG. Hardly a day
goes by that I am not filled with the remorse of
ending my own child's life. 'I have a few regrets, but
this is the single greatest regret of my life. What
could be more heinous than having your own child
killed? Believe me, abortion ASSURES a "lifetime of
disorder". I wonder how many other lives have been
"gutted" by the lies of these doctors and their life
stopping clinics.
Because of our National
participation in this horrible sin, I believe we as a
people are now in peril of the same Living God who
originally blessed us. Think about this: There are a
lot of people with problems in this country, but we
don't KILL them! Mark, Arkansas
I was 4.5 weeks pregnant when I had
my abortion at Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles. I
did not receive any counseling and it was a horrific
experience that traumatized my life for years after. I
did not succeed in saving my daughter after the
abortionist administered the lethal drug and had to
bury her at Green Acres Cemetery in Bloomington
California. Irene, Southern California
I had my abortion in 1974. It was
performed by my doctor at a Planned Parenthood
facility. I had been told that at 6 weeks, the
pregnancy was just tissue; but it turned out that it
was a boy. When I became pregnant again 5 years later,
I almost lost that child due to complications from the
abortion. Planned Parenthood hurts women. It hurt me.
Please do everything you can to put it out of
business.
Patricia from California
I had an abortion in 1980 at Planned
Parenthood in MO. I was told it was a quick, easy
procedure and when it was all over my life would
return to normal. Normal was far from the truth. I
experienced regret and guilt immediately and later
shame, anger, depression and loss. After learning from
an ultrasound two years later upon my second pregnancy
that my 9 week old baby was fully developed in my
womb, I had reoccuring nightmares and flashbacks of
the abortion. Planned Parenthood told me it was a blob
of tissue. I should have been given truthful
information about fetal development, given and shown
the ultrasound, and accurate information about the
after affects of abortion. I have lived with the pain
and loss for over 30 yrs. Lori, MO
I had three abortions, 2 at Planned
Parenthood. I was told the babies in my womb were
pieces of flesh and I was in my second trimester. I
was given an abortion after I was counseled by an
individual who asked me questions that would encourage
abortion, like, “do you want to bring a child into a
new relationship?” I was not counseled on the trauma
and regret I would experience because of my abortions.
I had much deeper problems, and their only concern was
my getting an abortion. L., AZ
I had an abortion in 1981--and went
to a clinic for "counseling"-no one told me that there
were people all over the country who would have taken
me in during this time of crisis. I was told that this
wasn't a baby-just "a formless glob of tissue." Once I
found out the truth, it has been a 30 year nightmare
to try to overcome the intense grief, sorrow and
guilt. Kathryn, Ohio
I would like to let you know how the
sounds of the vacuum haunt me in the quiet of the
night. My Planned Parenthood experience was horrible
as I was lied to in my so-called counseling session by
being told my baby was a blob of cells. The pain and
bleeding went on for 3 weeks and I could not return to
my "normal life" of college and work during that time.
Linda, MO
I had an abortion in 1982 and as I
was laying there I felt the doctor sucking out my baby
piece by piece. This was a BABY - NOT A FETUS, as we
are led to believe. The pain and suffering for years
afterward were just awful and sometimes unbearable to
deal with. Let’s stop abortion and give these innocent
little babies a chance at life. Thank you. Deb
I speak as the father. I went with
my girl friend, in 1975, to a clinic, in downtown
Chicago, payed, if I remember correctly $350, and we
were told nothing accept sign and pay. My girl friend
and I had a child in 1980 and I stood to my position
no more abortions no matter what might come. Hell came
as she dated another man through that pregnancy and
left pregnant with his child in 1983. It was
extrememly painful for me as I fell against the car
upon leaving the clinic and it 13 years to come to any
peace what-so-ever. Jim
It has now been 34 years since my
abortion. At that time I was seen by two doctors,
neither of whom counseled me on adverse effects from
the abortion, nor was I given any alternatives to
consider. I have lived a lifetime of regret, and the
cervical cancer I contracted is considered by medical
authorities to be linked to the abortion I had.
Suzanne, Czech Republic
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