Here's an artist's rendering of a six-week embryo (aged from fertilization)*:
Here's a doctor who performed 1,200 abortions describing the abortion procedure used to remove this embryo from the mother's womb**:
Embryos this old or older are killed by this surgery (or another procedure) approximately 300,000 times each year in the US. The vast majority of the time, the surgery is elective and sought for reasons such as feeling too poor or otherwise not ready to care for a child. (See JFA's "What Are the Facts" to substantiate these claims from pro-choice or neutral sources.)
Whatever your view on abortion, since this surgery is so common, isn't it worthwhile to ask ourselves: Is this surgery truly helpful or ultimately harmful?
What do you think?
In addition to this question, we think these questions are worth considering and discussing:
- Can you identify with a woman who feels she needs abortion? Can you put yourself in her shoes?
- Does knowing the reality of what abortion is make the decision of whether or not to have an abortion harder or easier?
- What do the facts demand of us when we seek to help our friends who have an unplanned pregnancy?
- Is this surgery too common or do you think it's fine if it is common?
- Should abortion continue to be legal at this stage and beyond? Why or why not?
Note: This is one of a series of posts encouraging dialogue on abortion. Whatever your perspective on abortion, please note that Justice For All promotes respect for people with differing views and condemns all abortion-related violence. Please feel free to share this post on social media, and feel free to comment below.
* Embryo (2013, Maurice T. Wagner, All Rights Reserved). See more pictures, video, and facts about the embryo and human development at our "What Is the Unborn?" page. To see a photograph of the embryo at this stage, see Abort73.
** See video descriptions of the most common abortion procedures at our "What Is Abortion?" page.