Breaking the silence on

Abortion

Abortion

The FactsHow many ?Why? How ?

Woman’s body

womans choice

Its Murder isn’t it?

It my business it doesn’t effect

any one else

Help I have had

an abortion

What does the bible say?

Its just a blob of tissue

Should Christians get involved and how?

?What about

those that are raped?Abn

ormal

fetus

’s an

d

gend

er

Abortion Statistics

Abortions by State and Age 2009 State Total Australia

NSW/ACT

VIC/TAS

QLD SA/NT WA

0-19 4,053 2,087 2,478 944 1,371 10,933

20-24 6,742 4,081 3,731 1,593 2,091 18,238

25-34 11,406 7,141 5,938 2,181 2,925 29,591

>=35 6,926 4,878 3,183 1,134 1,662 17,783

Unknown 0 0 0 0 1 1

Total 29,127 18,187 15,330 5,852 8,050 76,546

World wide in 2008 – 43.8 million

Reason given for abortionsReason given for abortion Number Percentage

Specified medical condition 23 0.5

Serious handicap of foetus 160 3.2

Mental health of woman 4,860 96.3

Pre-existing psychiatric disorder 4 0.1

Sexual Assault (eg rape or incest) 1 0.0

Total 5,048 100%

Feotus at 4 weeks

Foetus at 8 weeks

Foetus 12 weeks

Foetus 16 weeks

Foetus 20 weeks

Foetus 24 weeks

Foetus 28 weeks

Foetus 36 weeks

Examples of sensory & physical attributes of  unborn child

Weeks

from conception

Size

Sensitive to touch 6 weeks 2 & 3 1.6cm (crown – rump)

Turning head; moving legs, arms and hands; squinting; hands touch face, etc 8 weeks 2 3.1cm

(Crown – heel length 4.3 cm)

Sucking their thumb 9 weeks 2 4.1

Yawning 10 weeks 2 5.4cm

Displaying a range of complex facial expressions 11 weeks 2 7.4cm

Starting to taste 12 weeks 3 8.7cm(Crown – heel length 12 cm)

Kicking and curling toes, grasping feet and scratching with fingernails 12 weeks 4 8.7cm

Reacting to amniocentesis needle 14 weeks 3 11.6cm

Hearing* 14 weeks 3 11.6cm

Doing somersaults 16 weeks 5 14.2cm (crown – rump)

Acquired mothers’ personal accents and speech sounds** 22 weeks 6 30cm

Capable of living outside mother’s womb(age of viability)*** 21-22 weeks 7 29-30cm

Method Number Per cent

Dilatation and currettage 168 3.3

Hysterotomy-abdominal 1 0.0

Hysterectomy 1 0.0

Vacuum aspiration 3,710 73.5

Vaginal prostaglandin 60 1.2

Dilatation and evacuation 418 8.3

Oral or vaginal Misoprostol 21 0.4

Methotrexate +/- prostaglandin 0 0.0

Mifepristone +/- Misoprostol 668 13.2

Other 1 0.0

Total 5,048 100.0

Effects on mothers Suicide

Depression Trauma

Eating disorders Substance abuse

Coercion Guilt Grief

Divorce Chronic relationship problems

Unresolved trauma Child abuse

Repeat abortions Self punishment

Immediate physical complications – bleeding, infection Long term health effects – infertility, Increase risk of breast cancer

Thinking Biblically about Abortion

Psalm 139 :13 – 16For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.16 Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Job 31:15 NIV15 Did not he who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same one form us both within our mothers?

Psalm 127:33 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.

Psalm 106:37 37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to false gods

Romans 12:2 (NIV)2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.JB Phillips - Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould,

Breaking the silence on

Abortion