To the editor:
Abortion harms women.
For every child killed by abortion, the life of the mother also is harmed. Chemical abortion, commonly known as the abortion pill, accounts for 50 percent of all abortions in Ohio. Less commonly known are its side effects on women: One in every 20 women visits the emergency room after beginning a chemical abortion, and at least three of every 100 women will need to visit a doctor to complete a chemical abortion. And up to one in five women suffer from chemical abortion complications.
Another 42 percent of abortions in Ohio happen through suction curettage. Few realize the incredibly barbaric nature of this operation: An abortionist dilates a woman's cervix and inserts a superpowered vacuum cleaner into her womb, tearing her baby apart. Those pieces that remain are cleaned out with a sharp knife. That is why one out of every 167 women suffer an injury to their cervix or uterus in this procedure which can lead to miscarriage for future pregnancies or scarring which can lead to infertility. Another one in 48 women have hemorrhaging.
Unborn babies feel pain as early as five weeks. Can you imagine what they experience as they are torn apart? We wouldn't put our worst serial killers to death this way.
The cruel consequences of abortion reach far past physical scars. The psychological consequences to the mother are well-documented and never fully heal.
Post-abortion trauma includes a range of serious mental health issues from PTSD to suicidal thoughts and, perhaps years later, unimaginable grief.
Issue 1 opens the door for abortion all nine months for any reason. Parental protections in place for decades could be swept away, since no age limit is stated. Vague language could be interpreted to allow child abusers, pedophiles and human traffickers to provide abortions to cover up their crimes. Ohioans -- wake up.
Planned Parenthood is big business, funded in part by our tax dollars, sadly. They make money killing babies -- and they're investing millions of dollars promoting Issue 1 with lies.
What is the measure of our humanity?
We need to protect women in Ohio. We need to protect babies.
Vote no in November on Issue 1.
Kimberly Hahn
Steubenville