The exact number of abortion survivors is unknown. In reality, even the precise number of abortions completed annually even in the U. S. is incomplete (as states like California do not report their statistics, and the number of chemical abortions across the country is not reported. What we have found, though, is that there are far more abortion survivors than most people would suspect.
Interestingly enough, a pro-life writer estimated that based on the failure rates of late-term abortions, there could be as many as 44,000 survivors of late-term abortion in the United States alone!
Although the raw data on abortion survivors is challenging to obtain, particularly in the U.S., a handful of state reports give us a little insight. Several countries report the incidence of abortion survival.
A government report in Canada from 2012 reported that 491 children survived abortions from 2000-2009. They also reported 766 children survived abortions from 2013-2018. Additionally, there are similar government reports from the U.K. and states in Australia.
It’s important to note that although our culture often talks about late-term abortion being rare, the reality is that there are a significant number of late-term abortions that occur. Reasons indicated by women for obtaining a late-term abortion include:
- Health issues identified for the baby during their 20-week anatomy scan.
- Women not knowing that they’re pregnant for a long time or miscalculating how far along they are in the pregnancy.
- Women hiding their pregnancy from others.
Although many abortion survivors were subjected to late-term abortion procedures, some children survive abortion procedures in first and early second-trimester abortions, including chemical abortions. With the assistance of the abortion pill reversal, we now also see children surviving due to this intervention.
There are also numerous instances of twin pregnancy where there is only knowledge of one child at the time of the abortion, so there remains an additional child after the procedure.
From 2012-May 2021, The Abortion Survivors Network connected with 384 survivors of abortion or their friends or family who contacted us on their behalf. We know this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to survivors—many don’t ever share their stories with anyone, and, in fact, many probably don’t even know about their survival. Failed abortions and survivals are shrouded in secrets.
Despite abortion survival not being openly discussed in our culture, news articles and social media stories and videos regularly published and circulating share past instances, stories and statistics, and current news about survivors.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see more of these stories and share these links with others to get Informed about the incidence of abortion survival, the experiences of survivors and join the movement to humanize abortion with us.
STAY INFORMED WITH THESE RESOURCES.
Life Empowers with Melissa Ohden
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Get and stay informed! Download our informational handouts, webinars (coming in August of 2020) then share this information with others. The more people get to know about us, the more human we become to them, the more human the unborn become, and abortion becomes unthinkable.
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Spread the message of hope and humanity by booking a survivor to speak at your event, lecture or meeting (even virtually). Our lives dispel the lies that abortion is a choice or a right. We humanize the unborn and fellow survivors. Our survival and our journeys in overcoming, loving and forgiving are the hope the world needs.
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