YOUR RIGHT TO CHOOSE
The right to choose is a hotly debated topic in discussions on abortion. Some would argue that a woman's right to choose her lifestyle trumps all other considerations, while others would argue that it should be balanced against the unborn baby's right to live.
As this website was created to support women in their decision, we don't want to debate this right here - but there are still some points we would encourage you to consider.
Your right to choose
has given you a great responsibility - use it
wisely!
If you are considering an abortion, we would advise you to use your right to choose very carefully. Having been given the power to decide whether your unborn baby lives or dies, and what path your own life will take, you have a significant responsibility to make the right choice:
1) Your decision will change your life.
If you choose to abort your baby, this does not necessarily make
everything better. Many women experience a physical, mental
and emotional problems following an abortion, often lasting for
years or even decades after the event. (Please see our pages
on Health Risks and Post Abortion Stress
Syndrome to find out more.)
2) Your decision is forever.
You will live with the choice you make now for the rest of your
life. If you abort your baby and then regret it, you will
never be able to reverse your decision, and will never know what
your baby would have grown up to be like. (You can always
give up your baby for adoption at any time in the future if you
choose to keep him/her.)
3) Your decision is actually for two.
It goes without saying that whatever you decide impacts your
child. You have the final say on whether your child lives or
dies. In exercising your right to choose, remember that you
are choosing on behalf of your unborn child too, who has no say in
the matter.
4) Your decision has consequences for those around you.
While an abortion has the biggest consequences for you and your
child, it would also affect others. Whether or not you are
in a stable relationship with the child's father, an abortion
could seriously affect him emotionally, and whatever your
relationship with him now, you should at least consider how an
abortion might impact on both of you.
It also has consequences for your relatives and friends, who might miss out on the joy your child could bring to them, and instead may have to watch helplessly as the physical and emotional consequences of an abortion take their toll on you over time.
Your right to choose has given you a tremendous responsibility - use it wisely!
We would encourage you to read other pages on our website to help you with your decision (our Reasons For Abortion page would be a good place to start), as well as discussing it with people you trust who can support you through this time.