Commentary

Confronting the Horror of Abortion

Guest column from Pro-Life Action Ministries:

Today we are continuing our series on abortion procedures. This week’s update is featuring induction abortions. It is important to note that similar to the update regarding D&E abortions, this one contains graphic and disturbing information. Induction abortions are among the most gruesome and evil abortion procedures, and thus may be difficult for sensitive audiences.

What is an induction abortion?

An induction abortion is a gruesome and heartbreaking procedure used in the second or third trimester to intentionally end the life of a nearly fully developed pre-born baby. This type of abortion takes place over 2–3 days. The abortion sometimes begins with the mother taking Mifepristone (the chemical abortion drug we discussed last week). This drug blocks vital nutrients from getting to the baby, essentially starving him or her. However, at this point in pregnancy, Mifepristone alone is not necessarily enough to kill the baby. So, abortionists will then execute the baby using a long needle and insert it through the mother’s abdomen. The needle injects a poison—either digoxin or potassium chloride—into the baby’s heart or head. This causes a fatal heart attack, ensuring the child is delivered dead. The goal is to stop the baby’s heartbeat before labor is induced, so that no signs of life are present at delivery.

Once the baby has been killed, the abortionist begins preparing the mother’s body to deliver her dead child. This includes inserting small rods into the cervix to slowly force it open. Over the course of hours or even days, these rods expand, and additional drugs  like misoprostol or mifepristone are used to trigger strong contractions. The mother then goes through the physical pain and trauma of labor, knowing she will deliver a baby who has been intentionally killed.

In addition to the horrific fate of the baby in this abortion procedure, late-term abortions have a high risk of hemorrhage, lacerations, and uterine perforations, as well as a risk of maternal death. During litigation to keep D&E abortions legal, abortionists stated: “[i]nduction abortions can last from five hours to three days; are extremely expensive; entail more pain, discomfort, and recovery time for the patient than a standard D&E procedure; and are medically contraindicated for some patients.”

The reality is, many babies can survive outside the womb at the level of development when an induction abortion is considered. By 25 weeks, a pre-born baby is fully developed and considered viable. They can fully feel the pain of this abortion procedure.

Sometimes, the injection meant to stop the baby’s heart fails, and the child is born alive. In these heartbreaking cases, no medical care is given—the baby is simply left to die. A 2024 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology analyzed 13,777 late-term abortions in Canada between 15–29 weeks and found that over 11% resulted in live births. Closer to home, Minnesota’s 2022 annual abortion report revealed that five babies were born alive in 2021 following failed abortion attempts.  No life-saving measures were taken and all five babies died. Tragically, instead of addressing this barbaric reality, the abortion industry works to conceal it. Reporting on babies born alive is largely unavailable and in Minnesota, the Democrat-controlled legislature in 2023 repealed the law that once required appropriate life-saving care for these children and stopped tracking these cases. Regardless, these survivors are not statistics. They are human beings with inherent dignity and worth.