Alabama Lawyers for Life

Counseling:

Q. How do I find a pregnancy center near me?

A. Call 1-800-395-HELP or see Find a Center online at http://www.pregnancycenters.org

Abortion:

Q. Should I be concerned about having an abortion?

A. Abortion is not just a simple medical procedure. For many women, it is a life-changing event with significant physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences. Most women who struggle with past abortions say that they wish they had been told all of the facts about abortion prior to procuring one.

Q. What can I do about people pressuring me?

A. Remember, abortion is forever. No person will be required to live with the consequences of this decision as much as you will. If your boyfriend or parents are pressuring you to make a quick decision, explain your needs and try to involve them in counseling to explore your positive options. You have the right to continue with this pregnancy. Remember also that abortion businesses profit from abortions, so their "counseling" will undoubtedly be biased. Surveys show that more than 60% of women feel coerced to have an abortion; this may have dramatic adverse effects on the woman who aborts. Contact a pregnancy center in your area ("Abortion Alternatives" in the Yellow Pages] or visit http://www.pregnancycenters.org/ to receive accurate counseling and a clear understanding of all your options.

Q. Can I have a baby and still live my life?

A. You may see this unplanned pregnancy as a major roadblock in your life.
Thankfully, there are other routes that can get you back on track.
Pregnancy only lasts 9 months, not a lifetime.
Be encouraged to know that many women in the same situation have found the necessary help and resources to make positive choices and realize their dreams. Babies need not be looked at as burdens, but as gifts.
Doctors continually point to the fact that multitudes of women come back to tell them how grateful they are to have given birth; very rare is the woman who regrets giving birth to her child.
Whether you keep your child or place your baby for adoption, LIFE gives HOPE to both of you.

Q. What are the immediate medical risks of abortion?

A. Heavy bleeding, infection, incomplete abortion, allergic reaction to drugs, tearing of the cervix, scarring of the uterine lining, perforation of the uterus, hemorrhaging, damage to internal organs, and death.

Q. What are other, subsequent risks of abortion?

A. Breast cancer, future miscarriage, premature delivery of future children that can lead to problems for your children such as cerebral palsy; emotional/spiritual consequences, depression, Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome (PAS), failure to bond with future children, difficulty in relationships, suicide.

Q. What are PAS symptoms?

A. Guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, anniversary grief, flashbacks of abortion, nightmares, sexual dysfunction, relationship problems, eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and psychological reactions.

(This information was found in part in Before You Decide, Care Net)

Abortion Medical Malpractice:

American Rights Coalition 1.800.634.2224

Adoption:

Q. How is adoption similar to abortion?

A. You can pursue earlier goals and plans. You can live independently. You will not have to parent prematurely. You will be free from the financial burdens of parenting. You will avoid being forced into a hasty marriage. If you are a teenager, you can resume your youthful lifestyle.

Q. How is adoption different from abortion?

A. Your pregnancy ends with giving life instead of death.
You can feel good and positive about your choice versus feeling shame and guilt.
You will remember giving birth rather than taking a life.
You and your baby can both start new lives!
You will have plenty of time to plan your and your baby’s future, whereas abortion is final; you can’t go back on your decision.
You can hold, name, and love your baby rather than never knowing or treasuring your baby because you chose to kill instead of give life. You can have continued contact with your child as opposed to not seeing your child develop.

Every pregnancy "terminates" in nine months, with delivery and birth!
We can all postpone some plans for a few months in order to give an entire lifetime to another unique human being.

Abstinence:

Q. What is abstinence?

A. Abstinence isn’t about never having sex. It’s about waiting to have the best, safest, ultimate sex! Postponing sexual activity until marriage can make you risk free, worry free and help you find true love, trust, respect, security, and closeness that can never be found in uncommitted sex.

Abstinence is an act of love, and love considers the other person by protecting every part of their being: body, mind and emotions.

Q. Why choose abstinence?

A. To prevent pregnancy.
To prevent sexually transmitted diseases that can sterilize or kill you.
To prevent a broken heart.

Q. How many teenage girls get pregnant each year?

A. Hundreds of thousands. You and your child deserve the best possible future. Providing for a child while in school is difficult. That’s why teenage mothers often drop out of school, collect welfare, live in poverty and never reach their dreams. Many guys don’t stick around to take the responsibility.
Self-control beats birth control.

You could also get at least one STD. Every year several million Americans -- half of them under age 25 -- get a sexually transmitted disease.

Q. How many kinds of STDs are there?

A. Close to 50, with about 25 more common ones including Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes simplex II (HSV-2), human papillomavirus (HPV), chancroid, hepatitis B, trichomoniasis, and HIV.
They are destructive and uncomfortable. You are vulnerable to STDs at any age and at any time. Condoms do not protect you from most STDs, and chemical contraceptives like the Pill, the Patch, and so forth provide no protection at all from STDs, and may actually increase the risk of contracting STDs.
A study published in the American Medical Association's medical journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (December 2009) found that half of all teen girls become infected with STDs within 2 years of starting to have sex.

Q. Aren’t condoms enough?

A. Condoms are better than nothing, but they’re far from perfect. Even if they’re used correctly, they can slip or break a substantial percentage of the time. Condoms often fail to prevent pregnancy; condoms have holes that may stop sperm, but through which many tiny STDs can pass. Condoms are often shipped in temperatures that allow for cracking; this makes the condoms relatively ineffective.

Q. Can I get a disease from just fooling around or from oral sex?

A. YES. Some STDs, like HPV and herpes, can be passed by direct, intimate, skin-to-skin contact from areas not covered by the condom. HPV and other STDs are now being shown to be passed through oral sex. Throat cancer and tonsil cancer have recently been shown to contain certain HPV virus strains.

Q. What if I’ve already lost my virginity?

A. It’s never too late to begin abstaining. When you begin telling people you date that you are waiting for the best sex and the best relationship – that you are worth the wait -- and letting them know exactly where your boundaries are, you will begin to increase your self-respect as well as their respect for you.