Leading Post-Abortion Book Reissued



Springfield, IL — When it was first published 15 years ago, Aborted Women, Silent No More, quickly became a best-seller in pro-life circles. The Conservative Book Club said it “may be the most powerful book ever written on abortion.” Now the book has just been reissued by pro-life publisher Acorn Books.

Written by leading post-abortion researcher Dr. David Reardon, Aborted Women, Silent No More, chronicles the physical and emotional impact of abortion on women and includes personal testimonies from more than 20 women about their struggles after abortion. More than 252 women participated in a survey about their abortion experiences for the book, with many reporting a host of personal problems like increased depression, substance abuse, dysfunctional relationships and suicide attempts after abortion.

“As I began researching the effects of abortion on women's lives, I saw more and more that this was a story that needed to be told,” said Reardon, who directs the Elliot Institute, a national post- abortion research and education organization located in Springfield, Ill. “People need to be educated on this issue so that the millions of women and men who've been involved in abortions can find resolution and healing, and so that millions more will be prevented from taking that same terrible road.”

One hopeful sign he sees, Reardon said, is the dramatic increase in the number of organizations ministering to women and men after abortion.

“The post-abortion movement has really grown in the last 20 years,” he said. “Post-abortion counseling and support groups are now available throughout the country, and hundreds of professional counselors, lay volunteers and clergy members are being trained to provide healing and support for those who need help resolving a past abortion. I really feel that post-abortion healing is helping to turn the tide on abortion in this country.”

Reardon pointed out that the message of Aborted Women, Silent No More, is as timely today as it was when the book was first published. He said that surveys have shown that often months or even years may pass before a woman realizes that her abortion had any negative consequences on her life.

“Often women may realize they are hurting but will either not recognize the source of the problem or will not know that there is any help available to them after abortion,” he said. “Many women have reported that when they tried to share their struggles with others, they were told that the abortion was 'for the best' and that they needed to get on with their lives. Often women have the impression that they are the only ones having these 'crazy' reactions after abortion, and they feel very confused and alone.”

Asked what he felt was the greatest impact of the book, Reardon said he believed it has helped the pro-life movement to focus the abortion debate on helping women in need.

“There was, and sometimes still is today, a notion among some pro-lifers that talking about the impact of abortion on women weakens the moral argument against abortion,” Reardon explained. “But I've always believed that the average person who tolerates abortion does so only because he or she believes abortion actually helps women. To open the hearts of these people to the unborn child, we must first help them to see that abortion doesn't help women, it makes their lives worse. Many simply need to hear the truth from the mouths of women who have been there. Focusing on the effects of abortion on women, then, is simply a necessary step in converting hearts. In addition, it is through hearing the stories of women that grieve that many people learn about the humanity of the children they have lost. The testimony of a woman who says 'My baby died in that abortion' is often more powerful than the scientific facts about fetal development.”

Find pro-life books, including Aborted Women, Silent No More at www.roevwade.org/books.html.

(This article courtesy of Steven Ertelt and the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)

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