(Oregon Right to Life) — Much of the pro-life movement is focused on opposing abortion: protecting the unborn and urging pregnant moms to choose life. But what about the women who have already had abortions and are suffering with feelings of grief, guilt, or shame? Are there resources for them?
The answer to this important question is a resounding yes.
Pro-life advocates and groups have worked hard to ensure that their support systems and safety nets are inclusive of and welcoming toward post-abortive women. Many pro-life centers in Oregon and around the country offer non-judgmental environments for women to receive healing, support, and paths forward after their abortions.
RELATED: Guttmacher Institute Estimates Over 1 Million Abortions in 2024 in Annual Nationwide Abortion Report
While it can be easy for political observers to try to draw black and white distinctions between who is “pro-life” and who is “pro-choice,” many times it’s not that simple. People can and do change their minds – including after having had abortions – which is why pro-life advocacy organizations like Oregon Right to Life frequently emphasize the importance of outreach, education, and compassionate apologetics.
Sometimes, all it takes to change a heart is to offer a listening ear. The stories told by women who have experienced abortion often reveal lives deeply marked by trauma and pain.
“In 2008 after a relationship with a married man I found out I was pregnant,” Lexy Collins, a writer and speaker who now works for the pro-life Silent No More campaign, told Oregon Right to Life. “Eight weeks into my pregnancy I got an abortion at Planned Parenthood in Bend, Oregon. Almost immediately after my abortion I began to feel remorse and regret.”
Lexy said she “lived in this tragedy for about 13 years” and “was on a path of destruction,” including “heavy alcohol and drug use,” essentially doing “anything I could to destroy myself and others because of the hate and sorrow I had inside me.”
“After many years of self-destruction, I was planning my suicide,” she said.
That’s when Lexy’s mother urged her to bring her trauma to God in prayer.
“I told God to either heal me or kill me,” Lexy shared. “I couldn’t live this way anymore. Within a couple days of surrendering all of my anguish over to God I was completely healed… At this point in my life I am truly blessed and grateful to God!”
Lexy’s experience isn’t an isolated one.
Project Rachel, a post-abortive healing ministry within the Catholic Church with locations within dioceses across the country, states that “many women do not seek help for abortion-related problems until about five to twelve years after the abortion. In the intervening time they may suffer profoundly….Various methods may be tried to manage the resulting pain: alcohol, prescription drugs and illegal drugs, promiscuity, hyper-activity (workaholism), punishing oneself by being in an abusive relationship or developing eating disorders, for example.”
And unfortunately, post-abortive women seeking healing can even face unique barriers from people in their midst who identify as pro-life.
In a reflection recently shared with Oregon Right to Life, ORTL Douglas County Chapter member Tamara Gross spoke about a difficult conversation she had with a couple who told her they believed women who obtained abortions should receive the death penalty.
“I was shocked and quiet,” Gross said. “After listening for a while… I finally spoke up. I told them I’d had an abortion years earlier, and if I’d been executed, I wouldn’t be there to speak with them.”
“I also shared how God had healed my heart and that being able to speak about my experience was a miracle!” she continued. “I said that many women in our churches wouldn’t be here either and wouldn’t have known the love and grace of our Savior.”
READ: Having Conversations about Abortion Isn’t Easy, Especially When You’ve Had One – But I’m Glad I Overcame My Fears
There are many pro-life organizations throughout Oregon that provide faith-based and secular healing resources for women who have had abortions, including Project Rachel in the Archdiocese of Portland, Dove Medical in Eugene, and The Pregnancy Center in Medford.
Online or nationwide organizations to help with healing after abortion include SaveOne, National Help Line for Abortion Recovery, and Rachael’s Vineyard, which offers weekend retreats for men and women impacted by abortion. For more resources, including information about abortion pill reversal, click here or go to ortl.org/care/healing/.
Oregon Right to Life believes in the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct, growing human being. We oppose abortion at any point of gestation. In rare cases, a mother may have a life threatening condition in which medical procedures intended to treat the condition of the mother may result in the unintended death of her preborn baby. At the same time, ORTL recognizes that modern medical practice has and will continue to increase the ability to save both the life of the mother and the baby. To read this and all our position statements, click here.
To Those Who Have Had Abortions: Yes, Healing is Possible
Ashley Sadler
(Oregon Right to Life) — Much of the pro-life movement is focused on opposing abortion: protecting the unborn and urging pregnant moms to choose life. But what about the women who have already had abortions and are suffering with feelings of grief, guilt, or shame? Are there resources for them?
The answer to this important question is a resounding yes.
Pro-life advocates and groups have worked hard to ensure that their support systems and safety nets are inclusive of and welcoming toward post-abortive women. Many pro-life centers in Oregon and around the country offer non-judgmental environments for women to receive healing, support, and paths forward after their abortions.
RELATED: Guttmacher Institute Estimates Over 1 Million Abortions in 2024 in Annual Nationwide Abortion Report
While it can be easy for political observers to try to draw black and white distinctions between who is “pro-life” and who is “pro-choice,” many times it’s not that simple. People can and do change their minds – including after having had abortions – which is why pro-life advocacy organizations like Oregon Right to Life frequently emphasize the importance of outreach, education, and compassionate apologetics.
Sometimes, all it takes to change a heart is to offer a listening ear. The stories told by women who have experienced abortion often reveal lives deeply marked by trauma and pain.
“In 2008 after a relationship with a married man I found out I was pregnant,” Lexy Collins, a writer and speaker who now works for the pro-life Silent No More campaign, told Oregon Right to Life. “Eight weeks into my pregnancy I got an abortion at Planned Parenthood in Bend, Oregon. Almost immediately after my abortion I began to feel remorse and regret.”
Lexy said she “lived in this tragedy for about 13 years” and “was on a path of destruction,” including “heavy alcohol and drug use,” essentially doing “anything I could to destroy myself and others because of the hate and sorrow I had inside me.”
“After many years of self-destruction, I was planning my suicide,” she said.
That’s when Lexy’s mother urged her to bring her trauma to God in prayer.
“I told God to either heal me or kill me,” Lexy shared. “I couldn’t live this way anymore. Within a couple days of surrendering all of my anguish over to God I was completely healed… At this point in my life I am truly blessed and grateful to God!”
Lexy’s experience isn’t an isolated one.
Project Rachel, a post-abortive healing ministry within the Catholic Church with locations within dioceses across the country, states that “many women do not seek help for abortion-related problems until about five to twelve years after the abortion. In the intervening time they may suffer profoundly….Various methods may be tried to manage the resulting pain: alcohol, prescription drugs and illegal drugs, promiscuity, hyper-activity (workaholism), punishing oneself by being in an abusive relationship or developing eating disorders, for example.”
And unfortunately, post-abortive women seeking healing can even face unique barriers from people in their midst who identify as pro-life.
In a reflection recently shared with Oregon Right to Life, ORTL Douglas County Chapter member Tamara Gross spoke about a difficult conversation she had with a couple who told her they believed women who obtained abortions should receive the death penalty.
“I was shocked and quiet,” Gross said. “After listening for a while… I finally spoke up. I told them I’d had an abortion years earlier, and if I’d been executed, I wouldn’t be there to speak with them.”
“I also shared how God had healed my heart and that being able to speak about my experience was a miracle!” she continued. “I said that many women in our churches wouldn’t be here either and wouldn’t have known the love and grace of our Savior.”
READ: Having Conversations about Abortion Isn’t Easy, Especially When You’ve Had One – But I’m Glad I Overcame My Fears
There are many pro-life organizations throughout Oregon that provide faith-based and secular healing resources for women who have had abortions, including Project Rachel in the Archdiocese of Portland, Dove Medical in Eugene, and The Pregnancy Center in Medford.
Online or nationwide organizations to help with healing after abortion include SaveOne, National Help Line for Abortion Recovery, and Rachael’s Vineyard, which offers weekend retreats for men and women impacted by abortion. For more resources, including information about abortion pill reversal, click here or go to ortl.org/care/healing/.
Oregon Right to Life believes in the sanctity of all human life from the moment of conception to natural death. Abortion ends the life of a genetically distinct, growing human being. We oppose abortion at any point of gestation. In rare cases, a mother may have a life threatening condition in which medical procedures intended to treat the condition of the mother may result in the unintended death of her preborn baby. At the same time, ORTL recognizes that modern medical practice has and will continue to increase the ability to save both the life of the mother and the baby. To read this and all our position statements, click here.
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