Abortion HARMS women and their future families.

(An open letter to my state and local reps: I urge other women to share the truth with their own local reps as well) Pro-Life efforts don’t ONLY save and protect the unborn… I come to you as a woman, wife, and mother who is 10 years in recovery from the “simple medical procedure” we label abortion. The truth is (and I have been immersed in post abortive communities of more women than I can count who would testify the same) abortion is a damaging and horrific procedure. Not only for the life which is never allowed to be, but for the woman, and her family or future family and mental health. I can testify to this as a woman who herself HAD an abortion which very much still affects me and my mental health as well as my ability to accept love from my (now) husband and children. The lie that women are told not only by secular culture but also at Planned Parenthood that “it’s only a clump of cells: it’s not a baby yet and has no awareness or feeling” or that it’s your “right to choose what happens with your body” is damaging and untrue, and sadly the women who believe this are shocked to have the ticking time bomb of the truth go off often times a decade or more later: Then destroying families and living children as mothers and wives turn to substances to numb out the pain, shame, and guilt of their horrific choice which cannot be undone and cannot often times even be spoken about because of the great shame: allowing the lies to continue, as “studies” of post abortive women claim that 3 years later women are “unaffected and still at peace with their choice.” All I can say is give it a few more years and I promise you the reality of what has occured will come back to haunt these women with A vengeance. I would urge our country to consider making part of the sexuality and health classes in middle school and high school a fetal development portion: where students approaching or actively engaged in sexual activity would be made aware of the body systems in place and at what week, so that this LIE that it’s “just a clump of cells” cannot continue whether in a legal abortion or an illegal one someone seeks out. I ALSO feel we would see great changes happening if teens are told of RESOURCES for an unplanned pregnancy (Crisis Pregnancy Centers are amazing) which give other viable options and support. This should also be extended to programs available for women struggling with the horrible aftermath of a pregnancy that was the result of a sexual assault as most go unreported as a women tries to just “get on with her life” but then discovers (even after use of the morning after pill as was my experience) that a pregnancy has resulted. This is a horrific situation to navigate and women (especially young ones) are not in a place mentally to deal with it all at once and prone to make a rash irrevocable choice based on amplified emotional distress and FEELINGS (which are understandable BUT fluid and will change like all traumatic feelings and aren’t rational) of resentment due to how the pregnancy may have occured which they fear would prevent them from being able to bond with or love the baby. Women NEED TO KNOW that the ACTUAL long term “PROBLEM and threat to their future and wellbeing” IS THE ABORTION they see as the fix, when the actual TEMPORARY issue is the “how am I going to get through this to either raise this child or find a loving adoptive family.?” Abortion is touted as a “solution” to not knowing or believing what other possible solutions there are… Women need to know they CAN finish school, they CAN go on to have good lives with their dignity and mental health intact WITHOUT turning to abortion. Please continue the work started in changing abortion law in the state of Texas by implementing fetal development education in our middle and high schools. Boys/men who often pressure or encourage abortions from their sexual partners need to know as well and also carry guilt later in life. Please push the awareness of programs and resources for women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy as well as pregnancy prevention. Thank you so much for your time.