(Oregon Right to Life) — Every year, thousands of unborn babies are aborted at or after 20 weeks gestation – an age when they can kick, feel pain, and even survive outside the womb with neonatal care (the youngest baby to survive premature birth was born at 21 weeks and one day gestational age).
In Oregon, late-term abortions have increased dramatically. 225 abortions were performed at or after 23 weeks gestation in 2023, two and a half times the number performed the previous year. Nationwide, estimates indicate that providers performed more than 60,000 abortions at or after 15 weeks gestation in 2023 (there is research that indicates that a human fetus can feel pain as early as 15 weeks). Every year, more than 15,000 abortions are estimated to take place at or after 20 weeks gestation.
RELATED: Late-Term Abortions More Than Doubled In 2023, Oregon Health Authority Data Shows
Pro-abortion activists are quick to point out that these later abortions represent a small percentage of the total abortions performed annually. Moreover, many claim that abortions later in pregnancy are nearly always performed in cases of severe fetal abnormalities or to save the mother’s life.
But are these claims true? How common are later abortions? And are they performed only in extreme circumstances or when absolutely necessary?
In a new video for the national pro-life organization Live Action, board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Monique Ruberu breaks down the common pro-abortion arguments concerning late-term abortions, using data to illustrate the truth: That late-term abortions happen frequently, they’re not medically necessary, and they represent a tragic loss of innocent human life.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW:
Click here to read more at Live Action.
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. Read this and all our position statements here.
