About the Pain-Capable Unborn Children Protection Act
76% of Americans support a ban on abortions after twenty-weeks, if not sooner.
One of those reasons is that babies at this stage, and very likely earlier, have been scientifically proven to feel pain. That means that as their lives are ending through abortion, they feel every prick, pull and ultimately dismemberment of their little bodies. It is truly horrific.
Several states have moved to ban abortions after 20 weeks and the U.S. House of Representatives has voted to do the same. We hope that the remaining states and the federal government, will pass legislation to protect the preborn that can feel pain.
To see how your Senators voted on protecting babies in the womb from pain, click here.
What are the Facts?
- According to the Guttmacher Institute (named after Alan Guttmacher, previous president of Planned Parenthood), in 2013, 3.8% of abortions occurred between 16-20 weeks of pregnancy and 1.3% occurred after 21 weeks.
- Of the 652,639 abortions reported to the CDC in 2014 8,484 of those were done 20 weeks post-fertilization or later.
- 60% of people who identify as pro-choice support limiting abortion after 12 weeks. That is even earlier than late-term abortion.
- More than 3 out of 4 people support limiting abortions after 3 months of pregnancy.
- The United States is one of only 7 countries that allow for this barbaric abortion.
- Scientific Proof of Fetal Pain (facts taken from doctorsonfetalpain.com)
- Pain receptors are present throughout the fetus’ entire body by no later than 16 weeks after fertilization, and nerves link these receptors to the brain’s thalamus and subcortical plate by no later than 20 weeks.
- Scientifically proven that by 20 week fetuses react to painful stimuli by jerking, recoiling and flinching.
- Scientifically proven that by 20 week fetuses that are exposed to painful stimuli during surgery have an increase in stress hormones if anesthesia is not applied.
- Second trimester prenatal screenings are done by taking a pregnant woman’s blood between 15-20 weeks of pregnancy (16-18 weeks is ideal). These tests will determine if the preborn baby has Down Syndrome or other chromosomal disorders and open neural tube defects like spina bifida – common reasons to abort. (www.hopkinsmedicine.org)
- 90% of preborn children with Down Syndrome are aborted in the US.
- An ultrasound for an accurate gender determination is done around 20 weeks. Sex selection abortion is legal in the United States.
- Abortion is never medically necessary to save the life of the mother. Leading medical experts speaking at a major International Symposium on Excellence in Maternal Healthcare held in Dublin have concluded that “direct abortion is not medically necessary to save the life of a mother.”
- You can learn more at abortionprocedures.com.
- The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act is legislation which protects unborn children who are capable of feeling pain from abortion. Nineteen states have passed this 20-week ban so far, including: Wisconsin, West Virginia, Texas, South Dakota, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Ohio, North Dakota, North Carolina, Nebraska, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama.
- Sources: You can find all the sources for our display on the topic here.
What Can You Do?
Students for Life offers topic cards, displays, speakers, and other resources to start the conversation about fetal pain on your campus. Contact your Regional Coordinator at [yourstate]@studentsforlife.org to request today!