# 6 The Hidden Emotional Risks of Abortion

Suicide, depression, substance abuse, risky behaviour. And the pain does not go away.

Dec. 13, 2022, Producer’s notes: Pastors tell me that they are finding, virtually without exception, that the young evangelical Christian couples they are doing premarital counselling with, are already sleeping together.

This leads to pregnancies in far more cases than people assume.

Because pregnancy before marriage is still shameful in a church, the woman may undergo an abortion.

Is this a relatively rare occurrence? No.

Independent research says that 1 in 4 women in the pew have had an abortion.

The director of a pregnancy counselling clinic affirms this telling me that every time she speaks in a church -someone comes up afterwards and says,

“I have never told anyone this but” …. and her story pours out.

Compared to the women of the world, her shame factor is far higher.

It is so high such women have extreme difficulty even sharing with their best friend. So they keep it bottled up resulting in a diminished relationship with everyone around her and God.

And the marriage bed? It reminds her of the horrible thing she did so that important aspect of life is also damaged. But her husband has no idea of the source of the problem.

We are not here to punish the woman- she has been punishing herself every day since her abortion. My concern is reaching her with Jesus message of hope and forgiveness so that she can be fully restored to Him and her family.

Until she accepts that message- her life is at risk. It can end from suicide, risky behaviour or substance abuse as she battles to end the pain that otherwise does not end.

One of the women I invited to share in this documentary 15 years ago, declined. She said she wasn’t ready. Tragically she recently ended her life leaving behind a shocked church, husband and children.

Please do what you can to reach those around you with this message. You have no way of knowing who has had an abortion.

The women and their families thank you.