{"id":2642145,"date":"2026-08-08T10:30:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-women-who-choose-abortion-victims-or-perpetrators\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T10:33:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T14:33:39","slug":"are-women-who-choose-abortion-victims-or-perpetrators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-women-who-choose-abortion-victims-or-perpetrators\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Women Who Choose Abortion Victims or Perpetrators?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fare-women-who-choose-abortion-victims-or-perpetrators%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2642145&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the complex reasons behind women&#8217;s choices regarding abortion in the context of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/we-are-living-through-an-era-of-cultural-destruction\/\" title=\"We Are Living Through An Era Of ... Destruction\">recent cultural shifts<\/a> and legal changes like the Dobbs decision. It highlights that women\u2019s perceptions of pregnancy and abortion are heavily influenced by decades of messaging that often diminish the moral status of the unborn, leading many to see abortion as morally permissible or even preferable under certain circumstances. Research indicates women view their options-abortion, adoption, or parenting-as choices involving significant psychological and existential consequences, often perceiving their decision as a form of psychological death or self-preservation. while some women are coerced, many understand what abortion entails but are influenced by cultural narratives that normalize and justify it. Distinguishing empathy from justification,the article emphasizes that understanding the reasons behind abortion does not equate to excusing it,and calls for cultural change to better protect the unborn and support women in their decisions.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Recently on social media, a nurse d her firsthand experience with a woman who had taken abortion pills she had obtained by mail.<\/p>\n<p>The young woman, unaware of how far along she was, brought her 12\u201314-week-old baby into the emergency room screaming, \u201cWhat have I done?\u201d The young patient was not prepared to see a fully formed, but small, baby. She had been deceived by the \u201cclump of cells\u201d narrative.<\/p>\n<p>Her story points to a question dividing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/covid-has-killed-her-hundreds-of-thousands-but-abortion-has-killed-her-tens-of-millions\/\" title=\"COVID Has Killed Her Hundreds of Thousands, But ... Has Killed Her Tens of Millions\">pro-life movement<\/a>: Are <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >women fully culpable moral agents<\/a> in their abortion decisions, or are they \u201csecond victims\u201d of abortion due to decades of cultural messaging that has fundamentally changed how they perceive pregnancy and abortion?<\/p>\n<p>In the post-Dobbs era, how we ultimately answer this question will have a major impact on our approach to public policy.<\/p>\n<h3>The Divide<\/h3>\n<p>The danger lies in putting all women into a monolith. There are women who have been coerced, but there are also women who publicly celebrate their abortions. There are women, like those in the opening story, who understand what abortion is but who have believed decades of messaging about abortion that tells them that their baby isn\u2019t really a baby yet. Many such women understand that they are ending a life, but they simply do not perceive that life to have the same moral worth as a child outside the womb.<\/p>\n<p>The truth is that we cannot speak about women and their choices in such simplistic terms, especially when considering the factors that led to a culture in which a majority of Americans find abortion to be a morally permissible, or even preferable, option.<\/p>\n<p>And while future pro-life policy should take into account the cultural and psychological realities influencing women\u2019s decisions, we must also recognize that it will take time to counteract the narratives that have radically changed how entire generations of women perceive pregnancy and abortion.<\/p>\n<h3>Understanding Women Who Choose Abortion<\/h3>\n<p>Research from Vitae Foundation \u2014 where I work \u2014 is unique in the perspective it offers. For over 30 years, Vitae has researched the psychological and emotional dynamics in abortion decision-making, providing a window into how women think and feel when facing an unexpected pregnancy and considering abortion.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most significant findings is that women view themselves as choosing from among three perceived \u201cevils\u201d \u2014 abortion, adoption, or parenting.<\/p>\n<p>To the woman facing an unexpected pregnancy, each of the three options represents a literal or psychological death.<\/p>\n<p>Though abortion is death in its literal form, women often perceive continuing the pregnancy as their own psychological death. Their sense of identity is disrupted so profoundly that continuing the pregnancy is perceived as a threat to their current and future selves.<\/p>\n<p>While adoption might seem like the obvious solution, women who do not want to become mothers rarely entertain that option, as they must carry the child to term only to relinquish him or her through adoption. Many women report the uncertainty surrounding the child\u2019s quality of life as a deciding factor, as they perceive abortion as the more merciful alternative to bringing a child into the world only to suffer.<\/p>\n<p>Some women are so radically unprepared for motherhood and the transformation it entails that they perceive the pregnancy as an assault on the self. As a result, many women who choose abortion do so out of a perceived sense of self-preservation.<\/p>\n<p>In that moment, legal penalties for obtaining an abortion are less of a tangible reality than the crisis she is experiencing \u2014 a crisis which, to her, is already an existential threat.<\/p>\n<p>Part of this deliberation is taking stock of her circumstances and the factors that influence most abortion decisions. She considers the support or lack thereof from the father, her financial situation, and her career or education.<\/p>\n<p>These circumstantial factors play a major role in abortion decision-making, becoming the rationalization or justification for choosing abortion.<\/p>\n<p>Many women do experience overwhelming internal conflict with abortion even as they choose it. They try to resolve it through rationalizations formed by the prevailing narratives about fetal development \u2014 \u201cit\u2019s just a clump of cells\u201d \u2014 or their circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>It would be a mistake to discount the degree to which decades of cultural messaging about abortion continue to condition women to believe that any circumstantial challenge is a legitimate reason for obtaining an abortion.<\/p>\n<p>Our culture increasingly suggests that it is irresponsible to choose life when faced with obstacles, implicitly communicating to women that they should choose abortion in anything less than ideal circumstances. Fueled by a sense of urgency, women within this permissive cultural context make the decision based on fear rather than morality.<\/p>\n<p>She faces an impossible choice: ending the new and unknown life inside her, or ending the life she has always known.<\/p>\n<p>In a world where motherhood is now entirely optional, many women struggle to contend with an alternate version of themselves they have never envisioned.<\/p>\n<h3>Understanding Without Excusing<\/h3>\n<p>It is important here to make the distinction that understanding the underlying reasons for a decision is not the same as excusing that decision. So are women who choose abortion victims? The answer is both yes and no.<\/p>\n<p>They are victims, in a sense, of a culture that has downplayed what abortion is and convinced them that it is the appropriate choice in their circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>However, women do possess agency, and they are still ultimately responsible for their actions.<\/p>\n<p>Holding both truths in tension is key to resisting overly simplistic answers. Lasting change will require countering the cultural narratives that continue to have such a powerful impact on women\u2019s decisions.<\/p>\n<p>The young woman in the emergency room screaming, \u201cWhat have I done?\u201d had believed a lie. In order to truly protect the unborn and prevent more women from that same fate, it is imperative that we confront the beliefs that make abortion seem necessary in the first place.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i><b>The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either d or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/submitop-ed\/\">here<\/a>.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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Unaware of her pregnancy&#8217;s progress, she brought in her 12-14-week-old baby, crying, \u201cWhat have I done?\u201d The patient was unprepared to see a fully formed but small baby<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2642146,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-08-06T170417.103.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[4310,50410,14678,37236,5605],"class_list":["post-2642145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-abortion","tag-controversy-2","tag-feminism","tag-gender-roles","tag-women"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-08-06T170417.103.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642145","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2642145"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642145\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2642150,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2642145\/revisions\/2642150"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2642146"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2642145"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2642145"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2642145"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}