September 07th, 2021

     I knew Patti growing up - same little town, same little church - until time and geography separated us. Then I read that she’d become Dr. Patti Giebink, Planned Parenthood abortion provider, wearing a bullet-proof vest and carrying an S&W 357 Magnum for security. By providing abortions, she wanted to protect women from back-alley procedures.
     But Patti’s done an about-face. Today she regrets providing abortions. Why? Partly because she says the cultural and medical landscapes have changed, and partly because “we’re left with one final thing to reconcile: Life, no matter how small, deserves protection.”
     But what if Roe v. Wade is overturned? Could we end up with back-alley abortions again? Patti doesn’t think so. In her compelling new book “Unexpected Choice,” she says, “…we are not in those times anymore - socially or technologically.” She believes the stigma of being an unwed mother is gone. “If anything, it shows admirable strength and fortitude to take on single motherhood.” She points out that the majority of pregnant women in America today are unmarried and in monogamous relationships, not considering nuptials necessary.
     “Abortion is not the panacea we originally thought it was,” she says. “There are no longer any noble reasons for resorting to it. And we now recognize the risks and residual effects that abortion creates.”
     So instead of arguing over “rights,” perhaps it’s time to extend compassion to those who are considering abortion or who have had abortions.
     We’re in “a new dawn,” Patti says. Times have changed.
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​     Patti Giebink’s remarkable journey, “Unexpected Choice,” is available here.