When the Sonogram bill was being debated in the Texas legislature last year, the abortion lobby claimed that the measure was an unnecessary intrusion and that it would not impact women’s decisions to have an abortion.
However, one abortion advocate has recently admitted that the Sonogram Law is, indeed, having an impact for Life. Amy Hagstrom Miller, CEO of Whole Woman’s Health — one of Texas’ largest abortion chains — told the Texas Tribune last week that abortions at her five centers have declined since the law took effect in October 2011.
The Sonogram Law stipulates that abortionists must make sonogram images available to women 24 hours ahead of their scheduled abortions, and make the unborn baby’s heartbeat, if one is detected, audible for the women to hear.
Pro-Lifers have known for a long time what happens when women see and hear their unborn babies. Christine Melchor, head of Houston Coalition for Life, told Texas Right to Life that 90 percent of the women who come to her mobile sonogram clinic choose to carry their pregnancies to term after viewing a sonogram. Pro-Life clinics nationwide report similar results.
Elizabeth Graham, Director of Texas Right to Life, is not surprised by Hagstrom Miller’s admission. “Looking through the window to the womb, women recognize the child growing within them is not an inconsequential blob of tissue. When equipped with facts and information about both pregnancy and abortion, women are empowered to choose Life over abortion. If abortion centers are seeing a decrease in their business, that means women are turning to legitimate health care agencies for services,” said Graham.
Although Hagstrom Miller may be the first to speak out, Whole Woman’s Health is not the only abortion business being affected by the Sonogram Law. Melchor parks her mobile clinic outside the gates of Planned Parenthood in Houston every day. She reported to Texas Right to Life in September that she has seen fewer cars parked in the parking lot, and fewer women walking into Planned Parenthood since the Sonogram Law took effect. And while Planned Parenthood's numbers are dropping, her own clientele has skyrocketed with women seeking free pre-abortion sonograms.
That Christine has noticed this trend at Planned Parenthood’s “Prevention Park,” the largest abortion facility in the Western Hemisphere, is a strong testament to the power of the sonogram. Texas Right to Life made passing the strongest Sonogram Law a top priority in 2011, precisely because we knew that when women are presented with objective truth and are treated with a high standard of medical care, most will choose Life.
