Earlier this year, we presented at a youth conference in Ottawa that included pro-life training and apologetics. We featured a Mythbusters quiz to see how many common misconceptions these teens held surrounding abortion. Take a moment and see how you do on some of the questions they were faced with! (Answers are at the bottom.)
1) How many days after conception does a baby’s heart start beating?
a) 12 days
b) 22 days
c) 34 days
d) 40 days
2. Which age group of women is most likely to get an abortion?
a) 15-19
b) 20-24
c) 25-29
d) 30-34
3) TRUE or FALSE: Having children means you are less likely to choose abortion in future pregnancies.
4) TRUE or FALSE: All pro-life groups are religious.
5) Which of the following require parental consent for a minor? (Select all that apply)
a) Getting a tattoo
b) Using a tanning salon
c) Having an abortion
d) Going on a school field trip
6) Who was Prime Minister of Canada when the abortion laws in the Criminal Code were declared invalid?
a) John A. MacDonald
b) Stephen Harper
c) Brian Mulroney
d) Jean Chretien
7) Which of the following countries has no abortion law? (Select all that apply).
a) China
b) Denmark
c) Canada
d) India
8) TRUE or FALSE: Abortion is only a women’s issue.
9) TRUE or FALSE: Women are happier and more successful with increased access to abortion.
10) What is the most common reason given for abortion?
a) Baby appears to have a disability
b) Lack of money to support a baby
c) Inconvenient timing
d) Don’t want anyone to know they are pregnant
11) TRUE or FALSE: Abortion rates are decreasing in Canada and the United States.
12) TRUE or FALSE: Late-term abortions never happen in Canada.
13) What percentage of Canadians think it should be illegal to kill a pre-born child because it’s a girl?
a) 25%
b) 40%
c) 75%
d) 90%
14) TRUE or FALSE: There are more pro-life pregnancy care centers in Canada than abortion clinics.
ANSWER KEY
1) B
2) B
3) False
- From a Planned Parenthood website: Deciding to have an abortion doesn’t mean you don’t want or love children. In fact, 6 out of 10 people who get abortions already have kids – and many of them decide to end their pregnancies so they can focus on the children they already have.”
4) False
- Feminists for life: “Feminists for Life of America recognizes that abortion is a reflection that our society has failed to meet the needs of women.“
- Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians: “LGBT pro-lifers counter that their beliefs on abortion derive from beliefs regarding nonviolence, human rights, and the interconnectedness of human rights.”
5) A, B, D
6) C
7) C (Even China now has an official policy against sex-selective abortion)
8) False – it’s a human rights issue
9) False – Vancouver Sun article:
“Has unrestricted abortion benefited women? Women are the group most invested in the outcome — if we cannot count the pre-born children as a meaningful group — so if you’re going to promote abortion, shouldn’t you see some tangible benefits to women?
So, are we more valued or respected today? I would argue that the opposite is true. …Women feel objectified, used, and disrespected. Many women are angry, hurt, or sad. Yet few would think abortion has anything to do with the problem.
10) C – This is based on US data as Canadian clinics are not required to record this information.
11) True – According to Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada (ARCC) data, abortion rates have been declining slightly since 2013.
12) False – There are 28 clinics listed by ARCC that perform abortions after the first trimester. Some advertise abortions up to 23 weeks 6 days, some state they will perform abortions later than that on a case-by-case basis.
“The Montreal woman … ultimately got the abortion at 35 weeks of pregnancy at an unnamed Montreal hospital. …Legally, every woman — and it’s a Supreme Court decision — has a right to an abortion at anytime before she gives birth,” Barrette said on Wednesday.”
13) D
14) True – Canada has approximately 60 abortion clinics, and approximately 180 pregnancy care centers