Website Under Deconstruction: Orlando Women’s Center

SPL supporter Margot D. suggested that we take a look at the Orlando Women’s Center as part of our “Website Under Deconstruction” series. Here’s the first thing we saw:

The discount offer isn’t surprising; abortion is a business, and there’s significant competition in central Florida. But a three-minute abortion?!? That’s not a decision between a woman and her doctor, that’s an assembly line.

Once you close the pop-up, it only gets worse. That discount applies to the abortion pill, which is supposed to be for pregnancies early in the first trimester. OWC is offering it through 14 weeks, which is into the second trimester. But of course, the fact that they’re using the same pill regimen for early-term and later-term pregnancies doesn’t stop them from charging the later-term patients over $100 more than the early-term ones. Shameless.

OWC offers abortions through 24 weeks, and the “Note From The Founder” page makes it clear that they would like to commit even later abortions and would do so if not for Florida law banning abortions after viability. There’s also this interesting statement:

Abortions performed before 6 weeks gestation are at the forefront of how abortions will be performed in the future as the majority of abortions will occur during this time. There are less moral and ethical personal conflicts associated with having an abortion performed earlier in pregnancy. The earlier in pregnancy the abortion is performed the less fetal development, fewer complications, and less guilt.

How it is that an abortionist can simultaneously want to do third-trimester abortions and also express a preference for “less fetal development” is beyond me. But clearly they’re not that concerned; that’s the sole mention of fetal development on the entire site.

I was surprised to see that OWC is much more forthcoming about the possibility of post-abortion psychological issues than most abortion businesses. On the “Abortion Methods” page, it says:

Psychological Impacts Associated with Abortion 

Studies conducted on the impacts of abortion do not provide conclusions which allow doctors and others to make statements or predictions about psychological problems associated with abortion. While many women are relieved after their abortion, others may experience anger, regret, guilt, or sadness. In a review of 250 such studies, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop reports that factors which may make the decision about abortion more difficult for some women than others include: Strongly held personal values, feelings about abortion, pressure from other people, ending an originally desired pregnancy, a decision made late in the pregnancy, or the lack of support by a partner or family member.

That’s not great—after over forty years of legalized abortion, of course there are studies with conclusions—but it’s better than the usual approach of sticking fingers in your ears and shouting LALALALALA.

The next paragraph is just a straight-up lie:

Effects of Abortion on Fertility or Future Pregnancy 

Most studies show no impact of first trimester abortion on fertility or subsequent pregnancies. The effects of multiple second trimester abortions are undetermined.

Abortion is known to increase the risk of premature birth in subsequent pregnancies. That conclusion is supported by over 100 peer-reviewed studies. Those studies have also found that multiple abortions pose a greater risk. The effect of multiple second trimester abortions is no mystery.

But the kicker is the “Safe Abortion” page, which states: “We are proud of our excellent safety records and extremely low complication rates.” OWC’s safety record is nothing to be proud of. It includes numerous malpractice lawsuits for botched abortions, including one in which the victim was awarded $36.7 million; a criminal charge for slapping an abortion patient who changed her mind and got up to leave because the abortionist couldn’t place a needle in her vein after several attempts; and a police raid.

No wonder OWC’s advice to patients regarding “annoying” sidewalk counselors is to “avoid them, not speak to them, and walk directly into the office.”

More in our “Website Under Deconstruction” series:

• Family Planning Associates of Chicago
• Reproductive Health Services, Montgomery, AL
• Camelback Family Planning & Acacia Women’s Center, Phoenix, AZ
• American Family Planning, Pensacola, FL
• Preterm, Cleveland, OH
• South Wind Women’s Center, Wichita, KS
• Downtown Women’s Center, Portland, OR
• Robbinsdale Clinic, Robbinsdale, MN
• Blue Mountain Clinic, Missoula, MT