A full house gathered for The Troutt Lecture on the evening of October 8 to hear a panel of experts discuss the devastation of chemical abortion in Texas and across the U.S. Lisa and Kenny Troutt graciously hosted the event in their beautiful home.
The Troutt Lecture panel featured Erik Baptist, Senior Counsel and Director of the Center for Life at Alliance Defending Freedom, Dr. Susan Bane, an OB/GYN and Vice Board Chair of the American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life of America. The conversation included the dangers of chemical abortion pills, medical ethics, environmental issues and stories of resilience.
Watch the full discussion below:
Erik Baptist with Alliance Defending Freedom opened the discussion by emphasizing the increasing prevalence of chemical abortions, which now account for over 60% of abortions in the U.S. “I used to take my kids every Saturday morning to pray outside the local abortion facility,” Erik said. “I did not realize we were missing 60% of the women in our area who were having abortions in their own homes.”
Dr. Susan Bane described the risks and misconceptions surrounding chemical abortion, explaining how chemical abortion destroys an unborn child and poses inherent risks and complications to the mother.
Dr. Bane noted that women usually get the chemical abortion drugs online and have absolutely no ongoing medical care during the process. “Women don’t understand the risks, benefits or alternatives.”
She outlined the essential, common sense safeguards that the FDA removed in 2016 and 2021 relating to the use of the chemical abortion drug mifepristone. “They removed the doctor from the equation and the in-person follow-up visits. That is important because you can identify life-threatening complications if you examine a woman to determine if she still has remaining fetal parts inside of her or infections.”
Dr. Bane shared her experience working with women who often feel deeply traumatized by their abortion experiences. “The women that I see are hurting and they really need forgiveness and healing and often forgiveness of themselves,” she explained.
Addressing the belief of many American that pro-life states like Texas block pregnant women from getting treatment in medical emergencies, Dr. Bane stressed, “there is not a single state in this country where a woman who has a miscarriage, an ectopic or a life-saving emergency cannot get the care she needs.”
Kristan Hawkins with Students for Life discussed the ease of obtaining chemical abortion drugs. “There are a number of international sites where you can get chemical abortion pills without even proving that you are pregnant,” Kristan said. She went on to explain that sex abusers and abusive partners can easily order chemical abortion pills and give them to women and girls without their knowledge.
Kristan discussed the harmful environmental impact of chemical abortion pills. Because most chemical abortions are performed at home, 30.8 tons of fetal and associated tissue enter sanitary water systems every year. She asked “If you support abortion, why are you allowing women to abort in their toilet bowls and pollute our water with known endocrine disruptors?”
Kristan reflected on her time spent on college campuses engaging with students. “The biggest challenge I see on campuses, particularly post-COVID, has been this overwhelming feeling that youth feel there is no purpose for their lives. This generation, many of them have never set foot in the church. They do not know that they were made by someone for something.”
Special thanks to:
- Our gracious, generous hosts, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, and their courteous and kind staff.
- Paul Teske, Pastor and Founder of Paul Teske Ministries, for opening us in a beautiful prayer
- Erik Baptist, Dr. Susan Bane and Kristan Hawkins for their compelling, passionate remarks and dedication to protecting the sanctity of life and educating the community about the dangers of chemical abortion
- Chris Sinclair of Outskirt Films
- Telethia Hurley of Telethia Hurley Photography
- The many volunteers from the Council for Life Board