In the ongoing debate over abortion, the media often skews the narrative to support pro-abortion ideologies, sometimes downplaying or outright denying the grim realities of late-term abortions. However, an unsettling truth occasionally surfaces, shedding light on the more disturbing aspects of this controversial issue.
A recent NBC News article featured an interview with Dr. Warren Hern, a prominent abortionist who has operated the Boulder Abortion Clinic in Colorado since 1975. Hern’s clinic specializes in second- and third-trimester abortions, including those performed at or beyond 32 weeks of gestation—approximately eight months into pregnancy. This revelation comes at a time when former President Donald Trump questioned Vice President Kamala Harris on her stance regarding abortions in the later stages of pregnancy.
Despite Hern’s claims to NBC News that he does not perform abortions in the eighth and ninth months, an in-depth interview with The Atlantic paints a more disturbing picture. Hern admitted to performing abortions up to and beyond 32 weeks, and even described cases where abortions were performed for reasons other than severe fetal anomalies. One such case involved a 35-week abortion after a diagnosis of brain anomalies—a procedure the patient described as “euthanasia,” saying, “I put my baby down.”
This disclosure is profoundly troubling. While many media outlets attempt to frame late-term abortions as rare and primarily driven by medical necessity, the reality is far more unsettling. Hern’s own accounts reveal that a significant portion of late-term abortions are performed for reasons that do not involve fatal fetal conditions. He admitted to conducting abortions for reasons such as sex selection, a practice that underscores the troubling reality of how some late-term abortions are performed based on personal preference rather than medical need.
The data supporting these practices is equally alarming. According to NBC News, only a handful of abortion clinics across the United States perform abortions after 28 weeks. However, the pro-abortion organization Abortion Finder estimates that there are up to eight clinics that perform abortions as late as 35 weeks—just shy of the beginning of the ninth month of pregnancy. This suggests that thousands of unborn babies are being terminated well past the point of viability, where they could potentially survive outside the womb.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2021, 1% of legal abortions occurred after 21 weeks of pregnancy, translating to over 6,000 late-term abortions that year alone. The pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute estimates that in 2023, more than one million abortions were performed, indicating a troubling increase in late-term procedures, potentially exceeding 10,000.
The term “late-term abortion” itself is contested. Pro-abortion groups often reject the term, redefining it to include abortions performed up to 41 weeks, or past full-term. The pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, on the other hand, defines late-term abortion as any procedure performed later in pregnancy, typically when the baby can survive outside the womb, often around 22 weeks or earlier.
The graphic details provided by The Atlantic about Hern’s methods further emphasize the brutality of late-term abortions. The procedures described involve the removal of fetal remains in parts when the fetus is still intact, a stark reminder of the physical and emotional toll these procedures exact on both the unborn and the mothers involved.
As these unsettling facts come to light, it is crucial for the public to confront the harsh realities of late-term abortion practices. The pro-life movement must continue to advocate for the protection of the unborn at all stages of development and demand greater transparency from both the media and medical professionals involved in these procedures.
