Did 4D Sonograms Change Views on Abortion?

 

This is the second article of a three part series:

At one time, it was basically only the Catholic Church that saw induced abortion as immoral. The Southern Baptist Church in the 1970s called opposition to such abortion a "Catholic issue" and proclaimed in its early 1980s' handbooks that it was a personal decision for each woman to make. By the end of the 1980s, a decade before the advent of 4D ultrasound, official Baptist doctrine stridently opposed the common procedure. What changed?

The u-turn in viewpoint was mainly political, and pundits differ on the exact cause; however, many in all denominations will tell you today that the advent of 4D sonograms (available commercially in 1997) changed the views of many. If you find that confusing, you're not alone.

If asked to explain, the anti-abortionist will further relate that until 4D technology, no one really knew how a fetus looked. Apparently, these individuals are merely spouting an idea some misguided church leader has proclaimed.

Unfortunate women who have had spontaneous abortions (miscarriages) over the years have often done so in emergency rooms and similar medical facilities. Physicians and other medical personnel have often seen firsthand what fetuses look like in every stage of pregnancy. Fetuses have been preserved, drawn, and photographed for decades. These images have then been widely publicized in various media from medical texts to pamphlets on pregnancy.

While a personal belief is that induced abortion should not be used for purposes of birth control, the trope that 4D images first changed the politics on this issue is completely false.

Nurse Nan