copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2020-08-28): Fact-Checking Facebook: Pro-Life Doctors Say ‘Abortion Is Never Medically Necessary’ [...] The first video, titled "Abortion is NEVER Medically Necessary," shows a speech on the topic from Live Action founder and president Lila Rose. The second video flagged as false by Facebook was called "The Pro-Life Reply to ‘Abortion Can Be Medically Necessary’" and features neonatologist Dr. Kendra Kolb explaining the procedures that are necessary when a pregnant woman’s life is in danger and how they differ from abortion. [...] Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a pro-life physician and policy adviser for The Catholic Association, told the Register that this fact-check dispute arose because of philosophical and definitional differences regarding abortion. Christie is in complete agreement with Rose "that an abortion is never medically necessary" and referenced her own video on the topic.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2023-02-28): FULL CLAIM: Abortion is never medically necessary [...] Physicians who evaluated this claim found it to be inaccurate. They explained that there are many medical conditions, such as pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome and placenta previa, in which abortion could become medically necessary in order to save the life of the mother. Incidentally, abortion is medically defined as a procedure to end a pregnancy – this definition does not change depending on the reasons for an abortion, i.e. whether the procedure is motivated by an unwanted pregnancy or medical emergency or some other situation has no effect on its medical definition. However, Lila Rose redefines the meaning of abortion to exclude the cases when abortion is medically necessary in order to bolster her claim that "abortion is never medically necessary". This is akin to the No True Scotsman fallacy in which the definition of a word/phrase is modified from its actual meaning to make a point. For example, Rose claims that treating an ectopic pregnancy is not an abortion, even though termination of the pregnancy is the result of the procedures that treat ectopic pregnancies. [...] "1. The findings of Science Feedback’s fact-check were based on publicly available scientific evidence and [were] not the result of any bias. The claim that "abortion is never medically necessary" is false and inaccurate.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-05-06): The World Health Organization said people obtaining unsafe abortions are at a higher risk of death. Annually, 4.7% to 13.2% "of maternal deaths can be attributed to unsafe abortion," the WHO said. In developing regions of the world, there are 220 deaths per 100,000 unsafe abortions. [...] But this contradicts widely accepted medical research from 2005. This study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that a fetus is not capable of experiencing pain until somewhere between 29 or 30 weeks. [...] The argument against abortion has frequently been based on religion.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2012-10-23): Illinois Republican Rep. Joe Walsh falsely claimed that there wasn’t "one instance" where an abortion would be necessary to save the mother’s life. But the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said that more than 600 women die each year due to complications from pregnancy and childbirth, and more would die if they didn’t have access to abortion. After that, Walsh quickly backed down. Walsh made his controversial comments after an Oct. 18 debate with Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth. Walsh said that with "modern technology and science," there wasn’t "one instance" where an abortion would be necessary to save the mother’s life. When a reporter asked him to clarify that he was saying it was never medically necessary to perform an abortion to save the life of the mother, Walsh replied, "Absolutely." [...] ACOG, Oct. 19: Contrary to the inaccurate statements made yesterday by Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), abortions are necessary in a number of circumstances to save the life of a woman or to preserve her health. Unfortunately, pregnancy is not a risk-free life event, particularly for many women with chronic medical conditions. Despite all of our medical advances, more than 600 women die each year from pregnancy and childbirth-related reasons right here in the US. In fact, many more women would die each year if they did not have access to abortion to protect their health or to save their lives.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-08-02): Not anymore. Anti-abortion-rights groups, like Pro-Life Wisconsin, have described the "life of the mother" exception as unnecessary and wrong. The Idaho GOP just approved a platform with no lifesaving exception. Republican candidates like Matthew DePerno, the Republican running to be Michigan’s attorney general, oppose all exceptions to abortion bans, and that includes to save a mother’s life. Conservative states are rushing to eliminate or narrow existing exceptions to their laws. Powerful groups like Students for Life, Feminists for Life, and the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) argue that "abortion is never medically necessary" and that doctors should always be punished for intentionally taking a fetal life. [...] Although Seago argued that serious complications would justify immediate intervention, it’s hard for many to figure out what doctors are allowed to do or when. That’s all the more true when the penalties for getting it wrong are steep: new abortion laws, including trigger bans, contain harsh prison sentences for doctors, up to life in prison. Doctors less than absolutely certain that they can provide lifesaving care may choose self-preservation over their patients’ well-being. Medically, the erosion of the "life of the mother" exception can mean dangerous delays and uncertainty. In politics, it means a fundamental denial of the idea that abortion ever saves a life. The upshot is that the new mainstream in the anti-abortion-rights movement holds that there is no such thing as a medically necessary abortion.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2020-08-27): Merriam-Webster defines "essential" as meaning "of the utmost importance: basic, indispensable, necessary." The primary determinant of whether abortion meets this threshold is whether or not it is medically required. And the simple fact, as the Catholic Medical Association notes on its website, is that direct abortion, undertaken for the specific purpose of ending the unborn child’s life, is never medically necessary. It can be the case that an unborn baby’s life may be lost as a result of a medical procedure undertaken in order to save the life of the mother, but that’s a very rare circumstance and one that’s very different from an elective abortion. Consequently, the U.S. states that have specified that abortion can’t be designated as essential, like Texas, have qualified their bans with language allowing for medical procedures that really are necessary. [...] In truth, abortion-rights activists’ own rhetoric, which constantly casts abortion as a woman’s sacrosanct personal "choice," further undermines any claim of it being medically essential.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2023-12-21): One of the most common defenses of late-term abortion is the claim that in some cases, abortion is medically necessary. Lately, Americans have been hearing this claim in defense of a law in New York that allows abortions through all nine months of pregnancy. But that claim is based on faulty assumptions about the options available to women who face life-threatening pregnancy complications. The truth, known to thousands of OB-GYNs worldwide, is that there is no situation in which an abortion is medically necessary. [...] Over a thousand OB-GYNs and maternal healthcare experts joined together to affirm this reality in the Dublin Declaration, which states: "As experienced practitioners and researchers in obstetrics and gynecology, we affirm that direct abortion – the purposeful destruction of the unborn child — is not medically necessary to save the life of a woman. We uphold that there is a fundamental difference between abortion, and necessary medical treatments that are carried out to save the life of the mother, even if such treatment results in the loss of life of her unborn child. We confirm that the prohibition of abortion does not affect, in any way, the availability of optimal care to pregnant women." [...] The reality is that, in an emergency, a physician can always separate the mother and the baby in a way that gives them both the best chance possible. Abortion is never about saving a life. It is about killing a human being, and it is never medically necessary to intentionally kill an unborn child in an abortion in order to save the life of its mother.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2018-11-01): "Abortion can be medically necessary in the case of the life or health of the mother." Have you heard this argument before? It seems rational and compassionate, but the truth is that abortion is never medically necessary, even in cases to save the mother’s life. Neonatologist Dr. Kendra Kolb walks us through the different scenarios where abortion might be considered, but would never be an actual necessity. Read Transcript More Resources Next VideoIt is often said that abortion is sometimes medically necessary to protect the life or health of the mother. This is simply not true. [...] Abortion unnecessarily ends the lives of children and may also result in serious medical and psychological risks to women. A mother’s life is always of paramount importance, but abortion is never medically necessary to protect her life or health.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2019-09-15): Last month, the anti-abortion group Live Action posted a video to the Facebook page of its founder Lila Rose, claiming abortion was never medically necessary, and Facebook asked the fact-checking site Health Feedback to review it. Health Feedback reached out to us as medical professionals, and we both commented that the video was inaccurate. [...] Everyone is entitled to his or her views of abortion, but promulgating misinformation about when abortion is medically necessary is dangerous. In many cases in which termination of pregnancy is necessary, the parents strongly desire the pregnancy, and they are devastated to learn that they have a complication that will result in the loss of their baby. There is a risk that patients may choose to delay necessary care because they have heard conflicting information from advocates, which may put women’s lives at risk. For those who have survived this kind of complication in pregnancy and lost their baby, it is traumatizing to be told what they did was medically unnecessary. Given that we are in the middle of a crisis of rising maternal mortality, which disproportionately affects black women, it is concerning that some are calling for the restriction of life-saving care during pregnancy.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-11-30): Pro-Life Wisconsin, a Christian-based organization, opposes abortion in every case, even when it is not "politically correct," per their website. Legislative Director Matt Sande says the group considers any legal or medical exception a "loophole," and it favors doctors providing "equal care" to the pregnant person and fetus — even if it is nonviable. But The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says "induced abortion is an essential component of women’s health care." And a recent fact-check by Reuters ruled the statement, "Abortion is never medically necessary to save a woman’s life," as "false." [...] Dr. Abigail Cutler, an obstetrician and gynecologist who practices in Wisconsin, and Dr. Douglas Laube, a Madison physician who is the former president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, describe myriad circumstances in which an abortion might be necessary to prevent disease or death.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-07-08): In the weeks following the decision, social media posts claimed "abortion is never medically necessary." Those posts are inaccurate and misleading, obstetricians told us, as the alternative the posts suggest — early delivery — is generally not feasible early in pregnancy. [...] Yet a Facebook post from the anti-abortion organization Live Action says, "Abortion is NEVER medically necessary." The post includes a video by neonatologist Kendra Kolb saying that even in high-risk situations, "there is no medical reason why the life of the child must be directly and intentionally ended with an abortion procedure." [...] Teoh, Flora. "Lila Rose Claim That ‘Abortion is Never Medically Necessary is Inaccurate; It is Necessary in Certain Cases to Preserve Mother’s Life." Health Feedback. 30 Aug 2019.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2024-07-24): Abortion Can Be Medically Necessary [...] "Pregnancy imposes significant physiological changes on a person’s body. These changes can exacerbate underlying or preexisting conditions, like renal or cardiac disease, and can severely compromise health or even cause death. Determining the appropriate medical intervention depends on a patient’s specific condition. There are situations where pregnancy termination in the form of an abortion is the only medical intervention that can preserve a patient’s health or save their life. "As physicians, we are focused on protecting the health and lives of the patients for whom we provide care. Without question, abortion can be medically necessary."
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-08-08): WASHINGTON (CNA) -- Abortion — a procedure with the sole or primary intent and purpose of ending human life in the womb — is never medically necessary, according to medical experts. [...] Abortion, they say, is "never necessary" while caring for both mother and baby. Understanding this begins with understanding what abortion is — and is not. [...] Dr. Christie said that abortion, defined as the purposeful ending of a human life, is "never medically necessary."
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2020-02-26): A Republican congressman has said that abortions should not be allowed even when the mother's life is at risk because of advances in "modern technology and science". Joe Walsh of Illinois told reporters on Thursday that "you can't find one instance" where it has been necessary to perform an abortion due to the risk to the mother's life, citing medical advances. [...] Walsh was speaking to reporters after defining himself as "pro-life without exception" during a debate with Democratic challenger Tammy Duckworth. Walsh was asked if he was saying it was never necessary to terminate a pregnancy to save a mother's life.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-07-11): Posts falsely claim abortion is never medically necessary CLAIM: Abortion is never medically necessary to protect the health of the mother. [...] "Abortion is never medically necessary to save the life of the mother," read a widely shared Facebook post from an anti-abortion nonprofit.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-09-14): 3 Reasons Why Abortion Is Never Medically Necessary [...] A thorough evaluation of the intentions and results of several medical procedures that the pro-abortion industry is suddenly claiming are "abortions" will clarify that abortion, by its culturally accepted definition, is never medically necessary to save a mother’s life. [...] The abortion industry has worked tirelessly to conflate induced abortion with emergency medical treatments to save a mother’s life that incidentally (not intentionally) can result in the death of the child. It is essential to set the record straight on the difference between induced abortion and real health care to ensure that, both medically and legally, our society respects the human dignity and right to life of both mothers and babies.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-07-22): It is widely assumed that induced abortion is sometimes necessary to preserve a pregnant woman’s life or health. Yet, while it is true that ending pregnancy is sometimes required to achieve this, it need not be with abortive intent: first, because the death of the fetus provides no additional therapeutic benefit to terminating a pregnancy by early delivery, and, second, when a pregnancy is terminated without feticidal intent in order to save the mother’s life, it is reasonable to consider this to be nonabortive. Because there is a way of ending a life-threatening pregnancy whereby fetal death occurs outside of intention, and because abortion is defined as intentionally causing fetal death, abortion is never medically necessary. This chapter considers some of the many objections to this thesis, as well as its ethical implications. By defining abortion, deriving the concept of medical necessity from abortion law, and considering practical objections, the first half of this chapter shows that abortion is never medically necessary. The second half elaborates on the relationship between fetal death and intention, considering some of the ethical implications of the distinction between intentional fetal killing and fetal death as a side effect of intended action.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2022-05-25): Today on Explicitly Pro-Life, the podcast hosted by SFLA president Kristan Hawkins, we are sharing an earlier episode to help the Pro-Life Generation combat the abortion lobby’s lie that abortions are ever medically necessary. The episode, entitled "Myth: Abortions Save Women’s Lives," discusses the inaccuracy of the claim that abortions are sometimes needed to save the life of the mother. To debunk this myth, Hawkins shares a real testimony which the abortion lobby frequently uses to support their claim that abortion is necessary and turns it on its head. She highlights the fact that an abortion is the intentional killing of a preborn child, and when a mother’s life is truly in danger, doctors work to save both the mother AND the child through emergency C-sections.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (1997-05-27): An Unusual Medical Consensus: Partial-Birth Abortion is Never Necessary Assurances on this point are now readily available. Prominent medical organizations and medical experts who disagree about abortion in general, all agree that the partial-birth procedure is never medically necessary. [...] - "I believe that Mr. Clinton was misled by his medical advisers on what is fact and what is fiction in reference to late-term abortions. Because in no way can I twist my mind to see that the late-term abortion as described -- you know, partial birth, and then destruction of the unborn child before the head is born -- is a medical necessity for the mother. It certainly can't be a medical necessity for the baby." Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in American Medical News, August 19, 1996, p. 3.
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2019-02-01): US: 30,000 Doctors say abortion is never medically necessary to save a mother's life Medical leaders representing more than 30,000 American doctors said intentionally killing an unborn baby in an abortion is never necessary to save a mother’s life. In a letter published at The Public Discourse, leaders of the American College of Paediatricians, American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and other medical groups explained their support of the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. [...] Abortion is never medically necessary under any circumstances. The medical leaders promoted perinatal hospice as a life-affirming, compassionate option for babies with life-limiting conditions, "Perinatal hospice provides optimal care for the mother, honours the life of her child and allows the family the opportunity to acknowledge, love, and mourn its newest member."
Claim: Abortion is never medically necessary (Lila Rose, 2019-08-30)
Evidence (2019-08-30): Lila Rose claim that "abortion is never medically necessary" is inaccurate; it is necessary in certain cases to preserve mother’s life [...] Physicians who evaluated this claim found it to be inaccurate. They explained that there are many medical conditions, such as pre-eclampsia, HELLP syndrome and placenta previa, in which abortion could become medically necessary in order to save the life of the mother. Incidentally, abortion is medically defined as a procedure to end a pregnancy – this definition does not change depending on the reasons for an abortion, i.e. whether the procedure is motivated by an unwanted pregnancy or medical emergency or some other situation has no effect on its medical definition. However, Lila Rose redefines the meaning of abortion to exclude the cases when abortion is medically necessary in order to bolster her claim that "abortion is never medically necessary". This is akin to the No True Scotsman fallacy in which the definition of a word/phrase is modified from its actual meaning to make a point. For example, Rose claims that treating an ectopic pregnancy is not an abortion, even though termination of the pregnancy is the result of the procedures that treat ectopic pregnancies. [...] "1. The findings of Science Feedback’s fact-check were based on publicly available scientific evidence and [were] not the result of any bias. The claim that "abortion is never medically necessary" is false and inaccurate.
Claim: The WHO declaration of a public health emergency is a scheme to use vaccines “stocked up in warehouses”; bird flu, parvovirus B19, and monkeypox are “rebranding” of the same virus (Rizza Islam, 2024-08-20)
Evidence (2024-08-20): The World Health Organization declared mpox to be a public health emergency in mid-August 2024. This declaration was made in response to a rising number of cases and the discovery of a new and more virulent variant of mpox virus. At the time of writing, the virus had spread in several African countries and one case had been registered in Europe.
Claim: The WHO declaration of a public health emergency is a scheme to use vaccines “stocked up in warehouses”; bird flu, parvovirus B19, and monkeypox are “rebranding” of the same virus (Rizza Islam, 2024-08-20)
Evidence (2024-08-14): WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has determined that the upsurge of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a growing number of countries in Africa constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR). [...] In declaring the PHEIC, Dr Tedros said, "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying. On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives." [...] Committee Chair Professor Dimie Ogoina said, "The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe. Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself."