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In rain, snow, or sunshine, thousands of compassionate advocates from across the nation are preparing to embark on an annual journey of hope. They are set to march down the streets of Washington D.C. this week to proclaim a truth long dismissed by many in the media, as well as lawmakers and at times even physicians like me: that every life is worthy of protection and the very best medical care—even life in a mother's womb.
The loving witness of those who join in the annual March for Life should reawaken everyone, especially my fellow physicians and others in the medical community, to the infinite beauty of motherhood and childbirth and wipe away the deception, fear, and pro-abortion mindset that have plagued our health care system and our culture for too long. Those who have performed abortions like I did, fallen victim to pro-abortion rhetoric, or received an abortion themselves can witness at the 2025 March for Life hope for redemption and a call for holistic alternatives to the invasive "treatment plan" of abortion that sadly offers women and their families nothing but harm.
Early in my career as an OB/GYN, I bought into the prevailing notion that abortion should be offered to women with babies likely to be born with genetic syndromes, such as Down Syndrome. In solidarity primarily with other female residents in my field who saw it as a duty to provide an abortion to a fellow woman if it was her choice, I opted into performing second-trimester abortions both during residency and private practice. It never occurred to me that I was taking the lives of countless little children, until one day when a 16-year-old girl asked for an elective abortion. Hers was the last abortion I ever performed.
A sense of evil overwhelmed me while performing that young woman's abortion, and it awakened me. It was the first time I encountered what so many of my peers and leaders choose to ignore: that the child was indeed a tiny innocent human whose precious life I ended. Much like the 60 percent or more of women who regret their abortions, I believe physicians, nurses, and other professionals also silently grapple for years with the weight of the abortions we perform.
Colorado abortionist Warren Hern, who has performed late-term abortions since before Roe v. Wade, noted staff who assisted in his clinic developed defense mechanisms to deal with the stress brought on by the destructiveness they witnessed. Some experience nausea and disturbing dreams. But few health care professionals ultimately choose to speak out about the emotional burden of committing abortions or share the facts of abortion with the public.
Making matters worse is the fact that mainstream professional medical organizations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), which once upheld genuine medical standards for women's health care, do women and doctors a disservice by peddling abortion as the standard of care for unplanned or difficult pregnancies. ACOG sadly puts women's health—and lives—on the line to advance the deceptive pro-abortion agenda.
ACOG fails to clarify that every state law gives women access to life-saving intervention to end pregnancy and allows physicians to use their reasonable medical judgment. As a result, women are needlessly frightened into thinking that their lives are at heightened risk from miscarriages or childbirth when that is simply not the case. Life-affirming medical professionals and pregnancy care centers across the country, by contrast, are reassuring women of their strength and offering support as they welcome new life into the world. ACOG must follow suit by reprioritizing women's health instead of abortion advocacy and return to promoting unbiased guidance and legal clarification.
Worse still is the situation in states like Colorado, my home state, where abortion is not only legal, but access to the procedure for any reason at any stage of pregnancy is now enshrined into the state constitution. Such laws promote abortion as a legitimate form of "treatment" for vulnerable women and their young ones, in spite of the fact that the law offers no safeguards for women. Pro-life advocates at the national March for Life and in every state must remain vigilant in the promotion of life-affirming obstetric care while working to educate and engage their communities to change hearts and minds and support women in difficult pregnancy circumstances.
The silver lining is that redemption is for everyone, including women and medical professionals who wake up to the horror of abortion and realize that it is far from the only or best path available to mothers. They can find hope in groups like the American Association of Pro-Life OB/GYNs (AAPLOG), which exists to equip medical professionals to provide healthy and healing options that respect the value and dignity of both mother and baby.
The incongruence between my days performing abortions and the joy that overflows the delivery room with each birth is stark. With each of the thousands of babies I've delivered, I've marveled at the miracle of birth and strived to help women experience pregnancy and childbirth as among the most beautiful moments of life, no matter the circumstances. My colleagues at AAPLOG and I recognize that women, even those in difficult circumstances, deeply crave care that affirms both the humanity of their children and their unique ability to nurture and care for little ones.
Life-affirming care is not too much to ask for—it is a basic standard for treatment that women long for and deserve.
Dr. Catherine Wheeler is a board-certified Ob/Gyn physician, who practiced in Salt Lake City, Utah for 24 years. She is on the Board of The American Association of Prolife Ob/Gyns, the Board of Prolife Colorado, and the Medical Advisory Board of Save the Storks.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
