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Person 1: I’m pro-choice because I believe in science. Person 2 (our hero): I’m glad you care about finding the truth! I’m pro-science too. Let’s talk through some of the scientific facts that inform each of our views.

Pro-Science

Scientific evidence conclusively shows that fertilization creates a new living human organism. This point is important, but keep in mind that it does not settle the abortion debate on its own. Many pro-choice people agree that biologically speaking, a fetus is a living human. Listen carefully to what your conversation partner says.

First posted November 8, 2018

Suggested:

Our hero: A human fetus displays the key characteristics of life, such as cellular reproduction, responding to stimuli, and converting food into energy. It’s debatable whether viruses are alive, but it seems pretty clear that a human fetus is biologically alive.

Person 1: Why are zygotes more valuable than sperm? Person 2 (our hero): Good question! A zygote is a whole organism. When you were a zygote, you had the same DNA you have now. Before that, a sperm had just half your DNA.

Our hero: Infants aren’t “constructed” from the outside. Instead, after fertilization, the zygote directs her own growth and development. A fetus grows a heart in more or less the same way an adult grows new skin.

Our hero: I wish it were easier for women to decide when they have kids. But after fertilization a unique human is already present with DNA that won’t be repeated in a later pregnancy. Abortion determines which kids are born, not when kids are born.