A video circulating on social media claims to show an ultrasound of a 13-week pregnancy termination, in which a „tortured child struggles against the abortionist’s forceps“. In reality, the footage originates from a propaganda film by an anti-abortion activist and does not reflect actual medical reality.
„This torturous ultrasound of a baby struggling against the abortionist’s tongs is perhaps the most powerful argument against abortion. It’s not about ’reproductive health’ or ’choice’, it’s about cold-blooded murder,“ wrote Facebook user Mihkel Johannes Paimla on 17 November.
„The day will come when the civilised world will look at those who supported abortion with the same astonishment and disgust as we look at those who supported slavery, against the arguments for its abolition,“ Paimla added.
Faktikontroll has previously refuted Paimla’s claims.
The video went viral on 14 November, mainly on X and TikTok, where it has garnered thousands of views and shares.
The widely shared video clip comes from a film based on a novel by anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson. The specific scene, starting around the fifth minute, depicts the abortion procedure of a 13-week-old fetus and the emotional reaction of the clinic director. The film, however, is not a documentary.
The author tells the story of her journey from an employee of Planned Parenthood clinic, providing sexual and reproductive health services, to an anti-abortion activist. Johnson explaines her change of heart occurred after witnessing a 13-week-old fetus „fighting for life“ during an abortion.
The ultrasound video circulating on social media is not real; it is a visual effect created for the film.
Experts in fetal medicine from the Women’s Clinic at Tartu University Hospital have highlighted inaccuracies in the video.
„The most obvious difference is the lack of a visible fetal heartbeat. If the fetus is shown moving so clearly, the heartbeat would also be easily seen. Only a fetus whose heart is beating can exhibit movement,“ explained Kristiina Rull, head of the Women’s Clinic at the Tartu University Hospital and professor of obstetrics, gynecology and genetics.
Secondly, Rull explained, the abortion process shown in the video is far from reality.
„During pregnancy, the cervix is closed, and the cervical canal is only 3-5 mm permeable. At the 13th week of pregnancy, the diameter of the fetal head is at least 2.5 cm. To extract the fetus through the cervical canal, the cervix must be opened in advance using special instruments.
During the process, the amniotic fluid breaks. In the ultrasound shown in the video, amniotic fluid is visible as a black area around the fetus, but in real life, this fluid would no longer be present after it ruptures. Without the fluid, the fetus cannot move freely, as there is no space. Additionally, the uterus contracts immediately after the fetus is removed, none of which is shown in the video,“ Rull explained.
She also highlighted other inaccuracies in the video that experts in fetal medicine immediately noticed. For instance, the fetal bone structures appear unnaturally bright, the placenta and umbilical cord are not visible, and the uterine muscle has an unusual texture.
„We would like to draw attention to the fact that the method of fetal extraction shown in the video is not used in Estonia to terminate a pregnancy,“ stressed Rull.
In Estonia, it is permitted to terminate a pregnancy at one’s own request up to 11 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Beyond that, up to 21 weeks and 6 days, termination is permitted only if the fetus has severe mental or physical impairments.
Analyses by US doctors also confirm that the events shown in the video are not physiologically possible in real life.
According to the website of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the fetus does not have the physiological ability to perceive pain before the 24th week of pregnancy.
„The science conclusively establishes that a human fetus does not have the capacity to experience pain until after at least 24–25 weeks. Every major medical organization that has examined this issue and peer-reviewed studies on the matter have consistently reached the conclusion that abortion before this point does not result in the perception of pain in a fetus,“ the college’s website states.
Therefore, the statement that „a tortured child fights against the abortionist’s forceps“ is also not true. A 13-week-old fetus cannot exhibit such behavior of „fight“ against anything.
In the United States, abortion laws differ by state. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, removing constitutional protections for abortion rights. This decision allowed individual states to determine abortion policies, leading to the loss of abortion rights for women in many states.
Verdict: False. The video widely shared on social media is not an ultrasound of an abortion but a dramatized scene from an anti-abortion activist’s film. The events depicted are not realistic. Furthermore, a fetus lacks the physiological capacity to perceive pain before the 24th week.
