Five myths Donald Trump, Mike Pence and their allies have spread about abortion

The vice-president of the United States is set to be the key speaker at a huge anti-abortion rally, the March for Life in Washington DC. With thousands expected to attend the event, it is yet another reminder of the pro-life movement's growing influence in the States.

Pence's views on abortion are influenced by religion and he has been staunchly anti-abortion throughout his career, signing every pro-life bill that landed on his desk as governor of Indiana. He even supported a law so extreme it was rejected by other pro-life republicans, and had it been passed, would have forced women to seek funerary services for a foetus, whether linked to an abortion or a miscarriage.

The views shared by Pence and Donald Trump on abortion are shared by the rest of the Trump administration, many of whom have spoken out publicly. Opinions aside, however, many of the 'facts' spread by pro-life politicians and anti-abortion activists are not factually correct.

Here are some of the most common myths;

'Partial-birth abortions'

In the final presidential debate in October 2016, Trump railed against "partial-birth abortions", a term which is political rather than medical, but actually refers to late-term terminations into a third-trimester pregnancy. Critics were quick to point out that Trump's understanding of late-term abortions might not be medically accurate, after he claimed "you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother just prior to the birth of the baby".

While calling Trump out for using scaremongering rhetoric, many pointed out that doctors will not perform the procedure at nine months. If the life of a woman or the foetus is at risk, doctors are able to induce labour or authorise an emergency caesarean – but killing the foetus on purpose is illegal.

Abortion regret

This is one of the key tactics used by pro-life activists to humanise the anti-abortion movement. Framing anti-choice legislation as being protective of women is much more palatable than the truth - that the majority of women do not actually regret having a termination. A US study has revealed that 95% of women who have had abortions believe it was the right decision.

Planned Parenthood

Trump has promised to remove federal funding for Planned Parenthood "as long as they continue to perform abortions" - but the nation's largest women's health care organisation actually do not receive government funds for providing terminations. Additionally, between 60 to 80% of abortions are provided by independent providers, but the repeated attacks on Planned Parenthood are still extremely detrimental - they impact public perception on abortion clinics.

A foetus can feel pain

The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, pushed by Republicans last year, threatened to ban later-term terminations nationwide on the basis that foetuses can feel pain at 20 weeks. A spokesperson for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said this theory has no factual basis. A 2010 report by the UK's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists states foetuses aged 24 weeks or less do not have the brain connections to feel pain.

Abortions are linked to breast cancer

Abortion opponents have plugged dubious "scientific studies" to further their cause, with some even suggesting terminations are linked to breast cancer. This theory is based on the hormonal disruption that occurs when a woman's pregnancy is interrupted - a theory which has never been proven.

In the US, five states require doctors to give patients information which mention a link between breast cancer and abortion, although the theory has been rejected by the American Cancer Society.