New Study Finds AbortionRisks Higher Than Expected
Source: The de Veber Institute; April 23, 2002
Toronto, CA -- Abortion complications are seriouslyunderreported, leaving
women who undergo abortion largely unaware of the range ofphysical and
psychological risks they face, according to a new study by aCanadian
bioethics institute.
Breast cancer, pelvic infection, infertility,life-threatening ectopic
pregnancy, and subsequent premature births - with higherrates of children
born with cerebral palsy - were found to be associated withabortion in a
comprehensive review of the world medical literature.Abortion
complications were not limited to physical health. Whileabortion is often
regarded as a cure for the depression and stress of a crisispregnancy,
the study found that women are more likely to commit suicideafter
abortion than after giving birth to a child.
Current abortion rates of 114,000 in Canada and 1.4 millionin the U.S.
underscore the magnitude of this potential public healthissue.
" In the absence of this knowledge, how can a womangive her informed
consent to an abortion?" asks Ian Gentles, historyprofessor at York
University in Toronto, and one of the authors of the studyentitled
Women's Health after Abortion: The Medical and PsychologicalEvidence,
published by the deVeber Institute, a nonprofit bioethicsand social
research group based in Toronto. Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Emory University
professor of humanities and women's studies, calls thefindings
"compelling", and says the study "makesoverwhelmingly clear [that] women
who seek abortions in the United States and Canada are noteven told of
the risks they are running."
The study calls for a more accountable system of riskassessment where
research data accurately reflect the true risks of abortionto their
future health and fertility.
Key abortion risks
An extensive review of the world medical literature revealsabortion is
associated with:
*Suicide risk
A woman's risk of suicide is up to 6 times higher afterabortion than
after giving birth to a child, according to three largeworldwide studies.
Gissler M et al. Suicides after pregnancy in Finland 1987-94: register
linkage study. British Medical Journal 1996 Dec. 7;313(7070):1431-4.
27 worldwide studies, including 13 U.S. studies, show therisk caused by
the unprotected internal estrogen exposure a woman receivesafter an
abortion. Ayoung woman who aborts her first pregnancy nearly doubles her
lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.
Daling JR et al. Risk of breast cancer among young women:relationship to
induced abortion. Journal of the National Cancer Institute1994
Nov(2);86(21):1584-92.
*Immediate complications
Pain, bleeding, infection, perforated uterus, and occasionaldeath occur
at rates higher than usually reported. True rates are oftenunderestimated
by inadequate hospital diagnostic coding.
Heisterberg L, Kringelbach M. Early complications afterinduced
first-trimester abortion. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica
Scandanavica,1987;66(3):201-4.
*Infertility, prematurity, cerebral palsy
Subsequent infertility, life-threatening ectopic pregnancy,and premature
delivery of subsequent children - which increases the riskof cerebral
palsy 38 times in the earliest premature babies.
Escobar GJ et al. Outcome among surviving very lowbirthweight infants: a
meta-analysis. Archives of Disease in Childhood1991;66:204-211.
To order the study from the deVeber Institute visit the website:
http://deveber.org/publications2.html#launch