Current Projects

Women’s Health After Abortion: The Medical and Psychological Evidence 3rd Edition

Building on the successful second edition of Women’s Health After Abortion, research into the medical and psychological effects of abortion on women’s health continues. Since the publication of the second edition, many new studies have been published. The third edition will update the existing research and analysis, expand research into abortion’s effect on men and relationships, and study the effect of abortion on children and families. The Institute continues to maintain a comprehensive database of research on the medical and psychological effects of abortion.

 

Post Abortion Grief in Palliative Care Patients, and Women’s Long-Term Memories of their Abortions

Anecdotal evidence from the bedsides of dying women indicates that some women have carried the grief and guild of abortions – which often occurred decades previously – to their death. During palliative care, this grief and guilt sometimes interfered with effective pain medication until the issue was resolved for the patient. A review of the literature reveals that this topic has not been studied before. We are undertaking to record anecdotal evidence of this phenomenon, and also the long-term memories of women who had abortions ten years ago or more.

 

Resources for Pregnant and Parenting Students in Canada

The challenges of pregnancy for young women aged 19-25 are many, and the reasons that some women choose parenting or adoption while others choose to abort are also diverse. Building on our past publication Going It Alone; Unplanned Single Motherhood in Canada, we are surveying the resources available to pregnant and parenting women at Canadian universities. We are investigating the financial, educational, health, childcare, and counselling services available to young women.

 

Perinatal Palliative Care and Hospice

Increasingly, genetic anomalies are detected before birth. In addition, some health care centres have started perinatal palliative care and hospice programs to counsel and support parents of infants with severe and life-threatening illnesses. Initial research has shown that the type of counselling that parents are given during the prenatal period greatly affects their decision to either carry or abort their disabled child. We have begun to investigate some perinatal palliative care programs, and hope to develop a better understanding of the Canadian situation. This initial research will provide valuable feedback for creating integrated protocols that extend into the prenatal decision-making period.

 

Talking to Families – Compassionate Care in Home, Hospice and Hospital

These community talks bring palliative care experts together with those who care for a loved one who is terminally ill. The talks answer questions and provide professional advice in order to help individuals feel confident about making the right decisions, to reduce anxiety, and to affirm the role of the caregiver in the life of the dying person. Both the technological and the human care available to the terminally ill are discussed during these community events.