The deVeber Institute
for Bioethics and Social Research

Link to Article: http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/18/barbara-kay-on-abortion-too-controversial-to-question/

Two interesting abortion-related news items this week

There are known medical and reproductive risks associated with abortion. Why aren’t women warned?

Texas passed a law imposing informed consent on women seeking abortions. In future, women there will have a sonogram, with the heartbeat audible and the image of the fetus visible to them. They will also hear a description of how the unborn baby would develop. It is quite likely that many of them will think twice about aborting, and will consider other options.

At home the Canadian Medical Association Journal has urged delayed revelation of fetal sex to reduce alarming rates of female-fetus abortion in certain cultural communities.

With the help of a team of Toronto medical specialists, little Kaito, born with a tumour larger than his head, has lived up to his name, which in Japanese means "strong samurai."

You can view this story at: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1106744--little-samurai-fighter-beats-the-odds

Letter written in response to Royal College of Psychiatrists' claim that abortion has no negative impact on women's mental health.

The study purporting to show that women who have abortions do not suffer a higher risk of mental illness (Globe Life, Dec. 9, 2011) flies in the face of much recent research. Just in September the British Journal of Psychiatry published a large meta-study that systematically contradicts the Kendall study referred to in your article. It found that women who have abortions are 81 per cent more likely to experience subsequent mental health problems. The greatest increases were seen in relation to suicidal behaviors and substance abuse.

Women with a history of abortion face higher rates of anxiety (34 per cent higher) and depression (37 per cent higher), alcohol use (110 per cent higher), and suicidal behavior (155 per cent higher).

In the largest study of its kind researchers have concluded that women having abortions experience an 81% increased risk of mental health problems.

Published in the prestigious British Journal of Psychiatry, it also found almost 10% of all mental health problems are shown to be directly linked to abortion.

Separate effects were calculated based on the type of mental health outcome with the results revealing the following: the increased risk for anxiety disorders was 34%; for depression it was 37%; for alcohol use/abuse it was 110%, for marijuana use/abuse it was 220%, and for suicide behaviours it was 155%.


This new meta-analysis, conducted by Priscilla K. Coleman
from Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA, is based on 22 published studies. Only the strongest studies were included, with a combined number of participants totalling over 850,000.

Tune into The Arena with Michael Coren on SUN News Network, on Tuesday October 25th, 2011, to see deVeber Institute's invited guest, Dr. Angela Lanfranchi speak about the biological and epidemiological evidence for the link between abortion and breast cancer at 6:00pm-7:00pmET.
Sun News Network is Canada’s home for Hard News and Straight Talk.

For network times and show schedules visit: http://www.torontosun.com/author/michael-coren