Unwanted Pregnancies, Not Abortion, Linked to Mental Health Issues in Women

I don’t know how many more studies need to be done to prove once and for all what those of us providing reproductive care to women have always known – that abortion does not cause mental illness.  But just in case, here’s yet another one, this time  “the most comprehensive and detailed review of the mental health outcomes of abortion to date worldwide” conducted by the UK National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health.

Data from 44 studies showed women with an unwanted pregnancy have a higher incidence of mental health problems in general. This is not affected by whether or not they have an abortion or give birth…Usually, a woman’s risk of suffering common disorders such as anxiety or depression would be around 11-12%. But the researchers said this rate was around three times higher in women with unwanted pregnancies.

How much better the British Health Services limited budget would have been spent in providing direct reproductive and mental health services to women.

Can we please just stop trying to prove the obvious to those who will never believe the data and spend our energies helping women and their partners prevent unplanned pregnancy?

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