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Subject: |
Abortion And Suicide |
| Date: |
2003-01-03
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Abortion And Suicide
December 27, 2002
Dear Dr. Schlessinger:
While reviewing material for a psychiatric medicolegal matter, I ran across a number of abortion-related reports. Although summaries don’t convey all the nuances of research, I thought you might be interested in these studies from the U.S. and abroad, as reported in the British Medical Journal (1996), the Southern Medical Journal (2002), Canadian Family Physician (2000), Psychotherapy & Psychosomatics (1989), and Pediatrics (1981). They suggest broad agreement that even in countries that have encouraged it for years, abortion is a damaging experience for the woman (I know you will add “not to mention lethal for the baby”). The abortion-associated suicide rate for women is 2-1/2 to three times the rate for the general population and almost six times the rate associated with having recently given birth.
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“. . . (In this seven-year Finnish study,) the mean annual suicide rate (for the general population) was 11.3 per 100,000. The suicide rate associated with birth was significantly lower (5.9) and the rates associated with miscarriage (18.1) and induced abortion (34.7) were significantly higher than in the population. . . . CONCLUSIONS: The increased risk of suicide after an induced abortion indicates either common risk factors for both or harmful effects of induced abortion on mental health.” |
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Gissler M, Hemminki E, Lonnqvist J. (National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES), Helsinki, Finland): Suicides After Pregnancy in Finland, 1987?94: Register Linkage Study. British Medical Journal 313(7070):1431?4, 1996. |
The above report was replicated in the following U.S. study:
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“. . . (In a sample of over 173,000 California women who had abortions or live births,) those who aborted had a significantly higher age?adjusted risk of death . . . from suicide (2.54) (compared to women who delivered their babies) . . . CONCLUSIONS: Higher death rates associated with abortion persist over time and across socioeconomic boundaries. This may be explained by self?destructive tendencies, depression, and other unhealthy behavior aggravated by the abortion experience.” |
| Reardon DC, Ney PG, Scheuren F, Cougle J, Coleman PK, Strahan TW: Deaths associated with pregnancy outcome: a record linkage study of low income women. Southern Medical Journal 95(8):834?41, 2002. . |
A number of other studies, reported over several decades in both the general medical and psychiatric/psychological literature, reveal distress of various kinds even years after abortion, especially on the anniversaries of abortions and potential “due dates.” For example:
- Lauzon P, Roger?Achim D, Achim A, Boyer R: Emotional distress among couples involved in first?trimester induced abortions. Canadian Family Physician (46):2033-40, October, 2000.
- Franco K, Campbell N, Tamburrino M, Jurs S, Pentz J, Evans C: Anniversary reactions and due date responses following abortion. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 52(1?3):151?4, 1989.
- Tishler CL: Adolescent suicide attempts following elective abortion: a special case of anniversary reaction. Pediatric s 68(5):670?1, 1981.
It seems interesting that I found no controlled or epidemiological research to refute the above (i.e., indicating that women who had abortions were generally satisfied or unaffected by them).
Still listening after all these years. Thanks for your good work.
William H. Reid, M.D., M.P.H.
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