Study
Finds Later Abortions Linked to Mental Health Risks, Women Pressured
by
Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
August 30,
2010
Washington,
DC (LifeNews.com) — A new study finds the later a woman has an
abortion the more likely it is that she faces mental health risks
and is under pressure from a partner or others to have an abortion
she may not otherwise want. Women getting later abortions also are
more likely to be ambivalent about having an abortion.
The
results came from an online survey of 374 women who answered a detailed
questionnaire about the circumstances leading to their abortions,
their previous mental health history, history of physical or sexual
abuse and emotional state following abortion.
Although
small, the study, published in the Journal of Pregnancy by Dr. Priscilla
Coleman of Bowling Green State University, is the first to compare
the experiences of women having early abortions compared to women
having later abortions (in the second or third trimester).
The
study found women after 13 weeks of pregnancy were more likely to
report that their partner desired the pregnancy (22.4 percent of women
who had later abortions vs. 10.3 percent of women who had early abortions)
and that they were pressured by someone other than their partner to
abort (47.8 percent vs. 30.5 percent).
The
women having later abortions were more likely to report that their
partner didn't know about the abortion (23.9 percent vs. 12.5 percent),
that they had left their partner before the abortion (28.3 percent
vs. 15.6 percent) and that physical health concerns were a factor
in having the abortion (29.8 percent vs. 14.7 percent).
Ambivalence
about the abortion, unwanted abortion and poor pre-abortion counseling
were also commonly reported in the late-term abortion group, according
to the Elliot Institute, an abortion research group that pointed LifeNews.com
to the study.
Nearly
40 percent of women in the survey said they desired the pregnancy
and only 30 percent said both they and their partner supported the
abortion, while less than 14 percent said they received adequate pre-abortion
counseling or information on alternatives or physical and emotional
risks.
"In
general, these results are indicative of more ambivalence and conflict
surrounding the decision and the likelihood of less stable partner
relationships among women who obtain later abortions," the authors
wrote. "Logically, women who are unsure about how to proceed
with an unplanned pregnancy are more likely to put off the decision
to abort, perhaps hoping their circumstances will improve and enable
them to carry to term."
Meanwhile,
the Elliot Institute noted a survey of American and Russian women
who had abortions, published in the Medical Science Monitor in 2004,
found that 64 percent of the American respondents reported feeling
pressured to abort, while more than half said they felt rushed or
uncertain about the decision and more than 80 percent reported receiving
inadequate counseling beforehand.
The
new study also found high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) symptoms for women having both early and late abortions, with
52 percent of the early abortion group and 67 percent of the late
term abortion group meeting the American Psychological Association's
criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSD).
One
possible cause may be a high number of women having unwanted abortions
due to the reactions of those around them, the authors said.
"Concern
regarding reactions of others to having a child" was the mostly
frequently cited reason for abortion for both early (69.1 percent)
and late (62 percent) abortions; however, they wrote, many women likely
had abortions "despite ambivalence or actually desiring to continue
the pregnancy."
Feelings
of ambivalence or having an unwanted abortion are known risk factors
for psychological problems after abortion.
When
it came to differences between the late and early abortion groups,
women having later abortions were more likely to report having disturbing
dreams, reliving the abortion, having trouble sleeping and experiencing
intrusion, a PTSD symptom that involves having recurring memories,
flashbacks or hyperactivity when confronted with reminders of the
trauma.
The
2004 Medical Science Monitor survey found that 65 percent of American
women who had abortions reported experiencing symptoms of PTSD, which
they attributed to their abortions. Other studies have also linked
abortion to increased rates of depression, substance abuse, suicidal
thoughts, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders and other mental health
problems.
The
authors said that their new study is best viewed as a "pilot"
study on which to base future research on the psychological impact
of late-term abortion, and called for more counseling and support
for women undergoing later abortions.
Citation
for the new study: PK Coleman, CT Coyle & VM Rue, "Late-Term
Elective Abortion and Susceptibility to Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms,"
Journal of Pregnancy, Aug. 2010. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jp/2010/130519.html
Related
web sites:
Elliot Institute – http://www.theunchoice.com
Reclaiming Our Children: A Blog About Healing After Abortion 
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