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    Abortion and Depression In Women

    August 19th 2008 19:56
    Fuck me
    I've heard some anti-choicers claim that abortion causes mental issues and depression in women. It's a real world version of the concern troll, wanting you to give in to their demands for your own good. It's a claim I've always been skeptical of. If there was a true link between abortions and depression or mental issues there would be some sort of figure to back that up rather than anecdotes.


    My pet theory has been that if there is a link it is because of one of two things. First, any depression could be linked to a hormonal drop much like the drop that occurs, and causes depression in some, after giving birth. In that case to blame abortion would mean to also blame childbirth. Second would be more circumstances than the actual abortion. Partly from the circumstances that would have caused a woman to need an abortion and partly from the shame and guilt that are placed on a woman for having the abortion. You can only be called a murderer so many times before it starts to have an affect on your self-esteem. Now it seems that my theories aren't that wrong. From Melissa's article:

    Over the last two years, the task force reviewed and analysed "all of the empirical studies published in English in peer-reviewed journals since 1989 that compared the mental health of women who had an induced abortion to comparison groups of women, or that examined factors that predict mental health among women who have had an elective abortion in the United States". They found that, while some women do indeed experience negative feelings or suffer clinical depression after an abortion, there's nothing to suggest that such feelings are directly attributable to the abortion itself as opposed to other circumstances, like, say the 73% of abortion seekers who terminate because they can't afford a baby, for reasons ranging from unemployment to lack of healthcare to supporting the maximum number of dependents possible already. The report also notes that "women terminating a wanted pregnancy, who perceived pressure from others to terminate their pregnancy, or who perceived a need to keep their abortion secret from their family and friends because of stigma associated with abortion, were more likely to experience negative psychological reactions following abortion" – which suggests that fundamentalist religion might be a better indicator of post-abortion distress than abortion, ahem.


    The rest of the article is certainly well worth the read also. At the end she touches on the current trend of legislation in which some think a woman seeking an abortion does not really understand that she is pregnant. Hence the doctor being required to tell her that she is pregnant with a human fetus, or requiring ultrasounds prior, or the 24 hour wait period. More than just assuming women are not aware of what they are doing it also dismisses whatever issues are behind the need for the abortion. As if a 24 hour wait will make their financial issues disappear, or change their family's status, or make the circumstances behind the pregnancy disappear.

    (image source - miss pupik)
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    Comments
    1 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

    Comment by Anonymous

    August 26th 2008 17:02
    I read a theory once that it wasn't molestation in itself that damaged victims, but the societal stigma attached that warped them. I often wonder if abortion is the same issue: it's less the abortion that causes mental trauma and more the pro-lifers running around screaming about murder that makes people feel bad/depressed. Really then the message should be that anti-woman maniacs cause depression as a side-effect of abortion

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