Abortions Unlikely to Cause Depression

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I agree with "A Guy" here. No one wants more abortion, even pro-choice people. The pro-choice in this country is far more concerned with curbing unwanted pregnancy and bringing fewer unloved children into this world. Abortion is way down in this country but it's still high among African-American and Hispanic women. In this demographic between 50-80% of live births are to an unwed mother. Go the extra step people. This is simple logic. A woman will not get an abortion if 1. She has access to affordable/free contraception 2. Her man uses the contraception or supports her in taking her pills on time 3. Her man promises to do the right thing, whatever they decide together and 4. There was more support out there for low-income parents.
I'm a single woman who makes a decent living. It would not be easy for me to get an abortion, but faced with an unwanted pregnancy and no support from this country, it's a helluva lot easier to get an abortion and get over that grief than face a veritable lifetime of grief in raising an unwanted child. Unwanted pregnancies become unwanted children. There are more than 60K of them in NYC alone...

Erin of NY 12:50PM September 23, 2008

There are many women who say that they have been able to do well in life because they were able to terminate an unplanned pregnancy at a young age. However, it seems that they would have been able to acheive just as much having placed the unwanted child up for adoption. In fact, they may have achieved even more in life if they spent their earlier years focusing on their future rather than playing adult games and then having to deal with the consequence.
We can't assume that there aren't unwanted effects of abortion just because a young woman doesn't experience major depression as a direct result of it. We live in a society where many people want to believe that abortion has no consequence and no victim.
Older studies showed strong links between abortion and depression, but those were taken at a time when there was much more discussion about the ethical implications of abortion. Persistent denial of what abortion actually is, a committment to act soley in one's own self-interest, and a refusal to morally examine one's actions may mean fewer women who have abortions suffer from depression. What these character traits mean in the long term for their happiness and well-being is up for debate.

Katie of MA 5:26PM August 19, 2008

Totaly disagree!thatsa human being your killing and its yours.u live life wondering wat u coulda had!pure regrets.whoeva has no fylen afta having an aborion is frikin sick in there head!your a murderer no doubt about it!And than the procedure of it...o my god..its murder and shouldnt be legal!it hurts to even thinka bout it!

of 10:24PM August 18, 2008

Totaly disagree!thatsa human being your killing and its yours.u live life wondering wat u coulda had!pure regrets.whoeva has no fylen afta having an aborion is frikin sick in there head!your murderer no doubt about it!

of 10:20PM August 18, 2008

Guys, this is for you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K45m79fEyz8
Gals, if you can't be good, be careful - and if being careful isn't enough, then I believe you have the right to have a SAFE LEGAL abortion if that's what you decide upon.
Based on anecdotal evidence supplied by many of my friends who have had abortions, I believe this report has it pretty much right.
Of course, there are always going to be exceptions to the rule, but at least even they can say they were given the choice.

callme4anice time 8:37PM August 18, 2008

The APA has an official pro-choice policy since 1969 and the chair of the Task Force is a pro-choice activist with Division 35 of the APA. The slant on single abortions of adult women who do not have any attachment to their pregnancy does not reflect the reality that half of all abortions are multiple abortions, 20% are for minors, and 20-60% of abortions are for wanted pregnancies of for women who are emotionally attached to their unintended pregnancy.
Most importantly, the credibility of the report is tarnished by the fact that the chair, Brenda Major, continues to violate the APA's own ethics rules by refusing to allow data on abortion and mental health that she collected under a federal grant to be examined by other researchers. The APA requires researchers to share their data for reanalysis, but Major has refused to allow her data to be examined by researchers critical of abortion...and what they have seen of it indicates that she is only selectively reporting her findings.
See "Researcher: APA Chair Withholding Info on Abortion's Mental Health Risks" by Steven Ertelt, available online.
This APA attempt to spin the debate by focusing on the minority of women who are least risk of depression is a disservice to the majority of women who have abortions who are at risk.

Dr. Martha of MO 1:36PM August 18, 2008

It is great that someone has publicly exposed the original study as deeply flawed. Any study that reports mental health problems among women who have had abortions and does not also report on the mental health of similar women who have had children has an obvious political agenda. Any unplanned life change has the potential to trigger a variety of mental health effects.

Jackie of WI 10:41AM August 18, 2008

My husband and I were told I could never get pregnant. We accepted that and made long term financial commitments that we probably wouldn't have made.
Suddenly, I was pregnant! We were thrilled. We adjusted our plans and had our only child. It was worth it. I guess it depends on your frame of mind.

Pam of NY 11:42PM August 17, 2008

You can balme the guys for their irresponsibility as much as you want but when it comes down to it you made a choice to do it to and if you let him have sex with you without protection then it is your fault all the same. Stop playing the blame game and take some responsibility for not saying "not until you get a rubber" the decisions to have sex is in most cases the choice made by two people.

J of NY 8:44PM August 17, 2008

I've never suffered from any long term depression or stress from the abortion I had 16 years ago at age 16.
What did cause me depression was the beating my father gave me when I told him I was pregnant and being told that if I kept the baby I would have to move out. My boyfriend (my first) breaking up with me and never talking to me again also had long reaching effects.
I do not think that overcoming these two stressors in my life would have been easier had I carried the baby to term as a homeless teenager.
I am now a professional adult who is able to take care of myself. I'm not sure where I would without legal abortion.

T of GA 4:03PM August 17, 2008