Experts in the UK have published an extensive report on the effects of abortion on women worldwide, and their results seem to fly in the face of many anti-abortion talking points. According to the report put out by the U.K.'s National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, women face no greater risk of depression or anxiety when aborting an unwanted pregnancy.
About the study
The PDF file of the report, titled Induced Abortion and Mental Health, was put out this December by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges in the UK. The focus of the report was to look at the correlation between abortion and mental health problems in women. For the report, the team of doctors and researchers looked at women who were having legal abortions for unwanted pregnancies to see if these women faced greater risks of mental health issues than those who choose not to abort.
To compile the report, the researchers looked at 44 studies conducted worldwide from 1990 to 2011 that included several million women with unwanted pregnancies from sources including national health systems and insurance databases. The large scope of the report may make it one of the most comprehensive looks into unwanted pregnancies and abortion to date.
The findings
After compiling all the information and examining it thoroughly, the researchers concluded that there was no substantial link between abortion and mental health issues. The rates of mental health issues for women with unwanted pregnancies who choose to abort were the same as similar women who choose to carry the pregnancies to term. Women who had mental health issues prior to pregnancy did suffer more mental health issues after abortion, however those with no previous issues did not have higher rates after abortion.
In fact, the researchers found that it was not whether or not a woman chose to have an abortion that caused higher mental health issues, but the pregnancy itself. The researchers found that unwanted pregnancies, regardless of the outcome, were linked with higher mental health issues than in women with wanted pregnancies. No matter how they choose to deal with the pregnancy, simply getting pregnant in the first place caused more problems.
Recommendations for pregnancy
Based on the findings of this study, the researchers involved have suggested that all women who face unwanted pregnancies should receive more support and care. They state that future health care practices should focus more on the needs of women during an unwanted pregnancy, regardless of the outcome of that pregnancy.
In light of this new study, doctors and health care providers may begin to look at the effects of pregnancy and abortion differently. Women may be assessed, not on their choices for handling an unwanted pregnancy, but on the pregnancy itself and the mental health of the woman prior to pregnancy. This could give doctors a better understanding of which women are at risk for mental health problems.
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