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Q: Effects of Abortion
asked by:
Sigma
on February 3rd, 2007
New User
This is to provide a reference to anyone who wishes to explore the effects of abortion on women.
emotional/phychological effects
from http://www.Findarticles.Com/p/articles/mi_ m3225/is_n1_v45/ai_11899635/pg_1
several studies that examined emotional response immediately after abortion found that women are more likely to be depressed before abortion than after abortion. [3,14,15] studies indicate that most women have a sense of relief after abortion, althouth the next most common emotional response is guilt. [2,5,6,11,12,15] negative emotions reflect concerns such as a sense of loss or social disapproval, [2,6] symptoms of distress and dysphoria after abortion may be a continuation of symptoms that were present before the procedure, rather than a result of the procedure itself. [3]
long-term follow-up studies of women who have undergon a therapeutic abortion have revealed favorable outcomes, positive responses to abortion and few long-term psychologic sequelae. [11,14] one to two years after abortion, most women report improved emotional health and satisfaction. [3,14,16,17] for the small number of women who have a history of serious psychiatric problems, abortion has little effect on the course of their psychiatric condition. [17]
from http://www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/entrez/query.F cgi?Cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_ui ds=943199&dopt=abstract
each patient received brief counselling before termination. Follow-up examinations were carried out by means of detailed, structured interviews at three months and between 15 months and two years (mean: 18 months) after termination. Outcome was assessed in terms of psychiatric symptoms, guilt feelings, and adjustment in marital and other interpersonal relationships, sexual responsiveness and work record. Compared with ratings of psychosocial adjustment before termination, significant improvement had occurred at follow-up in respect of psychiatric symptoms, guilt feelings and interpersonal and sexual adjustment; there was no significant change in marital adjustment. Adverse psychiatric and social sequelae were rare.
from http://archpsyc.Ama-assn.Org/cgi/gca?Gca=3 3/6/725&submit.X=72&submit.Y=7
psychological outcome of abortion was studied in 102 patients, measuring multiple variables over four time intervals. Five measured affects--anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, and shame-were significantly lower six months after the preabortion period.
...
Data suggest that women most vulnerable to conflict are those who are single and nulliparous, those with previous history of serious emotional problems, conflictual relationships to lovers, past negative relationships to mother, strong ambivalence toward abortion, or negative religious or cultural attitudes about abortion.
from http://www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/entrez/query.F cgi?Cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=ab stract&list_uids=15203586&query_hl =105&itool=pubmed_docsum
women's satisfaction was assessed using the visual analogue scale from 0 to 10. Satisfaction and acceptability parameters were correlated with socio-demographic and obstetric data. The mean degree of overall satisfaction was 8.3 (range 1-10). Around 90% of women would select the method again and would recommend it to a friend or relative
from http://www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/entrez/query.F cgi?Cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=ab stract&list_uids=7817735&query_hl= 140&itool=pubmed_docsum
a substantial body of objective data now exists to support the consensus view that induced abortion results in a low incidence of psychiatric morbidity.
...
There were no significant differences between women allocated at random to medical abortion or vacuum aspiration in post-abortal anxiety, depression or low self-esteem. Women with high levels of mood disturbance prior to abortion, who were smokers or who had medical complications following abortion were at highest risk of post-abortal mood disorder
...
The quantitative findings of the study support the consensus view that abortion is associated with high incidence of psychological benefit, whichever method is used.
compilations:
http://reproductiveaccess.Org/resources/ab ortion/med_ab/outcomes.Htm
http://www.Psycom.Net/depression.Central.D ep-abort.Html
physical effects
professor valerie beral, director, cancer research uk epidemiology unit, university of oxford:
the results should make it clear that studies which are properly designed show pregnancies that end in abortion don't increase the risk of breast cancer.
professor sir richard peto, from the cancer research uk epidemiology unit in oxford:
some previous reviews on abortion and breast cancer have reached mistaken conclusions because they mixed together data from reliable and unreliable types of study.
professor valerie beral and colleagues found out of the 83,000 women, only 44,000 had predicated in reliable studies. They were asked before they were diagnosed with cancer to tell researchers whether or not they had an abortion or miscarriage. Results from these women showed that for those who had miscarried there was no increased risk of breast cancer compared to the general population.
The risk was actually slightly lower among those who had an abortion.
from http://arjournals.Annualreviews.Org/doi/ab s/10.1146/annurev.Publhealth.26.021304.144 351;jsessionid=nxwwj5gl7so7uccp8i?Cookiese t=1&journalcode=publhealth
abortion is an extremely safe and common medical procedure. In the united states, over one million women had an abortion in the year 2000. Advances in early abortion techniques have helped to increase the proportion of early procedures, the safest type
from http://www.Rcog.Org.Uk/index.Asp?Pageid=64 9#safe
for most women an abortion is safer than carrying a pregnancy and having a baby. All medical and surgical procedures have risks, but the earlier in pregnancy you have an abortion, the safer it is. Your doctor or nurse should tell you about risks and complications that relate to the specific abortion procedure(s) being offered to you. If you have special concerns about certain kinds of risk, let your healthcare team know so that they can tell you more
...
Problems at the time of abortion are not very common
...
Research evidence shows that having an abortion does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
from http://www.Cancer.Gov/cancerinfo/ere-works hop-report
induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk.
from http://www.Cancer.Gov/cancertopics/factshe et/risk/abortion-miscarriage
in february 2003, the national cancer institute (nci) convened a workshop of over 100 of the world's leading experts who study pregnancy and breast cancer risk. Workshop participants reviewed existing population-based, clinical, and animal studies on the relationship between pregnancy and breast cancer risk, including studies of induced and spontaneous abortions. They concluded that having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer
[t]he only notice from the u.S. National cancer institute is to question the methodology of the studies that have found links between abortion and breast cancer. Many of them rely on women self-reporting abortions, creating the possibility that those who later developed breast cancer will admit to having had an abortion and those who have not developed breast cancer will not. Others used samples too small to be considered statistically valid.
"the relationship between abortion and breast cancer has been the subject of extensive research," according to a fact sheet distributed by the national cancer institute. "however, evidence of a direct relationship between breast cancer and either spontaneous or induced abortion is inconsistent. Some studies have indicated small elevations in risk, while others have not shown any risk associated with either induced or spontaneous abortions."
from http://www.Womensenews.Org/article.Cfm/dyn /aid/818/context/cover/
many researchers are troubled, however, by the trend because the weight of current scientific evidence does not seem to support a link between breast cancer and abortion.
from http://www.Cancer.Gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/bre ast
-this one has tons of information about breasts in general and breast cancer in particular. Below i've highlighted important info found under 'risks':
much research has been done to learn whether having an abortion or a miscarriage affects a woman's chance of developing breast cancer later on. Large, well-designed studies have consistently shown no link between abortion or miscarriage and the development of breast cancer.
misc facts
from http://www.Findarticles.Com/p/articles/mi_ m3225/is_n1_v45/ai_11899635/pg_1
studies on compulsory parenthood in europe have found that forcing a woman to continue a pregnancy is more likely to be harmful to a woman's mental health than choosing an abortion. Abortion applicants who are rejected often seek illegal abortions. Morbidity is greater in women who carry unwantd pregnancies to term. [1] women forced into motherhood generally have less stable marriages, poorer interaction with their husbands, less involvement with their children and a greater incidence of depression. [4,27] unwanted children have a higher incidence of physical or mental impairment, and the families of these children have a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders, educational deficiencies, criminal behavior and alcoholism. [1,4]
from http://www.Cancer.Org/docroot/cri/content/ cri_2_4_2x_what_are_the_risk_factors_for_c ervical_cancer_8.Asp?Sitearea=
multiple pregnancies: women who have had many full-term pregnancies have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. This may be because some of the women may have had a higher exposure to hpv.
from http://www.Nlm.Nih.Gov/medlineplus/ency/ar ticle/000900.Htm
the incidence increases with each pregnancy, and it is estimated that 1 in 20 women who have had 6 or more previous deliveries are at risk. The rate of placenta previa is doubled in multiple pregnancy (carrying more than one baby).
dr. J.Brind is the major proponent, it appears, of the abortion/breast cancer link. He is not a md, he's a ph.D and his speciality is diabetes not epidemiology. He is also a born-again christian and the president of a pro-life organization. He is not an unbiased source. He's the fellow who calculated in the 1995 december edition of the national review (pp. 38-41) that women have 300 times the risk of dying from induced abortion than childbirth.
Consider japan. In japan, 3/4 of all 50 year old women have had an abortion since abortion is the main method of birth control in that country, yet japanese women have a much lower rate of breast cancer than america does. They should be dying at three times the rate were brind correct.
emotional/phychological effects
from http://www.Findarticles.Com/p/articles/mi_ m3225/is_n1_v45/ai_11899635/pg_1
several studies that examined emotional response immediately after abortion found that women are more likely to be depressed before abortion than after abortion. [3,14,15] studies indicate that most women have a sense of relief after abortion, althouth the next most common emotional response is guilt. [2,5,6,11,12,15] negative emotions reflect concerns such as a sense of loss or social disapproval, [2,6] symptoms of distress and dysphoria after abortion may be a continuation of symptoms that were present before the procedure, rather than a result of the procedure itself. [3]
long-term follow-up studies of women who have undergon a therapeutic abortion have revealed favorable outcomes, positive responses to abortion and few long-term psychologic sequelae. [11,14] one to two years after abortion, most women report improved emotional health and satisfaction. [3,14,16,17] for the small number of women who have a history of serious psychiatric problems, abortion has little effect on the course of their psychiatric condition. [17]
from http://www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/entrez/query.F cgi?Cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&list_ui ds=943199&dopt=abstract
each patient received brief counselling before termination. Follow-up examinations were carried out by means of detailed, structured interviews at three months and between 15 months and two years (mean: 18 months) after termination. Outcome was assessed in terms of psychiatric symptoms, guilt feelings, and adjustment in marital and other interpersonal relationships, sexual responsiveness and work record. Compared with ratings of psychosocial adjustment before termination, significant improvement had occurred at follow-up in respect of psychiatric symptoms, guilt feelings and interpersonal and sexual adjustment; there was no significant change in marital adjustment. Adverse psychiatric and social sequelae were rare.
from http://archpsyc.Ama-assn.Org/cgi/gca?Gca=3 3/6/725&submit.X=72&submit.Y=7
psychological outcome of abortion was studied in 102 patients, measuring multiple variables over four time intervals. Five measured affects--anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, and shame-were significantly lower six months after the preabortion period.
...
Data suggest that women most vulnerable to conflict are those who are single and nulliparous, those with previous history of serious emotional problems, conflictual relationships to lovers, past negative relationships to mother, strong ambivalence toward abortion, or negative religious or cultural attitudes about abortion.
from http://www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/entrez/query.F cgi?Cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=ab stract&list_uids=15203586&query_hl =105&itool=pubmed_docsum
women's satisfaction was assessed using the visual analogue scale from 0 to 10. Satisfaction and acceptability parameters were correlated with socio-demographic and obstetric data. The mean degree of overall satisfaction was 8.3 (range 1-10). Around 90% of women would select the method again and would recommend it to a friend or relative
from http://www.Ncbi.Nlm.Nih.Gov/entrez/query.F cgi?Cmd=retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=ab stract&list_uids=7817735&query_hl= 140&itool=pubmed_docsum
a substantial body of objective data now exists to support the consensus view that induced abortion results in a low incidence of psychiatric morbidity.
...
There were no significant differences between women allocated at random to medical abortion or vacuum aspiration in post-abortal anxiety, depression or low self-esteem. Women with high levels of mood disturbance prior to abortion, who were smokers or who had medical complications following abortion were at highest risk of post-abortal mood disorder
...
The quantitative findings of the study support the consensus view that abortion is associated with high incidence of psychological benefit, whichever method is used.
compilations:
http://reproductiveaccess.Org/resources/ab ortion/med_ab/outcomes.Htm
http://www.Psycom.Net/depression.Central.D ep-abort.Html
physical effects
professor valerie beral, director, cancer research uk epidemiology unit, university of oxford:
the results should make it clear that studies which are properly designed show pregnancies that end in abortion don't increase the risk of breast cancer.
professor sir richard peto, from the cancer research uk epidemiology unit in oxford:
some previous reviews on abortion and breast cancer have reached mistaken conclusions because they mixed together data from reliable and unreliable types of study.
professor valerie beral and colleagues found out of the 83,000 women, only 44,000 had predicated in reliable studies. They were asked before they were diagnosed with cancer to tell researchers whether or not they had an abortion or miscarriage. Results from these women showed that for those who had miscarried there was no increased risk of breast cancer compared to the general population.
The risk was actually slightly lower among those who had an abortion.
from http://arjournals.Annualreviews.Org/doi/ab s/10.1146/annurev.Publhealth.26.021304.144 351;jsessionid=nxwwj5gl7so7uccp8i?Cookiese t=1&journalcode=publhealth
abortion is an extremely safe and common medical procedure. In the united states, over one million women had an abortion in the year 2000. Advances in early abortion techniques have helped to increase the proportion of early procedures, the safest type
from http://www.Rcog.Org.Uk/index.Asp?Pageid=64 9#safe
for most women an abortion is safer than carrying a pregnancy and having a baby. All medical and surgical procedures have risks, but the earlier in pregnancy you have an abortion, the safer it is. Your doctor or nurse should tell you about risks and complications that relate to the specific abortion procedure(s) being offered to you. If you have special concerns about certain kinds of risk, let your healthcare team know so that they can tell you more
...
Problems at the time of abortion are not very common
...
Research evidence shows that having an abortion does not increase your risk of developing breast cancer.
from http://www.Cancer.Gov/cancerinfo/ere-works hop-report
induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk.
from http://www.Cancer.Gov/cancertopics/factshe et/risk/abortion-miscarriage
in february 2003, the national cancer institute (nci) convened a workshop of over 100 of the world's leading experts who study pregnancy and breast cancer risk. Workshop participants reviewed existing population-based, clinical, and animal studies on the relationship between pregnancy and breast cancer risk, including studies of induced and spontaneous abortions. They concluded that having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer
[t]he only notice from the u.S. National cancer institute is to question the methodology of the studies that have found links between abortion and breast cancer. Many of them rely on women self-reporting abortions, creating the possibility that those who later developed breast cancer will admit to having had an abortion and those who have not developed breast cancer will not. Others used samples too small to be considered statistically valid.
"the relationship between abortion and breast cancer has been the subject of extensive research," according to a fact sheet distributed by the national cancer institute. "however, evidence of a direct relationship between breast cancer and either spontaneous or induced abortion is inconsistent. Some studies have indicated small elevations in risk, while others have not shown any risk associated with either induced or spontaneous abortions."
from http://www.Womensenews.Org/article.Cfm/dyn /aid/818/context/cover/
many researchers are troubled, however, by the trend because the weight of current scientific evidence does not seem to support a link between breast cancer and abortion.
from http://www.Cancer.Gov/cancerinfo/wyntk/bre ast
-this one has tons of information about breasts in general and breast cancer in particular. Below i've highlighted important info found under 'risks':
much research has been done to learn whether having an abortion or a miscarriage affects a woman's chance of developing breast cancer later on. Large, well-designed studies have consistently shown no link between abortion or miscarriage and the development of breast cancer.
misc facts
from http://www.Findarticles.Com/p/articles/mi_ m3225/is_n1_v45/ai_11899635/pg_1
studies on compulsory parenthood in europe have found that forcing a woman to continue a pregnancy is more likely to be harmful to a woman's mental health than choosing an abortion. Abortion applicants who are rejected often seek illegal abortions. Morbidity is greater in women who carry unwantd pregnancies to term. [1] women forced into motherhood generally have less stable marriages, poorer interaction with their husbands, less involvement with their children and a greater incidence of depression. [4,27] unwanted children have a higher incidence of physical or mental impairment, and the families of these children have a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders, educational deficiencies, criminal behavior and alcoholism. [1,4]
from http://www.Cancer.Org/docroot/cri/content/ cri_2_4_2x_what_are_the_risk_factors_for_c ervical_cancer_8.Asp?Sitearea=
multiple pregnancies: women who have had many full-term pregnancies have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. This may be because some of the women may have had a higher exposure to hpv.
from http://www.Nlm.Nih.Gov/medlineplus/ency/ar ticle/000900.Htm
the incidence increases with each pregnancy, and it is estimated that 1 in 20 women who have had 6 or more previous deliveries are at risk. The rate of placenta previa is doubled in multiple pregnancy (carrying more than one baby).
dr. J.Brind is the major proponent, it appears, of the abortion/breast cancer link. He is not a md, he's a ph.D and his speciality is diabetes not epidemiology. He is also a born-again christian and the president of a pro-life organization. He is not an unbiased source. He's the fellow who calculated in the 1995 december edition of the national review (pp. 38-41) that women have 300 times the risk of dying from induced abortion than childbirth.
Consider japan. In japan, 3/4 of all 50 year old women have had an abortion since abortion is the main method of birth control in that country, yet japanese women have a much lower rate of breast cancer than america does. They should be dying at three times the rate were brind correct.
|
Replies(13)
Tylanas
replied on February 4th, 2007
Especially eHealthy
Thank you, this is well done and very informative 
|
lola1985
replied on March 1st, 2007
New User
no matter what anyone says, pass exists. thanks for posting this. i just dislike how the pro lifers use it as a tool to get thier point across
|
Tylanas
replied on March 1st, 2007
Especially eHealthy
| lola1985 wrote: |
| no matter what anyone says, pass exists. thanks for posting this. i just dislike how the pro lifers use it as a tool to get thier point across |
Oh of course; there are people trying to say that ptss (post-traumatic-stress-syndrome) didn't exist for vietnam soldiers. Did every single one of them get it? No. Was every single soldier affected in some way? Yes. Same for pass.
|
jenn_smithson
replied on March 2nd, 2007
Active User, very eHealthy
| Eiri wrote: | ||
Oh of course; there are people trying to say that ptss (post-traumatic-stress-syndrome) didn't exist for vietnam soldiers. Did every single one of them get it? No. Was every single soldier affected in some way? Yes. Same for pass. |
I'm sorry but "pass" does .n.o.t exist. No reputable doctor will diagnose you with it because it does not actually exist. The most common diagnosis for the few women who experience problems following an abortion is depression.
|
Tylanas
replied on March 2nd, 2007
Especially eHealthy
| jenn_smithson wrote: | ||||
If a woman wants to be diagnosed as having some psychological problem stemming from an abortion, than post traumatic stress syndrome already exists to cover that diagnosis. However, "pass" does not exist - in fact, it was created by the prolife movement for manipulative purposes both socially and politically. Do some women regret their abortions and have problems dealing with their emotions? Yes. Do they need their own special diagnosis? No - because the .american .psychological .association has already ruled, several times, that the majority of all .women who do feel guilty after an abortion, had pre-existing mental health problems to begin with. Therefore, the abortion, itself, did not cause them problems - they already had problems that the abortion either magnified or called into greater focus. I'm sorry but "pass" does .n.o.t exist. No reputable doctor will diagnose you with it because it does not actually exist. The most common diagnosis for the few women who experience problems following an abortion is depression. |
So it's just semantics? I guess it's stemming from the fact that ptss wasn't called "post war stress syndrom". It very well could be, though.
|
Birch
replied on March 2nd, 2007
Extremely eHealthy
| jenn_smithson wrote: |
| I'm sorry but "pass" does .n.o.t exist. No reputable doctor will diagnose you with it because it does not actually exist. The most common diagnosis for the few women who experience problems following an abortion is depression. |
I think pas and ptss are directly related. I think there are symptoms of pas that are unique to that issue and differ from depression symptoms.
I would be interested in reading more about this. Do you have any sites jenn that I could look at, especially in regards to what you said here: "that the majority of all .women who do feel guilty after an abortion, had pre-existing mental health problems to begin with. Therefore, the abortion, itself, did not cause them problems - they already had problems that the abortion either magnified or called into greater focus" ?
Thanks
|
jenn_smithson
replied on March 4th, 2007
Active User, very eHealthy
| Birch wrote: | ||
I think pas and ptss are directly related. I think there are symptoms of pas that are unique to that issue and differ from depression symptoms. I would be interested in reading more about this. Do you have any sites jenn that I could look at, especially in regards to what you said here: "that the majority of all .women who do feel guilty after an abortion, had pre-existing mental health problems to begin with. Therefore, the abortion, itself, did not cause them problems - they already had problems that the abortion either magnified or called into greater focus" ? Thanks |
From the articles provided above: "symptoms of distress and dysphoria after abortion may be a continuation of symptoms that were present before the procedure, rather than a result of the procedure itself. "
"for the small number of women who have a history of serious psychiatric problems, abortion has little effect on the course of their psychiatric condition."
""When you search the Web for information on 'abortion and mental health' you are assaulted with misinformation from anti-abortion advocates," says psychologist Linda J. Beckman, PhD, co-chair of the Psychological Issues section of Div. 35's Task Force on Reproductive Issues and psychology professor at Alliant International University. "This is our attempt to let people know the facts."" http://www.apa.org/monitor/feb03/website.h tml
""Anti-abortion advocates allege that post-abortion syndrome is a type of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], though no scientific basis exists for applying a PTSD framework to understanding women's emotional responses to a voluntarily obtained legal abortion," she says. To say that women's emotional responses after a voluntary legal abortion are incongruent with a PTSD framework is not to say that abortion cannot be traumatic or that it has no relationship to mental health," continues Russo. "But understanding women's responses requires another framework, and we believe a 'stress and coping' framework is more appropriate for conceptualizing the findings in the scientific literature.""
"In the same chapter where the above 'diagnostic criteria' for PAS are given, Rue lists a wide range of feelings, and forms of behavior that he argues might be evident in women who have had an abortion. These include feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, sadness, sorrow, lowered self-esteem, distrust, regret, relationship disruption, communication impairment and/or restriction and self condemnation (Rue 1995: 20).
Associating this broad range of 'symptoms' with a diagnosis of PAS is a significant aspect of the argument, since it lets its proponents argue that large numbers of women may suffer from the syndrome. To put it simply, as the 'diagnostic criteria' for PAS becomes broader, it is easier to claim that many women may suffer from the 'syndrome'."
Here: http://www.prochoiceforum.org.uk/psy_coun9 .asp
More from the same site: "By the early 1980s it had become evident that there was a degree of frustration amongst anti-abortion activists that they had not managed to overturn Roe v Wade. Arguably this led to a diversification of their arguments and tactics. The aim became not simply to reverse Roe v. Wade on the grounds of the right to life of the fetus, but also to find other ways of arguing for restricting access to abortion. The argument that abortion should be restricted because it leads to PAS develops as part of this strategy...According to Brian Wilcox of the American Psychological Association (APA), who contributed a literature review on the psychological effects of abortion to the Koop enquiry, anti-abortion movement leaders had concluded that it would in fact be impossible to muster an anti-abortion consensus on moral grounds, so they decided to follow the model supplied by the antismoking campaign and develop a case on public health grounds (Holden 1989)...Boyle cites research by Brewer, who found a five to six times greater risk of psychosis after childbirth than abortion. Other research has shown that fairly serious psychological distress has been reported in around 20 per cent of women in the first year following childbirth. Yet public discussion often highlights the 'trauma' associated with abortion, rather than the psychological effects of maternity. Boyle argues that the strength of the perception that abortion is psychologically problematic for women rests on powerful ideas concerning the desirability and 'naturalness' of motherhood for women that have a long and complex history."
"PAS could only have emerged in the 1980s, because its origin lies not in the practice of abortion, or a change in its likely psychological effects, but rather, in the politics of the anti-abortion movement. Its context is a time when moral claims against abortion had reached a stalemate, and when a new category of psychiatric illness, PTSD, was being widely discussed in American society."
"...in the US in particular, the medical profession - the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association - have all vigorously refuted the claim. They have, very publicly and visibly, made it clear that they do not agree that abortion leads to severe psychological damage, and that there is no evidence for PAS."
~~~~~ There literally are so many journal articles and studies that I could not, in several lifetimes, relate them all here.
Suffice it to say that PAS does not exist and has never existed anywhere legitimate - it has only existed in the minds of "prolifers", their movement, and those they convince of its existence.
Honestly, if you read the "prolife" materials, even .I technically have/had .p.a.s because I did feel a bit sad the day of my abortion. I think you all know, however, that I felt enormous relief following my abortion and would do it again .a.n.d recommend it to .women who ask me about it! Since the definition of .p.a.s was developed by "prolifers" .a.n.y woman who does not fit their perception of a "normal", "natural" woman must suffer from it following an abortion because the .o.n.l.y natural outcome of an unplanned pregnancy is the healthy birth of a baby and an overjoyed mother. The reality, however, is much different than the "prolifers" want to admit.
|
jenn_smithson
replied on March 4th, 2007
Active User, very eHealthy
| Eiri wrote: |
| So it's just semantics? I guess it's stemming from the fact that ptss wasn't called "post war stress syndrom". It very well could be, though. |
However, in pas, the "prolifers" would like us to believe that the act of obtaining an abortion is so traumatic, so horrible, that nearly every woman views it and experiences it the same as people in war. This is not true, it has never been true.
It relates directly to how they view women and want everyone else to view them as well. To them, women are put on this earth to become pregnant, give birth, and raise the children. That's all women, not most, not some, but .a.l.l. Therefore, women who act contradictory to their beliefs and feelings about women are "unnatural" or "abnormal." Thus, a legitimate decision - such as obtaining an abortion - that falls beyond their chosen understanding .m.u.s.t be harmful to the person choosing it - the woman - because it falls outside of what they consider an appropriate or "normal/natural" response from women to be. The reality, however, is very different.
Also, since the "prolife" movement, instead of a medical agency or association, has defined .p.a.s, it can make the definition as wide or as narrow as it wants to. In the majority of cases, they make that definition as wide as they can so that it encompasses as many women as possible. If nearly all women are "suffering" from ".p.a.s" then the government has to do something about this health problem!
Unlike a legitimate medical agency or association, the "prolifers" who believe in ".p.a.s" don't have to show any actual facts. They can just keep repeating themselves over and over again until they convince more people. They don't really care that the government and all of these other agencies refute their claims over and over again because it's not really the government they're trying to convince anymore. This is a cultural battle and thus, it is people - who make up the culture - that matter.
The same is true with the abortion = breast cancer link as well. They have no real, legitimate proof of their claims and yet, how many people still believe that crap? Tons. In fact there was a news story quite recently about a woman in the Houston area who was trying to sue the doctor who performed her abortion because she developed breast cancer in her early 50's, about 15 years after her abortion. It keeps coming up time and time again even though the people responsible have no proof, only faith.
.p.a.s has not been recognized by any legitimate medical agency or association, nor is it in the dsm. Therefore it does not actually exist as a legitimate diagnosis.
|
Birch
replied on March 4th, 2007
Extremely eHealthy
Thanks for the info, jenn.
I wonder as abortion becomes less stigmatized and women discuss them more openly, if the dsm won't be revised once more. Maybe the prolife mvt just put a name on something women were already feeling?
I wonder as abortion becomes less stigmatized and women discuss them more openly, if the dsm won't be revised once more. Maybe the prolife mvt just put a name on something women were already feeling?
|
jenn_smithson
replied on March 5th, 2007
Active User, very eHealthy
| Birch wrote: |
| Thanks for the info, jenn.
I wonder as abortion becomes less stigmatized and women discuss them more openly, if the dsm won't be revised once more. Maybe the prolife mvt just put a name on something women were already feeling? |
To make "pas" into an actual diagnosis it would have to be proven that the stress, "trauma," or "symptoms" arose directly because of the abortion. This isn't what happens, though, for the majority of all .women who obtain an abortion.
I don't know of any woman who found out that she was unintentionally pregnant and didn't have any stress because of it. Even women who keep their unplanned pregnancies are put into stressful situations because of it. The stress and trauma begin long before the actual abortion procedure and that's why "pas" doesn't exist. For it to exist, it would have to be proven that the stress came specifically from the abortion and it doesn't. The stress and trauma come before the woman even makes her decision because unplanned pregnancies, themselves, are stressful even in the best of circumstances.
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Tylanas
replied on March 5th, 2007
Especially eHealthy
You are saying many true things jenn however... some women are going to become sad and depressed more because of the abortion and not just because of the pregnancy. For some women, that expereince is going to be traumatic enough to cause ptss. If you want to remain calling it ptss fine. I don't disagree. But your words seem to try to say that no sane woman could ever possibly develop ptss after an abortion; your words imply that every woman who develops ptss after an abortion does so because they are previously off their rockers.
|
Birch
replied on March 5th, 2007
Extremely eHealthy
| jenn_smithson wrote: | ||
To make "pas" into an actual diagnosis it would have to be proven that the stress, "trauma," or "symptoms" arose directly because of the abortion. This isn't what happens, though, for the majority of all .women who obtain an abortion. I don't know of any woman who found out that she was unintentionally pregnant and didn't have any stress because of it. Even women who keep their unplanned pregnancies are put into stressful situations because of it. The stress and trauma begin long before the actual abortion procedure and that's why "pas" doesn't exist. For it to exist, it would have to be proven that the stress came specifically from the abortion and it doesn't. The stress and trauma come before the woman even makes her decision because unplanned pregnancies, themselves, are stressful even in the best of circumstances. |
Hmm, I see. Perhaps the whole of pas defined could include the unintended pregnancy and the termination of said pregnancy?
Here's my take: woman may be stressed b/c of pregnancy, and she decides to obtain an abortion. In retrospect, she starts thinking about the abortion, and comes to the conclusion that it was a terrible mistake and has caused all kinds of problems for her. She becomes depressed, she drops out of school, starts drinking, she starts having sex irresponsibly to "replace" the baby. The impetus of her depression is the abortion. You'd think. It would be difficult to separate out the triggers; was it the unintended pregnancy, the abortion, or was she unstable to begin with?
Do those even things matter? She blames the abortion for her problems. She would not be behaving destructively if she had remained pregnant.
She's not blaming the pregnancy; she would rather have it back. When looking back retrospectively, it's hard to see what's specifically going on.
I honestly think that some women, mentally healthy beforehnd, have an abortion, and that abortion itself causes these issues, and that these issues have a direct correlation to the abortion, and are not caused by outside stimuli, and that pas is a specific problem with symptomology unique to this situation.
(Sorry for the run on sentence.)
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Tylanas
replied on March 5th, 2007
Especially eHealthy
No problem lol.
As I said, I agree with you. Jenn might not like it because it makes it sound bad for aborting to cause something like pas, but think about it: any traumatic event in life - and abortion can be traumatic - can cause ptss. Is it wrong, therefor, to define a specific type of ptss related directly to abortion? I suppose that is the real issue here.
Sometimes, sane women become pregnant, and sanely decide to abort. Afterwards, or perhaps during the abortion, they guilt themselvs about it so much that they develop ptss. Jenn doesn't want this called pas because then it makes abortion sound bad. To me, it simply means that women who feel bad or worse after an abortion need to be given proper psychiatric care to prevent ptss. Calling it pas seems fine to me. I'd prefer that there be other kinds of specific ptss'. Like, pws (post-war-stress) etc.
Some people may say "comparing an abortion to a warzone is wrong!" But for some women, it can be just as stressful! Denying that it might be that traumatic is wrong.
As I said, I agree with you. Jenn might not like it because it makes it sound bad for aborting to cause something like pas, but think about it: any traumatic event in life - and abortion can be traumatic - can cause ptss. Is it wrong, therefor, to define a specific type of ptss related directly to abortion? I suppose that is the real issue here.
Sometimes, sane women become pregnant, and sanely decide to abort. Afterwards, or perhaps during the abortion, they guilt themselvs about it so much that they develop ptss. Jenn doesn't want this called pas because then it makes abortion sound bad. To me, it simply means that women who feel bad or worse after an abortion need to be given proper psychiatric care to prevent ptss. Calling it pas seems fine to me. I'd prefer that there be other kinds of specific ptss'. Like, pws (post-war-stress) etc.
Some people may say "comparing an abortion to a warzone is wrong!" But for some women, it can be just as stressful! Denying that it might be that traumatic is wrong.
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