The Toledo Blade is running an article this morning, After decades of research, evaluating abortion's effect still difficult, that is the most balanced write-up I've seen in the popular press about what the science shows about the psychiatric impact of abortion.

It also has a rather chilling comment from pro-choice researcher Nancy Russo.

But do the hundreds of thousands of women who opt for abortion each year open themselves to risk?

It depends on the woman, Dr. Coleman said.

"People who decide to have an abortion, are comfortable with it, have social support for it ... the majority of women will not have a problem. Most women, at this point in the understanding of the literature ... are not harmed psychologically."

But, she said, many studies show that 10 percent of women who have abortions do have problems.

"It’s that 10 percent with a common procedure that just keeps nudging at me," she said. "I think that’s a group we really need to look at more closely. Ten percent of 1.3 million women. How could we ignore that? If it was any other medical procedure it would get more attention," Dr. Coleman said.

"I consider myself pro-choice," said Nancy Russo, an Arizona State University researcher who studies abortion and other women’s issues, "but as far as I’m concerned, whether or not an abortion creates psychological difficulties is not relevant ... it means you give proper informed consent and you deal with it."


Link courtesy of Amy Welborn.