Shredding The Myths about Abortion’s “Benefits” to Women

Myth #8 (of 15), another Q&A from Planned Parenthood’s webpage, “Choosing Abortion - Questions And Answers:”

[LINKS TO ALL 15 ARTICLES FOUND HERE]

8. “Does an early abortion cause birth defects in future pregnancies? No.”

The earlier-mentioned British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology January 2005 study found that “Women who have had abortions are more likely to give birth to premature babies...[and that] half of extremely premature babies that made it home from hospital were likely to have severe or moderate rates of disability and learning difficulties.”

Reduce Pre-term Risk Coalition researcher Brent Rooney and two medical doctors are expected to publish a 2005 article on research estimating “that there are nearly 1,100 excess cases of US newborns yearly with cerebral palsy due to their mothers' prior induced abortions.”

Family Planning Perspectives (May-June 1983): Researchers reviewing ten different studies found that some studies have found that abortion can increase the risk of 3 major causes of defects among newborns: premature delivery, labor difficulties and abnormal placentas, due to abortion’s increased risk of damage to the cervix and uterus. [Hogue CJ, Cates W Jr, Tietze C., "Impact of Vacuum Aspiration Abortion on Future Childbearing: A Review", vol.15, no.3.]

In the interest of honest reporting, the 1983 review cited above also states this in its abstract (I can't find the complete text):

"they find that compared with women who carry their first pregnancy to term, women whose first pregnancy ends in induced abortion have no greater risk of bearing low-birth-weight babies, delivering prematurely or suffering spontaneous abortions in subsequent pregnancies. However, these studies also show that induced abortion of a woman's first pregnancy does not have the protective effect on her first live birth that carrying a first birth to term has on later deliveries. In addition, some evidence from other studies [not included in this review] links dilatation and curettage (D&C) procedures with later infertility, but most studies [included in the ten reviewed here, dated before May 1983] have found no such association. No definite conclusions can be reached about the impact of multiple induced abortions, since the results of 13 different epidemiologic studies are almost evenly divided between those that show no effect and those reporting related reproductive problems."

Keep in mind, in the last three myths shredded (Oct. 25, Oct. 24, and Oct. 23), we provided links to thirteen (13) valid studies since the May-June 1983 review above, from which that abstract quote is taken, finding that there is indeed proof that induced abortion can cause infertility, low-birth-weight and/or preterm babies in subsequent pregnancies, miscarriage, and that there are negative effects of having multiple abortions. These 13 later studies were published between late May 1983 and January 2005, (when this post was updated) and would not have been available to Hogue, Cates and Tietze for review for their study only published in May 1983.

Myth #9 to be shredded tomorrow. I’m posting one a day every day from Oct. 19 through Election Day. Prior myths shredded can be found as follows:
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7.

(If anyone wishes to receive an emailed MSWORD document of the talk in its entirety, please just email me (see above right corner of blog).