This document provides scientific and other documentation that legal abortion, contrary to popular opinion, doesn't help women but hurts them severely and/or kills them.

There are approximately 350 entries below showing how abortion hurts women.
Word-searching can be done by key words. Examples are "infection", "hemorrhage", "chlamydia", "trauma", and "breast cancer". Search without matching case.

In addition, you can also search for categories of how abortion hurts women. These are the categories:
~PC = physical effects, cancer
~PD = physical effects, death
~PS = physical effects, smoking, drinking, and/or drugs
~PG = physical effects, general
~PL = physical effects, later complications
~G = general
~PSG = psychological
~S = suicide
Note that the character ~ appears before the abbreviations. This is to facilitate searching. For example, if you were to search for "general" information, you could search for a G, but then every G in the document could be found. Therefore, search for ~G. Then, only "general" information will be found.

Every paragraph begins with a category abbreviation.
Because many sources are quoted several times, they would take up too much space unless abbreviated. Thus, they have abbreviations.

Abbreviations:
   NAIRVSC is Strahan, Newsletter of Association for Interdisciplinary Research in Values and Social Change. NAIRVSC is available from NRL Educational Trust Fund, 419 7th Street NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20004, 202 626-8800. MAB is Thomas W. Strahan, ed., "Major Articles and Books Concerning the Detrimental Effects of Abortion" (Charlottesville, VA: The Rutherford Institute, December 1993).
   ABSNM is David C. Reardon, Aborted Women: Silent No More (Wheaton, IL: Good News, Crossways Books; Chicago: Loyola University Press). Reardon's address and phone number are Elliot Institute, P.O. Box 7348, Springfield, IL 92791; 217 525 8202
   PSSFA is Anne C. Speckhard, "The Psycho-Social Aspects of Stress Following Abortion," (Sheed and Ward: Kansas City, 1987).
   Saltenberger means Ann Saltenberger, Every Woman Has a Right to Know the Dangers of Legal Abortion, (Glassboro, NJ: Air- Plus Enterprises, 1982).
   TAP is Pamela Zekman & Pamela Warrick, "The Abortion Profiteers: Nurse to Aide: Fake That Pulse!" Chicago Sun-Times, November 1978, quoted in Saltenberger, 168-170.
   JAMA is Journal of the American Medical Association.

Other notes about citations:
When quotes extend beyond one paragraph, the source is given at the end of the last paragraph.
If a paragraph includes information from several sources, citations are given at the various places within the paragraph. Those not at the end are placed in parentheses.
If you feel you have been injured by an abortion and might want to sue, call
American Rights Coalition at 800 634 2224.

Now the actual material on abortion hurting women begins.
A Planned Parenthood brochure entitled PLAN YOUR CHILDREN for Health and Happiness says, "An abortion kills the life of a baby after it has begun. It is dangerous to your life and health. It may make you sterile so that when you want a child you cannot have it."

Physical Effects: Cancer

~PC Dr. Joel Brind, Endocrinologist, said in a December 3, 1992 press release, "THERE IS A CLEAR RELATIONSHIP DOCUMENTED IN MEDICAL JOURNALS SHOWING THAT WOMEN ABORTING THEIR FIRST PREGNANCY ARE AT A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF DEVELOPING BREAST CANCER THAN WOMEN WHO CARRY THEIR PREGNANCY TO TERM."
(Presumedly, it took some time to determine this: Women mostly abort early in life, and get breast cancer later.) Brind cited four sources in the medical literature. One of these also showed that women are also at a much higher risk of developing cervical cancer. Kenneth E. Kogut, The Facts of Pro-Life, n.p., 64.
SINCE BREAST CANCER IS A VERY LARGE KILLER OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES, EVEN A VERY SMALL PERCENT INCREASE IN BREAST CANCER DUE TO ABORTION KILLS ADDITIONAL THOUSANDS OF WOMEN.

~PC The most recent epidemiological studies have confirmed the abortion-breast cancer (ABC) link repeatedly. The ABC link received major media attention in November 1994 when a National Cancer Institute study was published in the Institute's Journal. The author was pro-abortion Dr. Janet Daling et al. of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. It reported a statistically
significant overall 50 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer among women who reported having had any induced abortions. This study was a meta study. That is, it was a statisical study of many other studies.

~PC "An upstate New York study matched 1,451 cases of breast cancer in women under 40 which were reported to the Cancer Registry with 1,451 population controls by year of birth and by residence using zip codes. An ODDS RATIO OF 4.0 (CI 1.5-13.6) was associated with a history of repeated interrupted pregnancies with no intervening live births." H. L. Howe et al., "Early Abortion and Breast Cancer Risk among Women Under Age 40," Int'l Journal of Epidemiology, 1989, 300, quoted in Thomas W. Strahan, ed., NAIRVSC, Winter 1993.

~PC "A DANISH STUDY FOUND THAT ABORTION IN THE FIRST AND SECOND TRIMESTER WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH A BREAST CANCER RISK OF 1.43 (ONE ABORTION) AND 1.73 (TWO OR MORE ABORTIONS) COMPARED WITH THOSE WITHOUT AN ABORTION HISTORY AFTER ADJUSTMENT FOR AGE, RESIDENCE, AND AGE AT FIRST BIRTH." (Emphasis by Life Research Institute) M. Ewartz, "Risk of Breast Cancer in
Relation to Reproductive Factors in Denmark," British Journal Cancer, 1988, 99-104, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.

~PC "Women who carry their first baby to term cut their chance for breast cancer almost in half.
Women who abort their first pregnancy almost double their chance. With 2 or more abortions there is a 3 - 4 fold increase. . . . childbirth prevents [versus no pregnancy, not versus abortion] over 500 deaths from cancer for every 100,000 first pregnancies carried to term." Voices for the Unborn, Feb 1994, 5.

~PC "The number of additional breast cancer cases due to abortion is approximately 50,000 per year."
Another estimate is 75,000. [Conservatively, without abortion 1 in 10 women will contract breast cancer. A mother's first abortion is most important, and there are about 1,000,000 of these annually.
Thus, 100,000 of these would get breast cancer without aborting. But abortion increases the risk by at least 50%. 100,000 x 50% = 50,000. This analysis provides a very conservative result.
Joel Brind, quoted at the first citation, estimates 75,000.]

~PC Regarding increased liver cancer risk: "A study of reproductive factors and the risk of primary liver cancer, conducted in Northern Italy between 1984-91, found a 2.1 relative risk for liver cancer for two or more induced abortions and 1.6 relative risk factor for one abortion compared with women with no abortion history." C. LaVeccia et al., "Reproductive Factors and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Women," Int'l Journal Cancer, 1992, 351, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 7.

~PC Regarding increased risk for cancer of the cervix: "A case-control study published in 1984 in France showed a 2.3 relative risk for cancer of the cervix for women with one abortion and a 4.92 relative risk for women reporting two or more induced abortions compared with women with no prior abortion history." M-G Le et al.,"Oral Contraceptive Use and Breast or Cervical Cancer: Preliminary Results of a French Case-Control Study," quoted in J. P. Wolff and J. S. Scott, eds., "Hormones and
Sexual Factors in Human Cancer Etiology," Excerpta Medica, New York (1984) 139-47.

~PC "The U.S. Public Health Service and the National Institutes of Health have concluded that, 'child bearing is the most important known factor in preventing ovarian cancer suggesting that hormones play a role in its development. . . . Breast cancer may also increase a woman's chance of developing ovarian cancer.' [National Institute of Public Health, Cancer Rates and Risks, NIH Publication No. 85-691, 3rd Edition, 1985, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 5.] The American Cancer Society states, "Women who have never had children are twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer as those who have. Early age at first pregnancy, early menopause, and the use of oral contraceptives, which reduces the frequency of ovulation, appear to be protective against ovarian cancer. [But if a woman gets breast cancer for any reason (examples: because of the pill or because of abortion, then . . . ] If a woman has had breast cancer, her chances of developing ovarian cancer double.'" American Cancer Society,
Cancer Facts & Figures - 1993, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 5.

~PC "Several studies have determined that a risk factor for endometrial cancer or cancer of the uterine corpus is few or no children." Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 6.

~PC From the Abstract section of cited article: "Early FFTP [first full-term pregnancy] confers protection, while induced abortion confers risk. Most specific and controlled variables studies indicate 150% risk for abortions performed on women younger than 18 years of age. Studies have yet to discover the full impact of induced abortion because women who underwent legalized abortion in 1973 are just reaching ages of highest breast cancer incidence." Lucille, Canty, BSN, RN, "Protective Effect of an Early First Full-Term Pregnancy Versus Risk of Induced Abortion," Oncology Nursing Forum,
24 (1997): 1025-31.

~PC From the Conclusions section of the same article: "The scientific and physiologic data provide overwhelming evidence of the double-edged sword of pregnancy in terms of breast cancer. A pregnancy carried to term provides protection against breast cancer risk, especially for young women during their first pregnancy. On the contrary, interrupting that pregnancy with an induced abortion, especially when a woman is very young and it is her first pregnancy, may increase risk for breast cancer significantly. With at least one of every four U.S. women having an abortion in her life (Daling et al., 1994), this risk factor becomes extremely relevant. . . . Most breast cancer risk factors are
outside of human control, but induced abortion is a matter of choice and, with awareness and information, its influence as a risk factor could be diminished." Lucille, Canty, BSN, RN, "Protective Effect of an Early First Full-Term Pregnancy Versus Risk of Induced Abortion," Oncology Nursing Forum, 24 (1997): 1025-31.

~PC "A case control study of cervical carcinoma in situ was conducted by a standard questionnaire among 133 women aged 15-50 years between 1979-85 in Santiago, Chile. The 254 controls were 2 women in the same 5 year age group as the corresponding case and who also had a normal Pap smear closest in time to the abnormal smear that led to the carcinoma in situ diagnosis. Several sexual variables were associated with an increased risk of carcinoma in situ. These included history of prior miscarriages, any prior aborted pregnancy, including spontaneous and induced abortions, total number
of pregnancies, number of sexual partners and age at first sexual intercourse. The relative risk for carcinoma in situ for women with no abortion history was 1.85 (1.20-2.86, 95% C.I.). The relative risk for carcinoma in situ for a woman with an induced abortion was 1.38 (0.84-2.27, 95% C.I.) compared to women with no induced abortion history." R. Molina, D.B. Thomas, A. Dabancens, "Oral Contraceptives and Cervical Carcinoma in Situ in Chile," Cancer Research, 15 February 1988, 1011- 1015.

~PC "A case-control study by researchers in Milan, Italy of 528 cases of invasive cancer was compared with 456 control subjects hospitalized for acute conditions unrelated to any of the established or suspected risk factors for cervical cancer. Relative risks for invasive cervical cancer for women with one induced abortion compared to women with no induced abortion history were 1.89, 1.60 and 1.69 based upon Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) estimates adjusted for age, M-H estimates adjusted for age and age at first intercourse, respectively. For women with a history of two or more induced abortions compared with women with no induced abortion history the M-H estimates of risk were 2.38, 2.41 and 1.44 based upon the same adjustments in the same order as above." F. Parazzini, et al., "Reproductive Factors and the Risk of Invasive and Intraepithelial Cervical Neoplasia", Br. J. Cancer, 59 (1989), 805-809.

~PC "A case-control study of 39 cases of cervical adenocarcinoma were compared to 409 controls admitted to area hospitals in the Milan, Italy area during 1981-86 for surgical or other traumatic injury. The median age for both cases and controls was 53 years. A history of one or more induced abortions has a relative risk of 2.5 (1.2-5.3, 95% C.I.) for cervical adenocarcinoma compared to women with no induced abortion history using Mantel-Haenszel estimates adjusted for age and age at first birth and parity. The Mantel-Haenszel estimates of relative risk adjusted for age at first intercourse were 3.7
(1.6-8.2, 95% C.I.) for a woman with a history of one or more induced abortions compared to a woman with no history of induced abortion." Parazzini, et al., "Risk Factors for Adenocarcinoma of the Cervix: A Case-Control Study," F. Br. J. Cancer , 57 (1988): 201.

~PC "A comprehensive 1993 review article is: Joel Brind, "Induced Abortion as an Independent Risk Factor for Breast Cancer," Association for Interdisciplinary Research Newsletter, Summer, 1993, 1-8."

~PC "A comprehensive 1993 review article is: Scott W. Somerville, "Before You Choose: The Link Between Abortion and Breast Cancer," AIM, P.O. Box 871, Purcellville, VA 22132 ."

~PC "A correlation study in the USSR based on official abortion statistics and regional cancer incidence data for the period 1959-1985 showed a significant contribution of induced abortion to the variance of cervical cancer. The correlation between cervical cancer age adjusted incidence rates for women in 70 areas of Russia was 0.77 according to parametric tests and also 0.77 according to Spearman non-parametric rank criteria." L.I. Remennick, "Reproductive Patterns and Cancer Incidence in Women: A Population-Based Correlation Study in the USSR," Int'l J. Epidemiology, 18 (1989): 498.

~PC "A hospital based case-control study in Northern Italy between 1984-91 found that the risk of liver cancer increased with parity. The relative risk for 1 or more induced abortions was 1.6 (0.7-3.6, 95% C.I.) and for two or more abortions was 2.1 (1.0-4.3, 95% C.I.) based upon estimates from multiple logistic regression equations. p 184] C. LaVecchia, E. Negri, S. Franceschi, B. D'Avanzo, "Reproductive Factors and the Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Women," Int'l. J. Cancer, 52 (1992), 351.

~PC "A study of 1,869 cases of breast cancer in Washington state women (ages 25-) found that the incidence of breast cancer increased 22% between 1974-77 and 1982-84. The estimated annual increase was 2.5%. The risk for black women doubled based on small numbers. Conclusion: One reason for the increase may be the dramatic exposure to induced abortion. Black women have a higher abortion rate than white women." E. White, et. al., "Rising Incidence of Breast Cancer Among Young Women in Washington State," Journal of the National Cancer Institute, August 1987, 293?-243?.

~PC "Breast-Cancer Risk: Several recent studies have added to the existing research which concludes that an induced abortion increases the likelihood of breast cancer. This is of particular significance because approximately 44,000 women die each year from breast cancer in the U.S. Induced abortion, particularly of the first pregnancy, results in the loss of the protective effect against breast cancer if the first pregnancy is carried to term. There is substantial evidence that induced abortion is an independent risk factor for breast cancer in women. Induced abortion may be implicated in other types of cancer as well. The long-term effects of induced abortion on cancer in post-menopausal women are generally unknown. . . ." MAB, ii-v.

~PC "Dysplasia of the cervix is increasing among adolescents. Sexually active teenagers, especially those who become pregnant, are at high risk for developing cervical dysplasia and, ultimately, cervical cancer." Mark Spitzer and Burton A. Krumholz, "Pap Screening for Teenagers: A Life-Saving Precaution," Contemporary OB/GYN, January 1988, 3341.

~PC "In a Canadian study of 154 pregnant women with breast cancer, 20% of the 116 patients who carried their children to term were ultimately cured of their cancer, 40% of the 13 patients who spontaneously aborted were cured, but none of the 21 patients who had a 'therapeutic' abortion survived. It was concluded that a 'therapeutic' abortion did not confer any benefit and may reduce survival." R.M. Clark, T. Chua, Clin", Breast Cancer and Pregnancy: The Ultimate Challenge," Oncology, a Journal Of The Royal College of Radiologists, 1 (1989): 11-18.

~PC "In a Howard University case control study of African-American women seen at their hospital from 1978-1987, the multiple logistic estimates of the odds ratio for breast cancer among women under 40 years of age, between 41-49 years and over 50 years was 1.5, 2.8 and 4.7, respectively, among women with a history of induced abortions compared to women with no history of induced abortions." A.E. Laing, et al., "Breast Cancer Risk Factors in African-American Women: The Howard University Tumor Registry Experience," J. National Medical Association, December 1993, 931-939.

~PC "In a study of 1,248 cases of carcinoma in situ of the cervix in Tokyo, the women in the cancer group had a significantly greater number of abortions than the control group. It was concluded that the cervical repair process after abortion seems to be too important to disregard as a factor in the development of carcinoma in situ." I. Fujimoto, H. Nemoto, K. Fuduka, S. Masubuchi, "Epidemiologic Study of Carcinoma in Situ of the Cervix," J. of Reproductive Medicine, July 1985, 535.

~PC "In a study of 163 white women less than 33 years of age in the Los Angeles area, a first-trimester abortion before a first full-term pregnancy was associated with a 2.4-fold increase in risk of breast cancer." M.C. Pike, et al., "Oral Contraceptive Use and Early Abortion as Risk Factors for Breast Cancer in Young Women," British Journal of Cancer, 43 (1981): 72.

~PC "In a study of genetic markers in premenopausal breast tumors, it was found that tumors from patients with any abortions before a first full-term pregnancy were 26 times more likely to show amplification for the INT2 gene which was an indication of faster tumor growth and lower survival." H. Olsson, et al., "Her-2/neu and INT2 Proto-oncognene Amplification in Malignant Breast Tumors in Relation to Reproductive Factors and Exposure to Exogenous Hormones," J. National Cancer
Institute, 16 October 1991, 1483.

~PC "Some 1,451 women with breast cancer were matched with population controls by year of birth and by residence using zip codes in upstate New York. Those with a history of induced abortion as determined by fetal death records had a 1.9 odds ratio compared with controls." H.L. Howe, R.T. Senie, H. Bzduch and P. Herzfeld, "Early Abortion and Breast Cancer Risk Among Women Under Age 40," International J. of Epidemiology, 18(2) (1989): 300-304.

~PC "When relative risks for induced abortion were subjected to multiple logistic regression equations including adjustments for age, marital status, education, age at first intercourse, number of sexual partners, history of Pap smears, smoking habits, oral contraceptive use, number of live births, and age at first birth, the relative risk computed by multiple logistic regression ranged from 1.26-1.39 for women with one ore more induced abortions compared to women reporting no induced abortion with no significant trend shown with increasing number of induced abortions." Citation not known.

~PC ("Postmenopausal women who develoop endometrial cancer . . . are more likely than others to have had their last pregnancy end in an . . . induced abortion." C. P. McPherson et al., "Reproductive Factors and Risk of Endometrial Cancer: The Iowa Women's Health Study," American Journal of Epidemiology, 143, 1996, 1195-1202, quoted in "Miscarriage and Abortion Are Related to Increased Endometrial Cancer Risk," Family Planning Perspectives, November/December 1996, 286.

~PC The following, through citation 22, is from Brent Rooney of Vancouver, Canada. His web site is www.nocancer.net
Having a full-term birth reduces mom's risk of contracting three of the four major cancer killers of women in the U.S. Prevention beats cure any day of the week. Let's compare cancer death risks of childless women with moms:
Cancer death risk Moms (term births) Childless Women Cancer Mortality Rank
Breast*   LOWER Risk                        HIGHER Risk      #2 Cancer Killer
Colorectal   LOWER Risk                     HIGHER Risk      #3 Cancer Killer
Ovarian   LOWER Risk                        HIGHER Risk      #4 Cancer Killer
*To get lower breast cancer risk, mom must have a first birth before about age 32. The more years before age 32, the greater the breast cancer risk reduction.
That full-term births reduce the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer is well accepted by medical researchers.1-8 But what about colorectal? There are now a substantial number of studies that report that nulliparity (i.e. being childless) increases colorectal cancer risk.12-21 For example, highly regarded researcher Dr. Janet Daling (et al.) reported, "The finding of an elevated risk of colon cancer among women of low parity [i.e. total births] is consistent with other epidemiological data."12 In this study moms had a lower risk of colon cancer than childless women; those with three or more births
had a 50% reduced risk of colon cancer.12 Utah Mormon women (who have good reproductive factors) have about a 30%-40% reduced risk of colorectal cancer compared to non-Mormon women living in Utah.18
A woman who has a first birth at age 32 has a 41% higher breast cancer risk than if she had had a first birth at age.22 Long term (at least 3 years) breastfeeding further reduces breast cancer risk by another (relative) 30%-40%.9-11 It appears to reduce ovarian cancer risk also.8
Citations
1. Brian MacMahon, et al., International J Cancer, 1983;31:701-704
2. Nancy Krieger, Breast cancer Research & Treatment; 1989;13:205-213
3. A Tavani, et al., International J Cancer, 1997;70:159-163
4. Emily White, American J Public Health, 1987;77:495-497
5. A Decarli, et al., International J Cancer, 1996;67:184-189
6. Brian MacMahon, et al., Bull WHO, 1970;43:209-221
7. V Chinchilli, et al., J Epidemiology & Community Health, 1996;50: 481-496 Ovarian Cancer Risk
(a meta-analysis):
8. Alice Whittemore, et al., American J Epidemiology, 1992;136:1184-1203
9. I Romieu, et al. American J Epidemiology, 1996;143:543-552
10. PA Newcomb, et al., New England J Medicine, 1994;330:81-87
11. JL Freudenhein, et al, American J Epidemiology, 1996;143:S32
12. Janet Daling, et al., JNCI, 1981;67:57-60
13. CL Vecchia, et al., European J Cancer, 1991;27:604-608
14. M Slattery, et al., Epidemiologic Reviews, 1993;15:499-545
15. GR Howe, et al., JNCI, 1985;74:1155-1159
16. GA Kune, et al., American J Epidemiology, 1989;129:533-542
17. JD Potter, et al., JNCI, 1980;71:703-709
18. JL Lyon, et al., JNCI, 1980;65:1055-1061
19. JD Potter, et al., JNCI, 1980;65:1201-1207
20. K Tajima, et al., British J Cancer, 1999,79(11/12):1901-1906
21. LG Dales, et al., American J Epidemiology, 1978;109:132-144
22. A Green, et al., British Medical J, 1988;297:391-395

Physical Effects: Death

~PD The unadjusted mortality rate per 100,000 cases was 27 for women who had given birth, 48 for women who had miscarriages or ectopic pregnancies, and 101 for women who had abortions. Thus, the mortality rate from abortion is 101/27 = 3.7 times higher for abortion than for giving birth. Fissler, M, et al., "Pregnancy-associated deaths in Finland 1987 - 1994--definition problems and benefits of record linkage," Acta Obstetricia et Gynecolgical Scandinavica, 76:651-657, 1997.

~PD "A recent analysis of just a few abortion-related complications indicates that the number of indirect deaths attributable to abortion exceeds 25,000 per year." Thomas W. Strahan, "Women's Health and Abortion II- Risk of Premature Death in Women From Induced Abortion: Preliminary Findings," Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993. This does not count additional deaths from breast cancer.

~PD The Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, May, 1985, said that abortion is the sixth leading cause of maternal death in this country.

~PD "Women have a 58% greater risk of dying during a later pregnancy." DRABSNM

~PD Carol Everett, former clinic killing center owner says, "The last 18 months I was involved in the abortion industry we maimed to the point of major surgery one woman out of every five hundred. Let me define maimed. Hysterectomy, colostomy because her uterus had been perforated (punctured), and her bowel pulled through her vagina...or urinary tract repair because they had perforated her uterus and cut her urinary tract. Or...we had one death. A 32-year-old woman with two children. We never took
them to the closest hospital. We never called an ambulance. An ambulance is a terrible advertisement in front of an abortion clinic." Carol N. Everett, Women's Lobby program on KFIA Radio (California), January 1990.

~PD In another case, Carol Everett says, "And the second time he went in with those big forceps he perforated her uterus and he pulled her bowl out through her vagina." Carol N. Everett, Women's Lobby program on KFIA Radio (California), January 1990.

~PD Researcher Ann Saltenberger says, "What had I learned in three years of studying the effects of legal abortion? That there are myriad complications and that there are no guarantees of safe passage. No doctor, no hospital, no clinic can guarantee a woman she will survive a legal abortion." Saltenberger, 15.

~PD"What concerns you is, what are your chances of dying from a legal abortion (or childbirth)? The distinction between these two unpleasant possibilities is clear, striking, and significant: the overwhelming majority of women who die from a legal abortion are perfectly healthy before their lethal surgery; in carrying their pregnancies to term few--if any--would die. But most maternal childbirth deaths occur within a very small group of high-risk patients. "Most Mother, Child Mortality Seen in Small High-Risk Group," Ob Gyn News, 15 May 1981, quoted in Saltenberger, 52. Those women who died in childbirth died from a disease process--an abnormality in the pregnancy/childbirth
experience which for some reason could not be adequately treat-ed. No valid comparison can be made between two so entirely different classes of pregnant women: one group healthy and the other group diseased." Comments by Life Research Institute: i.e., childbirth is very safe except for the abnormal person, but abortion is dangerous for every woman.

~PD "In an attempt to learn how pervasive the problem of serious abortion complications is, an American obstetrician surveyed 486 of his colleagues regarding their experience with abortion patients. 87% revealed they had hospitalized women with complications following legal abortions; 91% had treated patients for complications. Twenty-nine of the doctors reported patients of theirs dying from legally-induced abortions." M. J. Bulfin, "Deaths and Near Deaths with Legal Abortions," presented at the ACOG (American Col.of Ob/Gyn) Convention, 28 October 1975, quoted in
Saltenberger, 52.

~PD "Ectopic pregnancy rose from 17,800 cases in 1970 to 73,700 cases in 1986. Nearly 800,000 women have been hospitalized for ectopic pregnancy since 1970. Thirty-six women reportedly died from ectopic pregnancy in 1986." H. Lawson, et al., "Ectopic Pregnancy in the United States," 1970-1986, Centers for Disease Control, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 38, No. SS-2, September 1989.

~PD "From 1972-1979, hemorrhage was the third most frequent cause of death from legal abortion, accounting for 15% of deaths. If abortions are performed in free-standing clinics, the capability for rapid transportation to a nearby well-equipped hospital must be assured. Inordinate delays while waiting for an ambulance contributed to several deaths. The back-up hospital must have the ability to begin a laparotomy quickly and to transfuse large amounts of blood products." D. Grimes, et al., "Fatal
Hemorrhage from Legal Abortion in the United States," Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics, November 1983, 461-466.

~PD "In an investigation of four Chicago-based abortion clinics (out of more than 20 in the state), investigative reporters for the Chicago Sun-Times uncovered 12 abortion deaths that had never been reported. Even when abortion-related deaths such as these are uncovered, they are not generally included in the "official" total since they were not reported as such on the original death certificates." DRABSNM,109.

~PD "Maternal Death: Maternal death related to childbirth or induced abortion appears to be seriously under reported. Differing interpretations of the term 'maternal death' by various federal, state or local agencies makes any direct comparison between the risk of maternal death from childbirth or induced abortion impossible under the current circumstances." MAB, ii-v.

~PD "Of the leading causes of direct maternal deaths during 1980-85, 45.5% were known to have been associated with delivery by cesarean section. It was concluded that maternal deaths from childbirth and abortion are underreported. [One method of late-term abortion is cesarean section.]" R. Rochat, L. Koonin, H. Atrash, J. Jewett, "Maternal Mortality in the United States: Report From the Maternal mortality Collaborative," Obstetrics and Gynecology, 72 (1988): 91.

~PD "The cause of death from legal abortion during 1979-1985 was hemorrhage (22.2%); infection (13.9%); embolism (15.3%); anesthesia (29.2%) and other (19.4%)." H.K. Atrash, H. Lawson and J. Smith, "Legal Abortion in the U.S.: Trends and Mortality," Contemporary OB/Gyn, February 1990, 58-69.

~PD "The incidence of maternal mortality is higher than vital statistics reports indicate. The person certifying the cause of death may not know that a woman had a recent pregnancy. Also, the definition of maternal death can greatly affect the reported incidence of maternal mortality." J. Smith, J. Hughes, P. Pekow and R. Rochat, "An Assessment of the Incidence of Maternal Mortality in the United States," Am. J. Public Health, 74 (1984): 780-783.

~PD "The results suggest that the mortality rate [during delivery of a subsequent pregnancy] among women who have had abortions (1.9 per 100,000 legal abortions) is almost twice as high as maternal mortality rates for women who have had vaginal deliveries (1.1 per 100,000 live births)." M. Lanska, D. Lanska and A. Rimm", Mortality From Abortion and Childbirth,"(letter), JAMA, 15 July 1983, 361- 362.

~PD "The state of California reported no deaths from abortion during 1982 and 1984, yet there was incontrovertible evidence from death certificates, police reports, coroner's reports and other sources that at least four women and teenage girls died from legal abortions in Los Angeles County alone during 1983 and 1984." "Brief of Amicus Curiae Feminists for Life of America, Women Exploited by Abortion, etc., Christine Smith Torre, Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, (1988), 22.

~PD "I think we have deluded ourselves into believing that people don't know that abortion is killing. So any pretense that abortion is not killing is a signal of our ambivalence, a signal that we cannot say yes, it kills a fetus, but it is the woman's body, and therefore ultimately her choice." Faye Wattleton, past president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, in Ms, May/June 1997.

~PD A Finnish study disputes claims by abortion advocates that abortion is safer for a woman than childbirth. The results are startling. A woman's risk of dying within a year after an abortion was four times higher than the risk of dying after miscarriage or childbirth, according to the study. The study involved maternal post-abortion deaths of 9,192 Finnish women, aged 15-49, during the period of 1987-1994. The study results were released in 1997 by STAKES, the statistical analysis unit of Finland's National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health.

~PD "Even though most abortion-related deaths are not officially reported as such1, legal abortion is reported to be the fifth leading cause of maternal death in the U.S.2 By extending their scope beyond the very narrow time frame that is examined by most post-abortion studies, the researchers were able to get a better look at how abortion truly affects women's lives. The results clearly showed that compared to women who carry to term, women who aborted in the year prior to their deaths were:
• 60 percent more likely to die of natural causes,
• 7 times more likely to commit suicide,
• 4 times more likely to have fatal accidents, and
• 14 times more likely to die from homicide.3"
References: 1. K. Sherlock, Victims of Choice (Akron, OH: Brennyman Books, 1996) 134-135, quoted in Amy R. Sobie, "The Risks of Choice," The Post-Abortion Review, July-Sept. 2000, 2. 2. Kaunitz, "Causes of Maternal Mortality in the United States," Obstetrics and Gynecology, 65(5), May 1985, quoted in Amy R. Sobie, "The Risks of Choice," The Post-Abortion Review, July-Sept. 2000, 2. 3.
Gissler, M., et. al., "Pregnancy-associated deaths in Finland 1987-1994--definition problems and benefits of record linkage," Acta Obstetricia et Gynecolgica Scandinavica 76:651-657 (1977), quoted in Amy R. Sobie, "The Risks of Choice," The Post-Abortion Review, July-Sept. 2000, 2.

Physical Effects: Smoking, Drinking, and Drugs

~PS "A study of women entering Boston Hospital for Women during 1975 - 77 found that among women who had 2 or more abortions 51.7% smoked compared with 40.3% for women with a history of 1 abortion and 31.7% for women with no history of abortion." A. Levin, et al., "Association of Induced Abortion With Subsequent Pregnancy Loss," JAMA, 27 June 1980, 2495, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 4.

~PS "A study conducted by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington among 6541 white women during 1984-87 found that 18.0% of the women smoked during pregnancy where there was no history of a prior abortion compared with 28.1% (one abortion), 31.0% (two prior abortions), 29.8% (three prior abortions), and 41.6% (four or more prior abortions)." [Smoking is bad for the pre-born baby.] M. Mandelson, C. Maden, J. R. Daling, "Low Birth Weight in Relation to Multiple Induced Abortions,"
Am. J. Public Health, March 1992, 391-394, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 4.

~PS "Post-abortive women are also more likely to smoke than women with other pregnancy outcomes, which carries its own set of health risks.26 For example, smoking during pregnancy has been associated with pregnancy loss, premature birth, low birth weight, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and neurological and respiratory problems in infants. Despite these risks, women with a history of abortion are more likely to smoke during subsequent pregnancies, perhaps a means of relieving post-abortion anxiety.27" 26. See A. Lopes, et al., "The Impact of Multiple Induced Abortions on the Outcome of Subsequent Pregnancy," Australia New Zealand J. Obstet. Gynaecol, 31(1):43-43, 1991; S. Kullander and B. Kallen, "A Prospective Study of Smoking and Pregnancy," Acta Obstet Gynecol Scandinavia, 50:83-94, 1971; C. J. Hogue, "Low birth weight subsequent to induced abortion. A Historical prospective of 948 women in Skopje, Yugoslavia," American J. Obstet Gynecol, 123(7):678-681, Dec.1, 1975, quoted in Amy R. Sobie, "The Risks of Choice," The Post-Abortion Review, July-Sept. 2000, 4. 27. M. T. Mandelson, C. B. Maden and J. R. Daling, "Low Birth Weight in Relation to Multiple
Induced Abortions," American J. Public Health, 82(3):391-394, March 1992, quoted in Amy R. Sobie, "The Risks of Choice," The Post-Abortion Review, July-Sept. 2000, 4.

~PS "Induced abortion, including legalized abortion, is a risk factor for smoking in women. A study of women patients entering Boston Hospital for Women during 1976 - 78 found that 31.7% smoked if there was no history of abortion compared to 40.3% (one abortion) or 51.7% (two or more abortions). (Levin, et al., 2495-2499, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 1.) A large scale study conducted by the World Health Organization on Arab and Jewish women found that among current smokers, 12.3% reported a prior induced abortion compared to only 6.3% among women who had never smoked. (Harlap and Davies, "Characteristics of Pregnant Women Reporting Previous Induced Abortions," Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 1975, 149, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 1.) A Swedish study conducted during 1970 - 78 found that 37% of women reporting prior abortion smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day compared to only 21.1% for parity matched controls and 18.9% for Swedish women generally. The Swedish study also reported that women who had prior abortions were more often teenagers and unmarried at a subsequent delivery than controls, and were also more likely to be smoking during pregnancy. (Meirik and Nygren, "Outcome of First Delivery After 2nd Trimester Two-Stage Induced Abortion: A Historical Cohort Study, ACTA. Obstet. Gynecol. Scand., 1984, 45-50, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 1.) The results of these earlier studies have been recently confirmed in a study of 6541 white women in the major urban counties of Washington state who delivered during 1984 - 87. Among women with no abortion history only 18.0% smoked during pregnancy compared with 28.1% (one abortion) or 41.6% (four or more abortions)." M. T. Mandelson, et al., 391-394, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 1.

~PS "If all smoking related deaths were taken into account the 2% smoking increase in post abortion women would lead to approximately 11,250 deaths annually." "And if induced abortion increased smoking rates 15% the annual death rate would be approximately 84,405." (NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 3.) Note by Life Research Institute: All these figures are in proportion. That is, 1% corresponds with 11,250/2 = 5,625 deaths annually. So, from the studies choose what percent increase is most likely.
Multiply times 5,625. That's how many extra women die because of the abortion-smoking connection.

~PS "There is other evidence that induced abortion is a major direct or indirect factor in smoking. It is known that women frequently smoke for emotional reasons to attempt to relieve depression or anxiety or as an attempt to cope with stress. R. W. Coan, "Personality Variables Associated with Cigarette Smoking," J. of Personality and Social Psychology, 1973, 86-104, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 2. "The available evidence [more abortions coincide with more smoking], particularly with respect to emotional problems as abortion is repeated, is a strong indicator that abortion does not relieve stress and anxiety over the long run but instead increases it."

~PS "According to the most recent figures [probably 1965 - 1990 data] women smokers are 10.8 times more likely to die from lung cancer than women non-smokers." L. Garfinkel and E. Silverberg, "Lung Cancer and Smoking Trends in the United States Over the Past 25 Years," CA - A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, May-June 1991, 137, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 3.

~PS "In a California study of smoking and drinking practices of over 12,000 pregnant women during 1975 - 77, women reporting a history of two or more abortions nearly all (98.5%) reported consuming alcohol during the entire 9 months of subsequent pregnancy intended to be carried to term. This was a much higher level than women who reported their health as good or excellent (19.7%)." Kuzma and Kissinger, "Patterns of Alcohol and Cigarette Use in Pregnancy," Neurobehavioral Toxicology and
Teratology, 1981, 211-221, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 4.

~PS "Since women who have had abortions have a higher incidence of alcohol abuse compared to women without any abortion history, they have a higher risk of a fatal crash in a motor vehicle." "A 1981 random survey of U.S. women found that women with a history of abortion were more than twice as likely to be heavy drinkers (13%) compared to U.S. women in general (6%). Driving while intoxicated was a problem for 45% of the heavy drinkers but only 17% of women drinkers generally."
A. Klassen and S. Wilsnack, "Sexual Experience and Drinking Among Women in a U.S. National Survey," Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1986, 363; and R. Wilsnack, et al., "Women's Drinking and Drinking Patterns from a 1981 National Survey," Am. J. Public Health, November 1984, 1231, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 4.

~PS "Induced abortion is a direct cause of drug abuse in 15 - 20% of the women who have abortions. (T. W. Strahan, "The Incidence and Effects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Women Following Induced Abortions," NAIRVSC, Summer 1990, 1-8, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 3.) Women with a history of abortion are frequently able to recall that the onset of drug abuse or increased drug abuse
occurred as a direct result of their abortion experience and have stated that drugs were used to attempt to repress the abortion experience or to overcome nightmares or insomnia as a result of their abortions." Reardon, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Spring 1993, 3.

~PS "A study of Boston Inner-City women enrolled for prenatal care found that women with a history of two prior abortions were more than twice as likely to be using cocaine during pregnancy (19% v. 9%) and three times more likely to use cocaine with a history of 3 or more abortions (9% v. 3%) compared with non-cocaine using controls." D. A. Frank, et al., "Cocaine Use During Pregnancy, Prevalence and Correlates," Pediatrics, December 1988, 888, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter
1993, 4.

~PS "A study on maternal drug use at UCSD Medical Center in San Diego found that women who used cocaine and/or methamphetamine averaged 1.7 abortions compared with 1.2 abortions for nondrug using controls. Women who used heroin or methadone had an average of 2.4 prior abortions and women who used both heroin and either cocaine or methamphetamine had an average of 2.7 prior abortions." A. S. Oro and S. D. Dixon, "Prenatal Cocaine and Methamphetamine Exposure: Maternal and Neo-Natal Correlates," J. Pediatrics, 1987, 571, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 4.

~PS "Women who abort are nearly four times more likely to start abusing drugs or alcohol." David C. Reardon, The Post-Abortion Review, "NEW STUDY CONFIRMS LINK BETWEEN ABORTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.," Fall 1993, 1.

~PS "A 1974-75 study at Boston City Hospital found that infants born to heavy drinkers had more than twice the congenital abnormality (32%) compared to abstainers (9%) or light drinkers (14%)."Ouellette et al, "Adverse Effects on Offspring of Maternal Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy," New England Journal of Medicine, 297 (1977): 528-530. So if, as other entries herein indicate, a woman increases her chances of heavy drinking after aborting versus women who don't abort, then her further offspring are more than twice as likely to have congenital abnormalities.

~PS "A 1976 Seattle, Washington study of women at a detoxification center found that problem drinkers and secondary alcoholics were found to be significantly more likely to have experienced alcoholic related problems subsequent to an abortion. Sixty-four percent of the secondary alcoholics and 32% of the problem drinkers reported physical fights while drinking." E.R. Morrissey and M.A. Schukit, "Stressful Life Events and Alcohol Problems Among Women Seen at a Detoxification Center," J. Studies on Alcohol, 1978, 1559.

~PS "A study at the Medical College of Ohio compared differences in 35 women who had their abortions as teenagers with 36 women who had their abortions after the age of 20. Antisocial and paranoid disorders as well as drug abuse and psychotic delusions were found to be significantly higher in the group who aborted as teenagers. Adolescents were more likely to retreat into sexual activity or drug and alcohol abuse." Nancy B. Campbell, K. Franco and S. Jurs, "Abortion in Adolescence," Adolescence, 23(92) (Winter 1988)" 813-823.

~PS "A study of 253 inner-city Boston adolescents served at Boston City Hospital during 1984-86 found that a history of a prior elected abortion increased by twice (33.0% vs. 16.3%) the likelihood that the adolescent mother was using alcohol, marijuana or cocaine. Some 67.9% of the drug users were American blacks, 8.9% were foreign-born blacks; 44% of the non-users were American blacks, 14.9% of the non-users were foreign-born blacks." H. Amaro, B. Zuckerman and H. Cabral, "Drug Use Among Adolescent Mothers: Profile of Risk," Pediatrics, July 1989, 144-150.

~PS "A study of 6,363 Swedish women during 1963-64 found that 56.1% of the women smoked who had induced abortions compared with 43.3% smokers among women having given birth. Information on whether the pregnancy was wanted was obtained on 4,843 women. Among those reporting wanted pregnancies, 41.5% were smokers vs. 52.4% among women who reported unwanted pregnancies (later
carried to term). Some 18.9% of the women with wanted pregnancies smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day vs. 27.1% of women reporting unwanted pregnancies." S. Kullander and B. Kallen, "A Prospective Study of Smoking and Pregnancy," Acta Obstet. Gynec. Scand., 50 (1971): 83-94.

~PS "A study of 6541 white women in major urban counties of Washington state who delivered during 1984-87 found that only 18.0% smoked during pregnancy if women reported no prior abortion compared to 28.1% (one abortion) or 41.6% (four or more prior abortions)." M.T. Mandleson, C.B. Madden, J.R. Daling, "Low Birth Weight in Relation to Multiple Induced Abortions," Am. J. Public Health, March 1992, 391.

~PS "A study of 697 Boston inner-city women during 1984 to determine the extent of cocaine use during pregnancy found that a history of two prior abortions doubled the rate of cocaine use (19% vs. 9%) and a history of three or more abortions tripled the risk of cocaine use (9% vs. 3%) compared with non-cocaine users. Some 62% of the cocaine users were North American blacks, 4% were identified as other blacks, 47% of the non-cocaine users were North American blacks and 19% were identified as
other blacks." D.A. Frank, et al., "Cocaine Use During Pregnancy: Prevalence and Correlates," Pediatrics, December 1988, 888-895.

~PS "A study of 7,327 pregnant women at two Copenhagen hospitals found 63 percent smokers where there was one or more prior induced abortions, 51 percent smokers where there was a history of one or more spontaneous abortions, 49 percent smokers where there was a previous live birth, and 55 percent smokers where there was no previous history of pregnancy. After 28 weeks gestation, 43.1% still smoked during pregnancy if the last pregnancy was terminated by abortion compared to only 32.1% if
live birth or 30.2% for no previous pregnancy." E.B. Obel, "Pregnancy Complications Following Legally Induced Abortion: An Analysis of the Population with Special Reference to Prematurity," Danish Medical Bulletin, 26 (1979): 192-199.

~PS "A study of women patients entering Boston Hospital for Women during 1976-78 found that 31.7% smoked if there was no history of abortion, compared to 40.3% (one abortion) and 51.7% (two or more abortions)." Levin, "Association of Induced Abortion with Subsequent Pregnancy Loss," JAMA, 27 June 1980, 2495.

~PS "A Swedish study conducted during 1970-78 found that 37% of the women reporting prior abortion smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day compared to only 21.1% for parity matched controls and 18.9% for Swedish women generally. Heavier smoking was more pronounced among women with a history of abortion than for women with no history of abortion." Meirick and Nygren, "Outcome of First Delivery After 2nd Trimester Two-Stage Induced Abortion: A Historical Cohort Study," Acta., Obstet, Gynecol., Scand., 63(1) (1984): 45.

~PS "According to anecdotal reports, substance abuse occurred in women following induced abortion to overcome nightmares or insomnia, as an attempt to reduce grief reactions, and to repress the abortion experience itself." DRABSNM

~PS "In a 1981 random survey of 917 women in the U.S., 4% of the abstainers had a prior reported induced abortion versus 13% prior induced abortion rate for moderate or heavy drinkers. Moderate and heavy drinkers combined exceeded lighter drinkers in abortion experience to a statistically significant degree." A. Klassen and S. Wilsnack, "Sexual Experience and Drinking Among Women in a U.S. National Survey," Archives of Sexual Behavior, 15(5) (1986): 363-392.

~PS "In a Boston inner city study of adolescent mothers in 1984-86, mothers with a prior elective abortion were twice as likely to use alcohol, marijuana, cocaine or opiates than non-drug users (33% v. 16%). Drug users were nearly three times more likely to report being threatened, abused or involved in fights during pregnancy than non-users (24% v. 9%)." Amaro, Cabral, Zuckerman, "Drug Use Among Adolescent Mothers: Profile of Risk," Pediatrics, 84(1) (July 1989): 144.

~PS "In a California study of more than 12,000 women during 1975-1977, of those having a history of two or more abortions, virtually all (98.5%) consumed alcohol throughout the entire 9 months of a subsequent pregnancy and at higher levels than any of the other categories studied (up to 3 oz. Per day). Overall, 51% of the women drank and 35% smoked during the pregnancy." J. Kuzma and D. Kissinger, "Patterns of Alcohol and Cigarette Use in Pregnancy," Neurobehavioral Toxicology and
Teratology, 3 (1981): 211-221.

~PS "In a later study of 4,719 Swedish women during 1970-1978, 58.1% of those women with a history of abortion smoked (37.4% smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day) compared with 40.4% smokers among parity-matched controls (21.1% of parity-matched controls smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day) and all Swedish women generally in 1975 (37.8% smoked and 18.9% of all Swedish women smoked 10 r more cigarettes per day)." O. Meirik, K.G. Nygren, "Outcome of First Delivery After Second Trimester Two Staged Induced Abortion: A Controlled Historical Cohort Study," Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand., 63(1) (1984): 45-50.

~PS "In a San Diego study of drug use, women who used cocaine and/or methamphetamine averaged 1.7 abortions compared with 1.2 abortions for non-drug using controls. Women who used heroin or methadone were more likely to have had abortions (2.4 vs. 1.2) than non-drug using controls. Infants exposed to both heroin and either cocaine or methamphetamine had mothers with the highest number of pregnancies (5) and abortions (2.7). These infants had the highest percentage of no prenatal care, prematurity, poorer growth, small birth weight and fetal distress." A.S. Oro and S.D. Dixon, "Perinatal Cocaine and Methamphetamine Exposure: Maternal and Neonatal Correlates," Journal of Pediatrics, 111 (1987): 571-578.

~PS "In a Scottish study of 1,008 women, those with a history of induced abortion had higher levels of alcohol consumption than those with a history of stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, or having had a mentally or physically handicapped child, according to self-reports of the women involved." Moria Plant, Women, Drinking and Pregnancy, (Tavistock Publications: London, 1985).

~PS "In a study of drug abuse among Boston inner-city women during pregnancy, those using cocaine were twice as likely to have a history of two elective abortions (19% vs. 9%) and three times more likely to have had three or more elective abortions (9% vs. 3%) than non-cocaine using controls." D.A. Frank, B. Zuckerman, H. Amaro, K. Aboagye, "Cocaine Use During Pregnancy: Prevalence and Correlates," Pediatrics, December 1988, 888-895.

~PS "In a study of inner-city adolescent mothers, those with a history of induced abortion were twice as likely to be involved in alcohol, marijuana or cocaine compared with non-using controls." H. Amaro, B. Zuckerman and H. Cabral, "Drug Use Among Adolescent Mothers: Profile of Risk," Pediatrics, July 1989, 144-150.

~PS "In a survey of 700 women who responded to a random questionnaire survey, the rate of substance abuse was reported to be 14.6% among women who aborted their first pregnancy compared to 3.8% among women who did not abort their first pregnancy. Women who engaged in substance abuse prior to their first pregnancy were excluded from the study." David C. Reardon, "New Study Confirms Link Between Abortion and Substance Abuse," The Post-Abortion Review, Fall 1993, 6.

~PS "In a Washington State Study of 6541 women who delivered a child between 1984-87, 41.6% of the women smoked during this pregnancy if they had a history of 4 or more induced abortions compared with 31.0% smokers (2 prior abortions), 28.1% smokers (1 prior abortion), or 18.0% smokers (no prior abortions.)" M.T. Mandelson, C.B. Maden, J.R. Daling, "Low Birth Weight in Relation to Multiple Induced Abortions," Am.J. Public Health, March 1993, 391-394.

~PS "Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, drugs and tranquilizers was found in women who aborted compared to women who carried to term where each group had presented for abortion for psychiatric reasons at a Capetown, South Africa hospital." S.A. Drower and E.S. Nash, "Therapeutic Abortion on Psychiatric Grounds," South Africa Medical Journal, 7 Oct 1978, 604-608.

~PS "Smokers have twice the rate of reporting previous induced abortion than non-smokers, i.e. 12 percent vs. 6 percent based upon standardized rates among Arab and Israeli women." S. Harlap and A. Davies, "Characteristics of Pregnancy Women Reporting Previous Induced Abortions," Bulletin World Health Organization, 52 (1975): 149.

~PS "Substance Abuse: Women who have had abortions frequently report their first heavy use of alcohol or drugs to attempt to alleviate the stress related to abortion. Substance abuse in women following abortion may occur in an attempt to overcome nightmares or insomnia, as an attempt to reduce grief reactions and to attempt to repress the abortion experience itself. MAB, ii-v.

~PS "Women patients of Boston Hospital had smoking rates of 31.7 percent with no prior induced abortion, 40.3 percent with one prior abortion and 51.7 percent with two or more prior abortions." A. Levin, et al., "Association of Induced Abortion with Subsequent Pregnancy Loss," Journal of the American Medical Association, 27 June 1980, 2495-2499.

~PS Myfawny Sanders, director of the Women's Pregnancy Center in Peoria, Ill., says she has never met a woman in prison who doesn't blame her incarceration partly on past abortions. Mrs. Sanders, who works mainly with women with drug problems, says that because of "the emotional pain caused by [their past] abortions, these girls took any measure necessary to get their drug of choice," then ended up in jail.

~PS "Women who have an abortion are five times more likely to report subsequent substance abuse compared to women who carry to term, according to a study published in the latest issue of American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
The study was authored by Elliot Institute director Dr. David Reardon and Dr. P. Ney, a British Columbia psychiatrist who specializes in post-abortion counseling. This is at least the 15th published study connecting abortion to subsequent drug or alcohol abuse. . . .'Even if we assume the lowest statistical range for the relative risk, our results would indicate that there are between 150,000 and 500,000 new cases of abortion-related substance abuse per year,' Reardon said.
Ney notes that these findings are especially disturbing since substance abuse is a leading cause of neonatal death and malformation in subsequent planned pregnancies. . . .
A recent major study of death certificates and government medical records in Finland has shown that the risk of death from suicide is six times higher for women who have had an abortion compared to women who gave birth. The researchers also found that the risk of dying from accidents and homicide was four and twelve times higher, respectively." The Post-Abortion Review, "15th Study Links Abortion, Substance Abuse," January - March 2000, 8.

Physical Effects: General Physical Problems

~PG From Dayton Women's Health Center, Iowa: "Mary was rushed to the hospital after her abortion due to profuse bleeding. The attending physicians discovered 'the entire front of her uterus was blown away.' After the surgeon removed the damaged uterus, they explored her abdominal cavity. Behind her liver they found the decapitated head of a 24 week old pre-born child."

~PG Researcher George Grant says, "'There are a lot more complications out there than anyone seems to care to believe,' says Dean. 'It is a national health disaster'" George Grant, Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1984) 66.

~PG "Although Planned Parenthood stubbornly refuses to admit publicly that such a disaster exists, privately it is quite concerned." George Grant, Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, 1984) 66.

~PG Researcher Doug Scott says, "Dr. Beverly McMillen, a former abortionist from Jackson, Mississippi, notes that Planned Parenthood claims of few complications are unreliable. 'Planned Parenthood clinics, and free-standing abortion clinics like them, claim they have an untarnished record of no complications from their abortion procedures, but what they don't know is that I'm the practitioner who sees their complications. These women don't go back to the clinic where they've had a bad experience. They show up in my office or in my emergency room with their bleeding or with their infections or with their retained placenta, needing another D&C.'" "A Close Look at Planned Parenthood," Focus on the Family radio program, 27-27 October 1989, quoted in Douglas R. Scott, Inside Planned Parenthood, (Grand Rapid, MI: Frontlines Publishing, 1990) 86. They show up in my office, or in my emergency room with their bleeding or with their infections or with their retained placenta . . .

~PG Quoting Saltenberger again, below are just a very few excerpts from her list of complications:

~PG "'Infection is the main cause of death associated with legal abortion in the United States.' (D. A. Grimes & W. Cates, "Complications from Legally-Induced Abortion: A Review," Ob Gyn Survey, 1979, 177-91, quoted in Saltenberger, 29.) Infection was the leading cause of abortion-related deaths of 104 women in a CDC report. (A. M. Kimball et al., "Deaths caused by Pulmonary Thromboembolism After Legally Induced Abortion, " American Journal Ob & Gyn, 15 September 1978, 169-74, quoted in Saltenberger 29.) In another study 'documented incomplete abortion caused each of the four deaths from infection.'" D. A. Grimes, et al., "Comparative Risk of Death from Legally Induced Abortion in Hospitals and Non- Hospital Facilities," Ob & Gyn, March 1978, 323-26, quoted in Saltenberger, 29."

~PG Researcher Kogut says, "Physical damage to the mother is also very common. There are several reasons we don't hear much about this. First, most abortions are done in clinics whose records are insufficiently inspected. When a complication occurs, the clinics really have no incentive to turn themselves in. Second, deaths from abortion generally are not reported as deaths from abortion. Rather, the death might be from a perforated (punctured) uterus or internal bleeding. Thus, abortion seems safe." Kenneth E. Kogut, The Facts of Pro-Life, n.p., 64.

~PG Following is a long list of the physical damages that can occur as a result of abortions: death, infection, hemorrhage, cervical damage, damage and loss of other internal organs, perforation of the uterus, menstrual irregularity, headaches, dizziness, blood clots, AIDS from blood transfusions, AIDS or Hepatitis from increased drug and needle use (see list below of psychological damages showing increased drug use), increased probability of future miscarriages, stillbirths, sterility, ectopic (tubal)
pregnancies, menstrual disturbances, other bleeding, shock, coma, peritonitis, cold sweats, and much more." Kenneth E. Kogut, The Facts of Pro-Life, n.p., 64.

~PG A Wynn and Wynn Study shows that 3 - 5 percent of aborters are left sterile. (Both of the Wynns are pro-abortion.) Arthur Wynn and Margaret Wynn, "Some Consequences of Induced Abortion to Children Born Subsequently," British Med. Journal, 3 March 1973.

~PG From a David Reardon flyer of 1986:

~PG "47% of women in a study stated that they had suffered one or more physical complications following their abortions.

~PG 31% Of these stated the complication was very minor and 26% Said it was of a moderate nature, and 35% Said it was very severe.

~PG Of short-term complications: 15% Reported post-operative hemorrhage and 9% Reported infection. Post-operative infections are frequently the result of an incomplete abortion and must be treated by a second operation.

~PG Of long-term, delayed complications: 6% Required a total hysterectomy 8% Reported total or partial blockage of fallopian tubes 6% Got cervical cancer 22% Later had a miscarriage of a wanted child 8% Were diagnosed as suffering from cervical incompetence" (These were random samples, not a poll of all the women.)

~PG Famous pro-life leader, Jack Willke, says, "A busy chief of an OB department in Ft. Lauderdale reported, 'An unusually large number of complications are being seen by private physicians. Because many of these adolescent patients, in who complications develop, do not return to the physician who did the abortion, accurate data on complications are difficult to obtain.'" M. Bulfin, "A New Problem in Adolescent Gynecology," Southern Med. Journal, August 1979, quoted in Dr. Jack Willke and Barbara Willke, Abortion: Questions & Answers, (Cincinnati, OH: Hayes Publishing Company, 1988) 96.

~PG "According to renowned obstetrician and gynecologist Matthew Bulfin, the reason that . . .estimated figures are so skewed is that Planned Parenthood and the various other agencies that measure maternal complication rates are 'missing vital input for their mortality and morbidity studies by not seeking information from the physicians who see the complications from legal abortions--emergency room physicians and the obstetricians and gynecologists in private practice. The physicians who do the
abortions, and the clinics and centers where abortions are done should not be the only sources from which complication statistics are derived.'" Matthew J. J. Bulfin, "Complications of Legal Abortion: A Perspective from Private Practice," quoted in George Grant, Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood, (Highland Books, 1998) 84.

~PG "The so-called 'freestanding clinics,' which do over 90% of all abortions in the U.S., are often little better than back-alley operations that have been legalized . . . .' Complications following abortions performed in free-standing clinics is one of the most frequent gynecological emergencies . . .encountered. Even life-endangering complications rarely come to the attention of the physician who performed the abortion unless the incident entails litigation. The statistics presented by Cates represent
substantial under reporting and disregard women's reluctance to return to a clinic, where, in their mind, they received inadequate treat-ment.'" Iffy, "Second trimester Abortions," JAMA, 4 February 1983, 588, quoted in Willke, 98, 99.

~PG Researcher David Reardon says about abortion for fetal handicap: "In addition, since eugenic abortions are almost always late-term, the physical risks of abortion are many times higher than for childbirth. In fact, the odds that a forty-year-old woman will suffer a severe complication from abortion are more than twice as great as the odds that she will have a child with Down's syndrome."
Dr. Hymie Gordon, letter on amniocentesis in Primum Non Nocere, newsletter published by The World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life, September 1980, 4-6, quoted in DRABSNM, 236. (Down's babies are found mostly in wombs of these 'older' women.)

~PG Miscellaneous quotes (Pamela Zekman and Pamela Warrick, "The Abortion Profiteers," Chicago Sun Times, special reprint 3, December 1978 (original publication 12 November, 1978) 15, quoted in DRABSNM, 236.) 'Health inspectors at one abortion clinic found that the lack of sterile conditions extended to:

~PG Instruments that were 'dirty and worn to the point that the stainless-steel finish had deteriorated and the instruments were beginning to rust.' 'Recovery room beds made with dirty linens.' 'Supposedly sterile instruments' encrusted with 'dried matter.' 'Instruments being 'sterilized' with Tide detergent, and surgical equipment, including the suction machine, being 'cleansed' with plain water."

~PG "A 1989-90 New Zealand study found an overall complication rate of 5.8% following induced abortion as measured by readmission of women. This included 2.9% who had retained products of conception. Immediate complications (0.92%) included perforation, hemorrhage and post-operative pain. Delayed complications were lower abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding presumed to be due to endometritis, retained products of conception or both." P. Sykes, "Complications of Termination of
Pregnancy: A Retrospective Study of Admissions to Christchurch Women's Hospital 1989 and 1990," New Zealand Medical Journal, 10 March 1993, 83-85.

~PG "A follow-up examination 4-6 weeks following abortion by vacuum aspiration found 4.8% with retained fetal parts: 11.1% had post-abortion bleeding greater than normal menstrual period, and 4.1% had pelvic inflammatory disease." K. Dalaker, K. Sundfor and J. Skuland, "Early Complications of Induced Abortion in Primigravidae," Annes Chirurgiae et Gynaecologiae, 70 (1981): 331-336.

~PG "A Norwegian study of 619 women by questionnaire in 1976 found that, among those not pregnant previously, 25.5% of the post-abortion women compared to 13.2% of post delivery women (matched for age and parity) had post-abortion complications. Complications were cervical incompetence, pre-term delivery, ectopic pregnancy and sterility. Among all groups regardless of parity, total complications in the abortion group was 24.3% vs. 20.2% in the post-delivery women." K. Dalaker, S.M. Lichtenberg and G. Okland, "Delayed Reproductive Complications After Induced Abortion," Acta Obstet. Gynaecol. Scand., 58 (1979): 491-494.

~PG "A prospective study of 11,057 West Jerusalem mothers interviewed during pregnancy found that those who reported one or more prior induced abortions in the past were more likely to report bleeding in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd months of their pregnancy compared with women reporting no previously induced abortions. Women with prior abortions were less likely to have a normal delivery. In births following induced abortions, the relative risk of early neonatal death was doubled, while late neonatal deaths showed a 3 to 4 fold increase. Major and minor malformations were increased in the abortion group." S. Harlap and A.M. Davies, "Late Sequelae of Induced Abortion: Complications and Outcome of Pregnancy and Labor," Am J. Epidemiology, 1975, 217.

~PG "Among 50 women (86% black) who obtained legal abortions in Atlanta, Georgia after being denied abortion at Grady Memorial Hospital in 1978-79, 12% subsequently reported at least one complication including retained placenta, hemorrhage, pelvic infection or cervical or uterine injury when followed-up in 1980-81." N. Binkin, et al., "Women Refused Second-Trimester Abortion: Correlates of Pregnancy Outcome," Am.J. Obstet Gynecol, 145 (1983): 279.

~PG "Bleeding before 28 weeks of gestation and retention of placenta or placental tissue occurred more frequently after an abortion than in a control group matched for age, parity and socio-economic status." E. Obel, "Pregnancy Complications Following Legally Induced Abortion," acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand., 58 (1979): 485-490.

~PG "Concludes that the relative risk of pre-term delivery is significantly increased following abortion." R. Pickering and J. Forbes, "Risks of Preterm Delivery and Small for Gestational Age Infants Following Abortion: A Population Study," British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 92 (Nov. 1985): 1106-1112.

~PG "Fifty-four teenage patients were seen with significant complications after legal abortion. None felt that they had been afforded any meaningful information about the potential dangers of the abortion operation. Perforation of the uterus, peritonitis, pelvic pain, pelvic abscesses, bleeding and cramping, cervical lacerations, severe hemorrhage and adverse psychological and psychiatric sequelae were noted in various case reports." M. Bulfin, "A New Problem in Adolescent Gynecology," Southern Medical Journal, 72(8) (August 1979): 967-968.

~PG "In a study of 1000 women who had abortions in Stockholm, Sweden in 1987, 5.4% were reported to have complications in the form of infection, bleeding or incomplete abortion, fever at over 38 degrees centigrade (1.6%). About one-half (2.8%) were re-admitted to the hospital." G. Fried, E. Ostlund, C. Ullberg, M. Bygdeman" Somatic Complications and Contraceptive Techniques Following Legal Abortion, " Acta Obstet Scand., 68 (1989): 515-521.

~PG "In a study of 252 women who were members of Women Exploited by Abortion, two women were reported to suffer from anorexia nervosa, which they attributed to their abortions. At least one woman suffered from excessive weight gain after her abortion, as she tried to bury her guilt in food." ABSNM, 24.

~PG "In a study of 30 women who were stressed by abortion, 23 percent reported extreme weight gain, generally defined by the subjects as a 20-pound weight gain or more. Extreme weight gain was usually attributed to increased eating to calm oneself. Extreme weight loss was reported by 30 percent of the sample; 23 percent classified themselves as experiencing a period of anorexia nervosa. This was self-defined,
although many subjects reporting anorexia included evidence such as a loss of 25 percent of body weight, cessation of menses, hospitalization and/or clinical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa." PSSFA

~PG "In a study of 68 women in a post abortion support group 10-15 years post-abortion, 32% reported lacking patience with their children, 29% reported sometimes being verbally or emotionally abusive with them, 20% acknowledged frequent anger toward their children, 15% admitted feelings of unexpected rage toward their children and 13% felt they over disciplined their children, “ 29% also
reported being over-protective of their children and 14.7% reported having difficulty bonding to their children." Jeanette Vought, "Post-Abortion Trauma, 9 Steps to Recovery," (Grand Rapids: Zondervan 1991).

~PG "Induced first-trimester abortion is a procedure which removes the conceptus from the uterine cavity before the end of the twelfth gestational week counted from the first day of the last menstrual period. The surgical field, consisting of the vagina, endo-cervix, and uterine cavity is contaminated because even meticulous surgical scrub cannot sterilize the endocervix. Consequently, postoperative infection must be expected in a number of women." Lars Heisterberg, "Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Following Induced First-Trimester Abortion," Danish Medical Bulletin, 35(1) (February 1988), 64-75, quoted in N.G. Osborne and R.C. Wright, "Effect of preoperative scrub on the bacterial flora of the endocervix and vagina," Obstetrics and Gynecology 50:148-151(1977).

~PG "PA British study of 6105 women during 1976-79 found that the main factors independently affecting post abortion morbidity were the place of operation, gestation at termination, method of operation, sterilization at the time of abortion and smoking habits. Morbidity rates were higher for abortion carried out under the National Health Service than in private practice. Overall newly presenting morbidity, as defined in the study, was reported in 16.9% of the patients (1031 patients) in the 21 days following abortion of which 10% (612 patients) was thought to be directly related to the abortion. Major complications as defined in the study were 2.1%." I. Frank, C.R. Kay, S.S. Wingrave, "Induced Abortions Operations and Their Early Sequelae," J. Royal College General Practitioners, April 1985, 175.

~PG "The rate of unrecognized perforations may be three-to-thirty-fold higher than reported." C. Tietze and S. Lewit, "Joint Program for the Study of Abortion," Studies in Family Planning, 3 (1972): 97.

Physical Effects: Later Complications

~PL "Dr. Pulver (charged with a 'bungled abortion') has 'an outstanding record of service with thousands of women and families in Schenectady [New York]." Planned Parenthood official quoted in The Daily Gazette, 1 November 1991.

~PL "Our association with Dr. Cunanan [placed on probation for committing abortions on two women and sterilizing another, all without their permission] has been lognstanding and extremely positive." Planned Parenthood of Niagara County, Niagara Gazette, 2 October 1997.

~PL "There is a wide range of reported incidence of post abortion infections from .1% to as high as 43%. [J. L. Sorensen, et al., Br. J. Obstet. Gynaecol. May 1992, quoted in source shown below] The difference is mainly due to (1) differences in defining the word infection; (2) time of observation; and (3) whether or not antibiotics were used. From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996,

~PL Types of postabortion infections include pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which is inflammation of the female genital tract, endometritis which is inflammation of the inner lining of the uterine wall, salpingitis which is inflammation of the fallopian or Eustachian tube, and peritonitis, inflammation of the abdominal cavity. The term sepsis or septic abortion is also frequently used to describe any serious infection. From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996, 2.

~PL A sample statement from an abortion clinic informational form includes the following: "Infection is caused by germs from the vagina or cervix getting into the uterus or tubes. The risk of infection associated with early abortion is less than 1 in 100 cases. Such infections usually respond to antibiotics, but in a few cases, a repeat procedure or hospitalization is necessary and occasionally surgery is required. From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996, 2.

~PL This statement has several errors or omissions. First, it narrowly interprets the meaning of the word infection to what is immediately observed at an abortion facility, and thus omits infections which occur a few hours, days, or weeks later. It fails to acknowledge that abortion itself can cause infection as well as spread infection. It fails to explain any of the potentially serious complications from postabortion infections. Finally, it fails to differentiate between different populations which have varying
rates of infection because of age or previous reproductive history." From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996, 2.
~PL "For example, researchers at Johns Hopkins University compared women undergoing first trimester abortion and found that among those without gonorrhea at the time of the abortion only 3.3% had post-abortion endometritis and 1.1% were hospitalized compared to 14.7% incidence of endometritis and a 5.4% hospitalization rate if gonorrhea was present. [R. T Burkman et al., "Untreated Endocervical gonorrhea and Endometritis Following Elective Abortion," Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 126:1976, 648-651] John's Hopkins researchers had similar findings when chlamydia trachomatis was present at the time of abortion [M. Barbacci et al., "Post-Abortal Endometritis and Isolation of Chlamydia Trachomatis," Obstet. Gynecol.Nov 1996, 686-690 and D. Avonts and P Piot, "Genital Infections in women Undergoing Therapeutic Abortion," Europe. J. Obstet. Gynec. Reprod. Biol. 20:1985, 53-59] The authors stated: 'it is believed that a factor in the development of endometritis is the induced abortion itself as it has been documented that dilation of the cervical canal and curettage of
the uterine cavity can stimulate spread of an unrecognized infection to the uterine cavity.' From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996, 3.

~PL Scandinavian studies have also found that the presence of chlamydia trachomatis infection at the time of the abortion significantly increases the incidence of post-abortive pelvic inflammatory disease from 4.4% to 23.4% in one study [T. Radbert and L. Hamberger, "Chalmydia Trachomatis in Relation to Infections Following First Trimester Abortions," Acta. Obstet. Gynaecol., Supp 93, 1980, 478], and from 10% to 28% in another study. [L. Westergaard, "Significance of Cervical Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection in Post-Abortal Pelvic Inflammatory Disease," Obstet. Gynecol. Sept 1982, 322]. From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996, 3.

~PL Age is also a risk factor for post-abortion infection. In a study done at Johns Hopkins University on post abortion endometritis (infection of the uterine wall), it was found that 7% of post-abortion women had endometritis if they were 17 years of age or less at the time of their abortion, compared to only 2.5% among women who were 20 - 29 years. The difference was statistically significant [R.T Burkman et al., "Morbidity Risk Among Young Adolescents Undergoing Elective Abortion," Contraception, August 1984, 99]. Another Scandinavian study found that chlamydia positive women
age 13 - 19 undergoing first trimester abortion were significantly more likely to develop post-abortion endometritis (28%) compared to women age 20 - 24 (22.7%), or women age 25 - 29 (20%). Also, chlamydia positive post abortion women age 13 - 19 were also more likely to develop post abortion salpingitis (21.9%) compared to women age 20 - 24 (13.6%) [S. Osser and K. Perrson, "Postabortal Pelvic Infection Associated with Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection and the Influence of Hormonal Immunity," Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 150:1984, 699]. Overall, early complication rates are higher in
younger women." [L. Heisterberg, M. Kringelbach, "Early complications After Induced First-Trimester Abortion," Acta Obstet. Gynecol. Scand., 66:1987,201] From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996,4.

~PL "The presence of post-abortion PID has a very significant impact on long term reproduction. For example, in a study by Danish researcher Lars Heisterberg of 382 women without postabortal PID, only 5% of those without PID reported any spontaneous miscarriages 5 - 6 years post abortion, compared to 22% among those women with postabortal PID. Significant differences were also found with secondary infertility (2% vs. 10%), pain during sexual intercourse (5% vs. 20%), chronic pelvic
pain (2% vs. 14%), and a new episode of PID within the first year after abortion (5% vs. 41%). [Lars Heisterberg et al., "Sequelae of Induced First-Trimester Abortion: A Prospective Study Assessing the Role of Postabortal Pelvic Inflammatory Disease and Prophylactic Antibiotics," Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 155:1986, 73]. Other studies by this same researcher on the long term effects of abortion have shown similar results. [Lars Heisterberg, "Factors Influencing Spontaneous Abortion, Dyspareunia, Dysmenorrhea, and Pelvic Pain," Obstet. Gynecol., 81:1993, 594 - 597, and Lars Heisterberg, "Pelvic Inflammatory Disease following Induced First-Trimester Abortion", Danish Medical Bulletin, February 1988, 64]. This researcher reported that the overall risk of postabortion infections requiring hospitalization among Danish women is 3 - 5%. [Lars Heisterberg and Ugeskr Laeger, "Prophylactic Antibiotics in Induced First-Trimester Abortion," Eng. Abstr., 154:1992, 3056 -3060]. " From "Lack of Individualized Counseling Regarding Risk Factors For Induced Abortion: A Violation of Informed Consent, Part 1," NAIRVSC, July/August 1996, 4.

~PL Regarding increased low birth weight and short gestation: "A study by the World Health Organization of legalized abortion in Great Britain, Europe, Korea and Scandinavia concluded that repeat abortion is associated with a 2 to 2.5 fold increase in low birth weight and short gestation when either is compared with one live birth or one abortion." World Health Organization, Special Program of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction: Seventh Annual Report, Geneva, November 1978, quoted in NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.

~PL Also regarding increased low birth weight and short gestation: "In a study of white women who delivered between 1984-87 in Washington state, the unadjusted proportion of infants born with a birth weight of less than 2500 grams was 4.4% among women with no abortion history, 5.7% for women with one prior abortion, 7.7% for women with two prior abortions, and 9.6% for women with 4 or more prior abortions." M. T. Mandelson, et al., 391-394, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.

~PL Regarding increased risk of premature birth : "A Danish study conducted in 1974-75 concluded that women with a history of 2 or more abortions had twice the risk of a premature infant compared with women with one past abortion." E. Obel, "Pregnancy Complications Following Legally Induced Abortion With Special Reference to Abortion Technique," Acta Ob Gyn Scan, 1979, 147-52, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.

~PL Regarding increased risk of miscarriage or incomplete abortion: "A Boston Hospital for Women study conducted in 1976-78 concluded that women who had had two or more induced abortions were 2.7 times more likely to have future first trimester spontaneous abortions (early miscarriage) and 3.2 times more likely to have a second trimester incomplete abortion than were women with no history of induced abortion." A. Levin et al., "Association of Induced Abortion With Subsequent Pregnancy Loss," JAMA, 27 June 1980, 2495, quoted in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.

~PL Regarding increased incidence of secondary infertility: "A 1987-88 study of women in Athens, Greece, admitted for secondary infertility found that women with 2 or more prior abortions had a relative risk of 2.3 for secondary infertility and women with one abortion had a relative risk of 2.1 compared with women with no abortion history." (Tzonou et al., "Induced Abortions, Miscarriages, and Tobacco Smoking as Risk Factors for Secondary Infertility," Journal Epidemiology and Community Health, 1993, quoted in NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.) (Secondary fertility means there was a previous conception, the woman had been trying to become pregnant for at least 18 months, and the man had a normal semen analysis.)

~PL Regarding increased risk of ectopic pregnancy: "A study of women at the Boston Hospital for Women found that the relative risk of ectopic pregnancy to be 1.6 for women with one prior abortion (reduced to 1.3 after control [adjustment] of confounding factors) and 4.0 for women with two or more prior abortions (reduced to 2.6 after control of confounding factors.)" A. Levin et al., "Ectopic Pregnancy and Prior Induced Abortion," American Journal Public Health, March 1982, 253-56, quoted
in Strahan, NAIRVSC, Winter 1993, 6-8.

~PL "The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services has gathered data indicating that poor women who give birth are healthier than those who undergo abortions. 'The women with legally induced abortions had 532 claims for subsequent health interventions,' a memo from the department read. 'The women with normal deliveries had 307 claims for subsequent health interventions." Thus, those who aborted had (532 - 307)/307 x 100 = 73% greater chance of needing intervention than those who had not aborted. "UPDATES: ABORTION AND HEALTH," Family Voice, June 1995, 30.

~PL "2.7 percent of 4,823 patients had gonorrhea; 14.7 percent of patients with gonorrhea developed endometritis over a two-year period. The authors concluded that there is a potential threefold increase for postabortal endometritis with untreated endocervical gonorrhea, which indicates a need to reevaluate approaches to some patients requesting pregnancy termination." R.T. Burkman, J. Tonascia, M. Atienza and T. King, "Untreated Endocervical Gonorrhea and Endometritis Following Elective
Abortion," American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 126 (1976): 648-651.

~PL "70,000 women were hospitalized for ectopic pregnancy in the U.S. in 1983, resulting in 70,000 fetal deaths. Ectopic pregnancy accounted for 12.8 percent of all maternal deaths in the U.S. in 1983.
In 1985, black women continued to have a 3.5 times higher risk of death from ectopic pregnancy.
Teenage black women have a 6.2 times higher risk than white teenagers." H. Atrash, Ectopic Pregnancy in the United States, 1970-1983, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 35, No. 22S, August 1986.

~PL "A California case-control study of 2091 women who had one ore more induced abortions matched with 4098 controls without a history of abortion found that a prior induced abortion had a relative risk of 1.45 (1.06-1.99, 95% C.I.) of pregnancy failure (ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion, fetal or neonatal death). Smokers had a relative risk of 1.85, (1.11-3.10, 95% C.I.) of pregnancy failure." C. Madore, W.E. Haws, F. Many, A.C. Hexter, "A Study on the Effects of Induced Abortion on Subsequent Pregnancy Outcome," Am J. Obstet. Gynecol, 139 (1981): 516-521.

~PL "A California study of 173 cases of placenta previa during 1975-78 found that a history of prior abortion, previous placenta previa or prior cesarean section enhanced the risk of developing placenta previa. The complications associated with placenta previa included fetal malpresentation (breech or transverse lie), cord prolapse and premature rupture of the membranes." D.B. Cotton, J.A. Read, R.I.T. Paul, E.J. Quilligan, "The Conservative Aggressive Management of Placenta Previa," Am J. Obstet. Gynecol., 137 (1980): 687.

~PL "A case-control analysis of 19 uterine perforations which occurred during laparoscopic sterilization had an overall perforation rate of 30.4 per 1,000 procedures. Case women were more likely to combine two of the three characteristics: age over 34, parity (one or more children) and obesity (20% above the ideal body weight for height.)" M. White, H. Ory and L. Goldenberg, "Uterine Perforation Following Medical Termination of Pregnancy by Vacuum Aspiration," Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol., 129 (1977): 623.

~PL "A case-control study of 68 women at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia in 1975-79 found that the crude risk ratio for placenta previa in women with a history of one or more legal abortions was 1.4 (0.5-3.6, 95% C.I.) after adjustment for age and gravidity. The study used a narrow definition for placenta previa which limits its value." D.A. Grimes, T. Techman, "Legal Abortion and Placenta Previa," Am J. Obstet. Gynecol., 149 (1984): 501.