Researchers note [American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 6/05] that among women who had unintended first pregnancies, those who had abortions were likely to report (4 years later) more frequent and more recent use of alcohol, marijuana and cocaine.
Women who had never been pregnant or those with unintended pregnancies who delivered the babies, had notably lower frequencies of drug abuse.
Reardon: that these new findings show that a history of unintended pregnancies alone is not linked to higher rates of substance use. The link only appears when the unintended pregnancy is aborted.
[American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 6/05, David Reardon, Ph.D. et al; Rt to Life of Greater Cincinnati, 5/05]