The
recent Supreme Court decision to ban the so-called "partial birth
abortion" procedure has re-opened the debate over the psychological
effects of an abortion. For years, anti-choice extremists and the
religious right have claimed that women suffer psychological
consequences after an abortion. These groups have even made up a mental
illness to back up their argument: "post-abortion stress syndrome,"
which is not recognized by the American Psychiatric Association or the
American Psychological Association. It is a fake and deceiving way to
make women feel bad and confused about the choice they have made.
In
fact, the American Psychiatric Association "opposes all constitutional
amendments, legislation, and regulations curtailing family planning and
abortion services to any segment of the population; and reaffirms its
position that abortion is a medical procedure in which physicians
should respect the patient's right to freedom of choice" (American
Psychiatric Association Actions on Reproductive Rights Position
Statement, Approved by Assembly, November 1991). The president-elect of
the American Psychiatric Association recently noted, "meticulous
research shows that there is no causal relationship between abortions
and mental illness" (The New York Times, May 22, 2007).
Every
day, across the country, women's reproductive health and rights
organizations work to protect the fundamental right of women to make
decisions about their bodies. They work to ensure that women are valued
as human beings, not treated like second-class citizens. And they work
to ensure that accurate, science-based information on all pregnancy
options are provided for women making reproductive health decisions.
Years of evidence from women who have had abortions shows that relief
is the most common emotional response after an abortion in the first
trimester; nearly 90 percent of all abortions occur during the first
trimester of pregnancy.
Let's remember that it's the pro-choice,
pro-woman organizations that are working to reduce the need for
abortion. Increasing access to emergency contraception and birth
control without discrimination and delay helps to reduce the abortion
rates in this country. Those who want to restrict abortion are also
against access to contraception. By opposing abortion procedures - that
doctors say are safe and sometimes necessary - they are sending the
message that women do not deserve safe, appropriate health care.
When
Congress, the president and five Supreme Court Justices decided that
politicians should make health decisions, instead of a woman and her
physician, it was a tremendous setback for women's health. Gov. Eliot
Spitzer's proposed legislation, the Reproductive Health and Privacy
Protection Act, will remove abortion from the criminal law and place it
in the public health law, where it belongs. It is a step in the right
direction to help protect the women of New York state - to protect them
while allowing them to control their bodies and determine their own
destiny to lead healthy, productive lives. Respecting women and
trusting them to make the right decisions for themselves and their
families is the best mental health care we can offer.
The writer, who lives in Chappaqua, is a board member, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic.
