Comments on: Bad Reporting

By: Georgia Family Council - News Obfuscation » Center for Policy Studies

Georgia Family Council - News Obfuscation » Center for Policy Studies — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:40:50 +0000

[...] Meghan Duke pointed out at First Thoughts, “to reach that conclusion they had to strictly limit the subjects they researched. Women who [...]

By: TXW

TXW — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:40:29 +0000

This is a similar trajectory to the breast cancer link. Post abortion mental deterioration was under the radar for a while, unlike the breast cancer link, and the pro-aborts were therefore not publishing junk articles en masse. It starts now, and the ACOG will use these garbage articles to write recommendations and guidleines. Committees will be formed, Louise Brinton will be invited to speak. The APA will issue press releases and align with the abortion/Buffett lobby.
As for C. Ehlrich’s comment, most surgical abortions need to be performed no earlier than 8 weeks (the average is 10-11 weeks) because the abortionist has to know if he got all her parts out (arm, check. leg, check. . . ). If there is no psychiatric harm, why not let the mom herself count the limbs?

By: Chuck

Chuck — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 23:24:50 +0000

This is the sort of research that is so basically flawed that when pro choice advocates want to ridicule pro lifers they will hold it up as an example.

By: Steven Ertelt

Steven Ertelt — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 21:03:52 +0000

The top researcher on the subject has already said it’s bunk:

http://www.lifenews.com/2011/01/26/new-study-denying-abortion-mental-health-link-contains-flaws/

By: Mike Melendez

Mike Melendez — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:52:45 +0000

Joe’s point seems most salient. They are using provider contact as a surrogate for the real thing, depression experienced. I guess we’ll have to read the article to see how they showed the correlation between those two. From the first hand stories I’ve read, none of those deeply regretting their abortions sought psychiatric help. That is a limited and self-selected sample but it is suggestive.

By: C. Ehrlich

C. Ehrlich — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:05:14 +0000

Let’s not forget that nearly 90% of all induced abortions are performed during the first trimester. Ms. Duke’s protests might incline some to suppose otherwise.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:39:18 +0000

There seems to be an implicit assumption in the study that contacting a psychiatric provider constitutes a mental disorder. The study does not reveal the results of the psychiatric evaluations after contact.

By: Brian

Brian — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:35:34 +0000

I noticed the discrepancy between CNN’s take and Reuters’. CNN ( http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/26/abortion.mental.health/ ) made ZERO mention of the fact that the abortions in the study were early, whereas the first word of Reuters’ headline ( http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/01/26/us-early-abortions-idUSTRE70P8ZK20110126 ) was “Early.” A separate, interesting point the study made was that while women who get early abortions don’t show an increase in mental health services obtained after the abortion when compared to before (both about 15 per 1000 women), that frequency is multiples more than women who went ahead and had their babies (4 per 1000 before the pregnancy, 7 per 1000 after childbirth).