Source: Elliot Institute; June 18, 2000

New Study Shows Abortion Four Times More Dangerous Than Childbirth

Springfield, IL -- A recent government funded study in Finland shows that women who have abortions are approximately four times more likely to die

in the following year than women who carry their pregnancies to term. In addition, women who carry to term are only half as likely to die as women

who were not pregnant.

"This is an impeccable, record-based study," said David C. Reardon, Ph.D., who authored a review of the Finland study and other related studies in

the latest issue of The Post-Abortion Review. "It proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that abortion is not safer than childbirth."

Researchers from the statistical analysis unit of Finland's National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health examined death

certificate records for all women of reproductive age (15-49) who died between 1987 and 1994 a total of 9,129 women. They then examined the

national health care database to identify any pregnancy-related events for the women in the 12 months prior to their deaths.

The researchers found that compared to women who carried to term, women who aborted in the year prior to their deaths were 60 percent more likely

to die of natural causes, seven times more likely to die of suicide, four times more likely to die of injuries related to accidents, and 14 times

more likely to die from homicide. Researchers believe the higher rate of deaths related to accidents and homicide may be linked to higher rates of

suicidal or risk-taking behavior.

"Even though this important study was published in the top Scandinavian obstetrics journal, it has been completely ignored by the American press,"

Reardon said. "Even worse, abortion counselors continue to lie to American women. They are telling women that abortion is safer than

childbirth, when this and other irrefutable studies prove exactly the opposite. The entire body of medical literature clearly shows that

abortion contributes to a decline in women's physical and mental health. Women aren't hearing this. Nor are they being told that giving birth

actually contributes to women's overall health, not only in comparison to those who abort but also in comparison to women who have not been

pregnant."

Reardon believes that abortion providers are collaborating with population control zealots to conceal the risks of abortion in order to advance their

own financial and social engineering agendas. "If they were really pro-choice, they would want women to know about abortion's true risks," he

said. "Instead, they are offering women a bundle of half-truths and complete fabrications."

A link to a full text copy of The Post-Abortion Review article can be found at http://www.afterabortion.org/PAR/V8/n2/finland.html

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