Sukhbir S Singh, William A Fisher
Extract
L.L. deVeber and Ian Gentles imply that termination of pregnancy causes psychological problems. However, pre-existing differences between women who seek abortion and those who carry pregnancies to term are considerable and may account for differences in psychological status after abortion or delivery. A relevant comparison would assess psychological distress experienced by women seeking and obtaining an abortion and those seeking but denied pregnancy termination. . . The research cited by deVeber and Gentles, however, fails to meet this standard. . . . There is no causal evidence that abortion alone elevates the risk of psychiatric admission. Observational evidence of such an association may be readily interpreted as resulting from confounding pre-existing factors.
Singh SS, Fisher WA. (Corrrespondence) Psychological aftermath of abortion (Two of the authors respond). Can Med Assoc J. 2005 Aug 30;173(5):467.