Abortion has no effect on mental health, says study

Jeremy Laurance Author Biography

Jeremy Laurance

Jeremy Laurance is Health Editor of The Independent and the i and has covered the specialism for more than 20 years. He thinks the harm medicine does is under-appreciated, the harm it prevents over-rated, and that cycling works better than most drugs. He was named Specialist Journalist of the Year in the 2011 British Press Awards.

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Friday 09 December 2011

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The world's largest review of the impact of abortion on women's mental health has concluded that terminating a pregnancy does not increase the risk of mental problems in women who choose it.

Instead, the review found they already have a higher rate of mental problems by virtue of having an unwanted pregnancy. The outcome of the pregnancy did not affect their mental health.

The findings will reassure the 200,000 women a year who have an abortion in the UK. But they were attacked by anti-abortion organisations. Published by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, the study was based on 44 research papers selected from 180, and included hundreds of thousands of women. Previous reviews have produced conflicting results.

Dr Tim Kendall, director of the National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, which carried out the study, said: "We believe we have used the best-quality evidence available and that this is the most comprehensive and detailed review worldwide."

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