POST-ABORTION PSYCHIATRIC ILLNESS-A MYTH?
JEROME M. KUMMER M.D.1
1 Assoc. Clin. Prof., Dept. of Psychiatry, Univ. of Calif., Los Angeles School of Medicine.
No known attempts to document statistically the incidence of post-abortion psychiatric illness have been found in American medical literature, yet many writers describe and discuss this as fairly common after-effects of both therapeutic and criminal abortion.
Preliminary findings of a multi-lateral investigation reveal that psychiatric sequelae of moderate to severe intensiky following abortion are very rare, markedly less than the incidence of psychiatric illness related to pregnancy and childbirth.
This study involved surveying a small sample of American psychiatrists, attempting to gather data from statistical departments of govermental agencies, and surveying psychiatrists from other countries, particularly those where abortion is either liberally available or completely legal.
Comparisions are made to the situation concerning physical after-effects of abortion, which recent studies have shown to have been much exaggerated. Enforcement of the taboo against abortion is considered the basis for the widespread myths in this area and resistance to factual documentation.
