Does abortion increases risk of breast cancer?

No, The risk of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer increases with a woman's age at first
full-term pregnancy (NCI, 2016). The committee identified three case control studies of insured
women with abortion coverage that used documented records of a prior abortion (Brewster et
al., 2005; Goldacre et al., 2001; Newcomb and Mandelson, 2000). The studies controlled for a
variety of confounding variables, such as parity, age at delivery of first child, age at breast
cancer diagnosis, family history of breast cancer, race, and socioeconomic status.In a case
control study of Scottish women, Brewster and colleagues (2005) linked National Health Service
(NHS) hospital discharge and maternity records with national cancer registry and death records
dating from 1981 to 1998. The analysis included 2,833 cases (women with a first-time breast
cancer diagnosis before age 55) and 9,888 matched controls (women without cancer who had
been admitted to an acute care hospital for a non-obstetric, nongynecological condition).
Controls were matched with cases by birth year, year of breast cancer diagnosis, residence, and
socioeconomic status. The sample was stratified by the same variables, as well as age at breast
cancer diagnosis, parity, and age at delivery of first child. Women who had had a prior abortion
were no more likely than other women to develop breast cancer (aOR = 0.80; 95% CI =
0.72–0.89). Age at abortion, number of abortions, weeks of gestation, time since abortion, and
temporal sequence of live births and abortions also were not found to increase the risk of breast
cancer.Women with a prior abortion were found not to be at higher risk of breast cancer than
women with no abortion history (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.74–0.93). The control group was
matched by age and period of enrollment in the health plan. The analysis found no association
between a history of abortion and breast cancer; compared with women with no prior abortion,
the adjusted relative risk of breast cancer in women with an abortion was 0.9 (95% CI =
0.5–1.6).

Does abortion increase the risk of long term mental health problems? No
For example, Steinberg and colleagues (2014) found that women who have abortions report
higher rates of mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, and dysthymia) (21.0 percent)
before undergoing the procedure compared with women with no abortion history who give birth
(10.6 percent). Building on the previously published reviews, the NCCMH (2011) used
GRADE11 to analyze the quality of individual studies on several research questions, including
the focus of this review, that is, whether women who have an abortion experience more mental
health problems than women who deliver an unwanted pregnancy. The two reviews published
after the NCCMH report (Bellieni and Buonocore, 2013; Fergusson et al., 2013) identified no
additional studies that met the committee's selection criteria. After extensive quality checks of
the primary literature, including controlling for previous mental health problems, NCCMH (2011)
found that “the rates of mental health problems for women with an unwanted pregnancy were
the same whether they had an abortion or gave birth” (p. 8).

Does Abortion Increase the Risk of Premature Death?

No

WEEKS of GESTATION
Since national legalization, most abortions in the United States have been performed in early
pregnancy (≤13 weeks) (Cates et al., 2000; CDC, 1983; Elam-Evans et al., 2003; Jatlaoui et al.,
2016; Jones and Jerman, 2017a; Koonin and Smith, 1993; Lawson et al., 1989; Pazol et al.,
2015; Strauss et al., 2007).With such technological advances as highly sensitive pregnancy
tests and medication abortion, procedures are being performed at increasingly earlier
gestational stages. According to the CDC, the percentage of early abortions performed ≤6
weeks' gestation increased by 16 percent from 2004 to 2013 (Jatlaoui et al., 2016); in 2013, 38
percent of early abortions occurred ≤6 weeks (Jatlaoui et al., 2016). The proportion of
early-gestation abortions occurring ≤6 weeks is expected to increase even further as the use of
medication abortions becomes more widespread (Jones and Boonstra, 2016; Pazol et al.,
2012).Fewer than 9 percent of abortions are performed after 13 weeks' gestation; most of these
are D&E procedures (Jatlaoui et al., 2016). Induction abortion is the most infrequently used of
all abortion methods, accounting for approximately 2 percent of all abortions at 14 weeks'
gestation or later in 2013 (Jatlaoui et al., 2016).

Physical health effects The committee identified high-quality research on numerous outcomes
of interest and concludes that having an abortion does not increase a woman's risk of
secondary infertility, pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders, abnormal placentation (after a
D&E abortion), preterm birth, or breast cancer. Although rare, the risk of very preterm birth (<28
weeks' gestation) in a woman's first birth was found to be associated with having two or more
prior aspiration abortions compared with first births among women with no abortion history; the
risk appears to be associated with the number of prior abortions. Preterm birth is associated
with pregnancy spacing after an abortion: it is more likely if the interval between abortion and
conception is less than 6 months (this is also true of pregnancy spacing in general). The
committee did not find well-designed research on abortion's association with future ectopic
pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth, or long-term mortality. Findings on hemorrhage during a
subsequent pregnancy are inconclusive.

Mental health effects The committee identified a wide array of research on whether abortion
increases women's risk of depression, anxiety, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder and
concludes that having an abortion does not increase a woman's risk of these mental health
disorders.

Safety The clinical evidence clearly shows that legal abortions in the United States—whether by
medication, aspiration, D&E, or induction—are safe and effective. Serious complications are
rare. But the risk of a serious complication increases with weeks' gestation. As the number of
weeks increases, the invasiveness of the required procedure and the need for deeper levels of
sedation also increase.
Quality Health care quality is a multidimensional concept. Six attributes of health care
quality—safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity—were
central to the committee's review of the quality of abortion care. Table 5-1 details the
committee's conclusions regarding each of these quality attributes. Overall, the committee
concludes that the quality of abortion care depends to a great extent on where women live. In
many parts of the country, state regulations have created barriers to optimizing each dimension
of quality care. The quality of care is optimal when the care is based on current evidence and
when trained clinicians are available to provide abortion services.

Most abortions can be provided safely in office-based settings. No special equipment or

emergency arrangements are required for medication abortions. For other abortion methods,
the minimum facility characteristics depend on the level of sedation that is used. Aspiration
abortions are performed safely in office and clinic settings. If moderate sedation is used, the
facility should have emergency resuscitation equipment and an emergency transfer plan, as well
as equipment to monitor oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure. For D&Es that
involve deep sedation or general anesthesia, the facility should be similarly equipped and also
have equipment to provide general anesthesia and monitor ventilation.

Women with severe systemic disease require special measures if they desire or need deep
sedation or general anesthesia. These women require further clinical assessment and should
have their abortion in an accredited ambulatory surgery center or hospital.

WHY ABORTION IS HEALTH CARE

Restrictive laws lead to unsafe care

Deaths from unsafe abortion care are far more common when abortion is illegal or heavily
restricted.

Unsafe abortions are a leading cause of maternal death

Complications from unsafe abortions can have severe mental and physical health implications,
and account for approximately 4.7 to 13.2 percent of maternal deaths worldwide. This number is
likely even higher in fragile and conflict-affected countries, where many may lack access to
basic health care services

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that criminalizing abortion does not stop
abortions but only makes them less safe; unsafe abortions lead to 4.7 percent to 13.2 percent of
maternal deaths.

Medication abortions involve taking two medications: mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone
blocks progesterone, which is a hormone needed for a pregnancy to grow normally. The second
medication, misoprostol, is taken up to 48 hours later. Misoprostol causes the uterus to empty,
typically resulting in what feels like a heavy menstruation. Medication abortions work up to 70
days or eleven weeks after the first day of the last menstrual cycle. Mifepristone is included by
the WHO on their Model List of Essential Medicines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) allows patients to take mifepristone and misoprostol at home with the choice of
self-assessment or clinical follow-up to determine success of the medication abortion.

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine confirmed in 2018 that
abortions are safe and low-risk interventions. Also according to ACOG, the risk of death from
abortion is lower than one in 100,000 and the risk of dying in childbirth is fourteen times greater
than the risk of dying from an early abortion. Complications from medication abortion are rare as
well, occurring in less than one percent of patients. Similarly, complications are also rare in
aspiration abortions. One study analyzed Medicaid claims data in California and found that 0.16
percent of approximately 35,000 patients were found to have experienced serious
complications. With dilation and evacuation methods, the risk is increased due to increased
stage of pregnancy. Despite this increase, the rate of complication is still low, ranging from 0.05
to 4 percent.

Many motives lead individuals to end their pregnancies. One study found that the most cited
reasons for seeking an abortion were that having a child would interfere with a person’s
education, work, or ability to care for dependents (74 percent) that she could not afford a baby
(73 percent), that she did not want to be a single parent or was having relationship issues (48
percent). In addition, four in ten women said that they had completed their childbearing, and
about one-third of participants said they were not ready to have a child.

Abortion Restrictions are a Public Health Crisis

Denying access to abortions negatively impacts people’s physical health, mental health, and
economic stability. The Turnaway Study is the largest study that examines women’s experiences
with abortion and unwanted pregnancy in the United States. In this study, researchers tracked
the health of approximately 870 participants who sought abortions. About 160 participants were
denied abortions because they exceeded their clinics’ gestational limits. Participants who were
denied abortions more often reported that their overall health was “fair” or “poor” in comparison
to those who had an abortion, who reported that their health as “good” or “very good.” In
addition, women who were denied an abortion reported more life-threatening complications of
pregnancy like eclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage. Women who were denied an abortion
also reported higher instances of chronic headaches, migraines, and joint pain compared to
those that received an abortion. People seeking abortions experience a wide range of emotions
related to having abortions. However, women denied abortions report their stress and anxiety at
the highest levels when they are denied this service. The Turnaway Study looked at the
differences in mental health and the nuance in experiences for those who received an abortion
and those who were denied. Mental health harm was not associated with those who wanted and
were able to receive abortions. Those who were denied abortions had higher rates of anxiety
and low selfesteem approximately one week after the denial. However, those who received
abortions and those who were denied had similar rates of depression and both groups reported
a reduction in depression over five years. The researchers found that the most significant
factors linked with depression after seeking an abortion were an existing history of mental health
conditions, history of child abuse, and neglect. Similarly, women seeking abortions after their
first trimester did not experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, or other mental health harm
than women who were obtaining an abortion in their first trimester, and stress levels between
the two groups were similar by six months post abortion.

The National Health Law Program believes that abortion is health care and should be covered
and accessible like any other medical intervention. Abortions are only unsafe when they are
inaccessible, restricted, and denied.

ABORTION IS WOMENS RIGHT

Is abortion a human rights issue?

Access to safe, legal abortion is a matter of human rights. Authoritative interpretations of

international human rights law establish that denying women, girls, and other pregnant people
access to abortion is a form of discrimination and jeopardizes a range of human rights. United
Nations human rights treaty bodies regularly call for governments to decriminalize abortion in all
cases and to ensure access to safe, legal abortion in certain circumstances at a minimuN on of
maternal mortality.

Is the right to life at risk when access to abortion is restricted or banned?

Yes. Legal restrictions on abortion often result in more illegal abortions, which may also be
unsafe and may drive higher maternal mortality and morbidity. As a result, lack of access to safe
and legal abortion puts the lives of pregnant people at risk.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), complications from pregnancy and
childbirth are the leading cause of death for girls and young women ages 15 to 19, and children
ages 10 to 14 have a higher risk of health complications and death from pregnancy than adults.
WHO has also found that the removal of restrictions on abortion results in the reduction of
maternal mortality.

Is abortion a murder?
C Werning From a medical point of view the function of the brain is fundamentally
linked to being human. The brain controls almost all functions of the body and
determines its psychological makeup, such as intellect and, in a theological sense, the
soul. Without the brain such functioning is not possible, since brain death means the
death of human life.

There are a great many facts that conservatives feel comfortable ignoring when it comes to the
abortion debate. They can pretend fetuses are indistinguishable from babies, despite the fact
that medical evidence tells us fetuses cannot live unsupported, even with a respirator before 21
weeks. They can pretend they feel pain, even though scientific consensus tells us that until at
least 24 weeks, a fetus cannot feel anything like pain because they do not yet have the brain
connections to do so.

They can pretend that every fertilized egg is a human, ignoring the fact that the majority do not
actually make it to birth and this does not seem to upset people overmuch. (Jill Filipovic, lawyer
and author of The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness, has quite reasonably pointed out
that, “There has been no concerted anti-abortion effort to demand research funding into why all
of these fertilized eggs die, or to find a cure. Perhaps that’s because even the most active
anti-abortion advocates know the truth is that a fertilized egg is not the same as a
three-year-old, and they do not genuinely believe that it has the same right to life.”)

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They can pretend that abortions cause women horrible psychological damage, although they do
not. Or that women who have them are plagued by regret (results of a 2015 study showed that
approximately 95 percent of women who had abortions claimed it was the right decision for
them). They can say that women who have abortions are somehow unusually promiscuous
(pre-marital sex is "nearly universal" in America, according to a 2007 study, and has been for
decades), or that women could easily avoid having them by being on birth control (more than
half of women who get abortions are also using contraception).

As for the notion that the fetus is non-threatening—it’s impossible to deny that a fetus poses a
risk to a woman, purely because she has to use her body to incubate it. And in America, she
has to do so in a country with the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed world.

"A fetus poses a risk to a woman, purely because she has to use her body to incubate it. And in
America, she has to do so in a country with the worst rate of maternal deaths in the developed
world."

If you think “okay, but that only happens to poor women” well, no, but low income women do
face greater risks. That is one reason that denying women the right to abortion is a kind of class
warfare. Seventy-three percent of women seeking abortions do so because they’re financially
unready to have a child. Legal abortions are considerably safer than childbirth. So, if you believe
in abortion only in cases where it endangers the life of the mother, well, welcome to America,
one of the few countries where the maternal death rate is on the rise. Pregnancy always
endangers the life of a mother.

One of the fundamental claims of the pro-life community is that life begins at
conception. This, in turn, is a key assumption underlying the claim that abortion is
murder. But is it really true, that life begins at conception? No, I’m not suggesting that
life begins later, I’m saying it begins earlier.

Conception results from a sperm fertilizing an egg. But that sperm, when it is formed in
the male and then travels towards the egg – is it not alive the whole time? A dead
sperm would have no impact on an egg whatsoever. And the egg, while it waits inside
the female – is it not also alive well before the sperm gets there? So then, the life of
neither the sperm nor the egg begins at conception. How is it then, that the act of
conception imparts a life that was not already in existence?

It is a truth that all life comes from life. No life comes from that which is not alive. This is
part of the great mystery of life – that all life traces back to the beginning of creation.
And God has never imparted to mankind either the ability, or the authority, to create life
from non-life. It doesn’t happen naturally, either. God is not creating life from non-life
when conception occurs. Nor are mere biological processes.

So what actually happens at conception? Conception merely creates a new combination

of DNA which never existed before. A new variation of life, if you will. But not actually a
creation of life from non-life. So the statement that life begins at conception is
misleading, at best. And non-helpful, in any case.
n order for abortion to be murder, the fertilized egg which develops into a fetus must not
be merely alive, it must also be a person. And so life becomes a euphemism for a
person.