Article 3

Divya Unni

Mrs. Bailey

AP Government- 7th

01 October 2010

Article #3 Summary

Title: Psychological After- Effects of Abortion

Author: Joyce Arthur

Main Idea: Mental trauma caused by abortions is not a reality, but the inaccurate information portrayed by anti-choice supporters.

Summary

·      Mental trauma as a result of abortion has been a highly controversial topic.

·      Anti abortionist have attributed depression, rage, social and sexual dysfunction, severe and long-lasting guilt” as some of the  consequences women deal with as a result of abortion.

·      Studies have refuted the charge of any mental trauma in women post –abortion.

·      Some psychiatrist studies and anti-choice groups tend to group women who have abortions as victims or deviant-the former are those who are compelled into abortion and the other who undergoes abortion nonchalantly.

·      Reviews from Science and American Journal of Psychiatry assessed that though psychological disorders do occur after abortion, they are not severe and not long lasting.

·      In conclusion, recognizing that a certain group of women who have undergone or plan to undergo abortion will need additional counseling, is a major fact in drastically reducing the negative impact of anti-choice supporters misrepresentation of facts.

3 Important Facts:

1.There are psychological consequences to abortion but they are short- term and not severe.

2.  People who were denied abortion bore long-term resentment and their unwanted children were likely to have emotional scars

3.  With proper counseling, the people who have undergone abortion can deal with the damage done by anti-choice rhetoric.

Bias/ Faulty Reasoning: It is an article written by a pro- choice supporter and is very opinionated. Although she has many references and statistics, she is not a psychiatrist and therefore not qualified to judge a medical condition.

New Terms/Concepts:

1.     Volatile- explosive

2.     Deviant- not following the normal

Bibliography: http://www.abortionaccess.info/abortiongrief.htm way of life