Study in Finland Shows Abortion Deadlier for Women Than Childbirth

Helsinki, Findland -- A Finnish study disputes claims by abortion advocates that abortion is safer for a woman than childbirth.

The study results were released in 1997 by STAKES, the statistical analysis unit of Finland's National Research and Development Center for Welfare and Health, but are only now attracting attention in the United States.

The study involved maternal post-abortion deaths of 9,192 Finnish women, aged 15-49, during the period of 1987-1994. The researchers pulled death certificates and reproductive health records and then narrowed the study to women who had a pregnancy related event (birth, miscarriage, abortion) in the twelve months prior to their deaths. The deaths included suicide, accidental death, homicide and natural causes.

The results are startling. A woman's risk of dying within a year after an abortion was four times higher than the risk of dying after miscarriage or childbirth, according to the study

The results contradict statements made by the pro-abortion movement, that abortion is safer than childbirth for women. The National Abortion Federation, a group of 200 abortion facilities, says, "Abortion is one of the safest types of surgery. Complications from having an abortion...are less frequent and less serious than those associated with having birth."

Dr. David Reardon, Executive Director of the Elliot Institute, a Springfield, Illinois-based post-abortion research organization, believes the Finnish study is reliable. "I think it's impeccable, primarily because of the data base that's used...they actually had medical records. Because they have socialized medicine they have complete medical records on women," Reardon said.

Reardon sees this research as significant to the U.S. and other countries. "I hope it [will] impact at least the counseling procedure and the discussion. The claim that abortion is safer than childbirth should have at least a huge question mark behind it, if not be totally dismissed," Reardon said.

He also questions the accuracy of the informed consent pamphlets that many states require abortion facilities to distribute to women who are considering having an abortion. The booklets are supposed to provide information on the risks of abortion and alternatives to the procedure. Dr. Reardon said, " I don't think they adequately disclose to women the potential risks of abortion". The booklets should include this data showing abortion is more dangerous than childbirth.

Dr. Wanda Franz, the President of National Right to Life and a professor of clinical psychology at West Virginia University, was not surprised by the results of the study. "We have been talking about for years... the effects of abortion on women's health and well-being".

She also applauded the study for considering the long-term effects of abortion. "Their approach to looking at short-term and long-term effects is very important, because one of the things that we've noticed when we've looked at data in the past is that there do appear to be long-term effects. These are the ones that are very rarely addressed by our own abortion advocates in this country," Franz said.

The National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, the National Organization for Women and Planned Parenthood refused comment about the Finnish study.

Source: Conservative News Service; July 8, 2000 Pro-Life Infonet 7/10/00 #2206 For more information on abortion's risks and dangers, see the Abortion section of http://www.prolifeinfo.org