Letter to the Editor: Abortion saves lives too
Abigail Nichols’ column, New anti-abortion bill saves fetuses, is full of anti-abortion bias. But what irks me the most is it echoing the bill’s false claim that abortions are “a risk to women’s physical and mental health.” Enough with harmful disinformation.
Abortion is a safe and common health care service that brings relief to thousands each year.
A longitudinal study found that only 1% of women regretted their abortion five years later, and while both negative and positive feelings declined, relief remained the most predominant emotion.
Moreover, it was found that emotions surrounding abortion are associated with personal and social contexts, not the procedure in itself.
Furthermore, the risk of death associated with childbirth is 14 times higher than that of abortion.
The mortality rate among women who delivered a newborn child was 8.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, while the mortality rate related to induced abortions was only 0.6 deaths per 100,000 abortions, according to a 2012 study.
An overwhelming majority of abortions — nearly 93% — are performed during the first trimester, according to a 2019 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. However, there are many reasons someone may seek an abortion after the second trimester has begun.
Lack of access to care, high costs, intimate partner violence and unknown pregnancy status’ are a few examples of why someone needs an abortion after 12 weeks. Abortion after the first trimester is still as safe, or safer, than carrying a pregnancy to term.
It’s important that when discussing reproductive health not to quote false rhetoric — particularly unfounded notions about the impact abortion has on women.
Sincerely,
Lacorya Lynn
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