Linda Birmingham (lbirming@acs.ryerson.ca) wrote:

The following article appeared in the Globe and Mail, 
Tuesday September 14, 1993

Guilt over abortion is rare, study finds
Adoption trauma seen as more severe

by Charlotte Parsons

TORONTO - A year has passed since the day Ann walked
through the doors of the Women's Medical Clinic in
Montreal.

She still remembers what she wore (a McGill University
sweatshirt and a ponytail) and how tightly she clutched
her best friend's hand as she waited for her name to be
called.

She recalls the fear she felt before her abortion, too. 
But although she was told to expect to feel remorse in
the months that followed, Ann (a pseudonym) says she
has experienced no guilt at all.

Ann's response is the rule, not the exception, says
Paul Sachdev, a professor of social work at Memorial
University of Newfoundland in St. John's.

For his new book, *Sex, Abortion and Unmarried Women*,
Dr. Sachdev conducted in-depth interviews with 70 women
six to one year after they had abortions.

"Soon after the abortion, most women (78.6 percent)
felt relief and satisfaction,' he wrote.  "Long-term
psychological reactions of guilt or depression were
rare".

Other conclusions from Dr. Sachdev's study, all hotly
contested by anti-abortion groups, were that abortion
is less traumatic than relinquishing an infant to
adoption, and that its use as a form of birth control
is not increasing.

"Sometimes you hear that unmarried women see abortion
as having a tooth pulled out," Dr. Sachdev said.  "But
no, they take it very seriously".

Previous Canadian studies have reached similar
conclusions, but many used methods such as mailed
questionnaires.  Dr. Sachdev conducted individual
three-hour interviews with 70 women, six months to one
year after the abortions.

He sought to eliminate the influence of factors such as
age, race, gestation period and marital status by
choosing women with similar backgrounds.  All were
unmarried Caucasian women between 18 and 25 - the
largest group seeking abortions in Canada - from the
records of three major Ontario hospitals.

All of the women had experienced their first pregnancy
and terminated it in the first trimester on mental-
health grounds.

Dr. Sachdev, a professor at Memorial for 20 years,
makes no secret of his own pro-choice leanings.  In
fact, the book is dedicated to advocates of
reproductive choice.

His results failed to impress June Scandiffio,
president of Right to Life's Toronto branch.  She noted
in an interview that almost 10 per cent refused to be
interviewed because of painful memories.  "That changes
the sample in terms of trauma".

"Post-traumatic abortion syndrome doesn't show itself
until seven or eight years after the abortion," she
said.  "I'm not questioning the honesty or sincerity of
the women interviewed, but I think there's a deeply
buried mourning, because they suppress it for so many
years".

A common contention of opponents of abortion is that
the legalization of abortions has led more and more
women to use it as their main form of birth control. 
Of the 46 women in Dr. Sachdev's study who reported
irregular or non-existent use of contraceptives, only
six cited awareness of "abortion as a backup measure"
as the reason for the negligence.

By far the most popular reason among the women was an
almost superstitious belief that pregnancy would never
happen to them.

"Three-fourths of the women did not think they could or
would become pregnant," Dr. Sachdev wrote.  "Either
because they trusted the external force of luck...or
because they were convinced that the mere denial of
occurrence of pregnancy will ward off the consequences
of unprotected sex".

Ann became pregnant despite the use of condoms.  She
finds the concept using abortion as another form of
birth control unfathomable.

"People who say it could become another form of birth
control have never experienced the anguish of an
unwanted pregnancy.  The decision to have an abortion
involves as much of your heart and mind as the decision
to have a child".

She said she also agrees with Dr. Sachdev's conclusion
that abortion is far less traumatic than relinquishing
an infant to adoption.

"I don't understand how anyone could nurture a child
inside their womb and then just give it up," she said. 
"I'm very much in love with my boyfriend and I could
never give up the product of our love, but we're too
young and I know we couldn't give it the proper life it
deserves yet".

Mrs. Scandiffio believes many of the women studied were
indeed using abortion as birth control.

She said women would be better served by programs to
help single mothers than by legislation making abortion
more accessible.

Dr. Sachdev believes the opposite.  He said he hopes
that his study will promote understanding of the
abortion issue as the federal election throws it back
into the spotlight.
        - end of article -

Regarding the impending federal election, the leaders of
the three major political parties (Conservatives,
Liberals and New Democrats) have publicly stated they
are pro-choice and support the current legal situation
in Canada that being there is no abortion legislation and 
abortion is regulated by the medical community.


Linda
--
"I believe one ought to try everything in life just once,
 except, of course, incest and Morris dancing" Sir Thomas Beecham