Post Abortion Trauma (3 views) Subscribe   
  From:  NRAdittos    6/13/2002 5:29 am  
To:  ALL   (1 of 2)  
 
  400.1  
 
Abortion Woman Sues NHS Over Psychological Effects 
Ananova 
Wednesday June 12, 2002 12:47 PM 


A woman is suing the NHS over the psychological trauma she claims to have suffered after having an abortion. 

She had the operation four years ago but, after giving birth to a son two-and-a-half years later, began to experience feelings of guilt and self-hatred and was on the brink of a nervous breakdown. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,1271,-1802548,00.html


 
 
  
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   From:  David (DavidABrown)    6/13/2002 7:28 am  
To:  NRAdittos    (2 of 2)  
 
  400.2 in reply to 400.1  
 
Hi,

Thanks for the post!

Here is the same event from "Infonet" a Daily/weekly Pro-Life Newsletter.

From:  The Pro-Life Infonet www.prolifeinfo.org
Reply-To:  Steven Ertelt infonet@prolifeinfo.org
Subject:   British Woman Sues Over Abortion Trauma
Source:   Cybercast News Service; June 12, 2002

British Woman Sues Over Abortion Trauma

"The floodgates could open," he said. "Women have not been told the truth,
they have been conned."

London, England -- In the first case of its kind in the U.K., a woman is
suing Britain's state-run health service for emotional distress following
an abortion.

The woman, who requested anonymity, had the abortion four years ago when
she was 24 years old. In an interview with BBC radio broadcast Wednesday,
she said the abortion was "very frightening."

"I was really confused and I didn't know what to do so I ended up having a
termination at the local hospital," she said. "I certainly wasn't in the
right frame of mind to make any decisions like that."

After the abortion, the woman said she drank heavily and eventually sought
counselling after she became pregnant again and gave birth to a boy.

"I'd always realized what I'd done, but that (the birth) brought it all
back," she said.

The woman said doctors with the National Health Service (NHS) never
inquired about her mental state before the abortion.

"There was no warning of any psychological effects or any links to breast
cancer," she said. "I just want to make the NHS aware of their approach
... I think they need to do something about it."

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is
responsible for formulating national recommendations on what women should
be told about abortion. The instructions include a list of complications
such as bleeding, perforation of the uterus, infection and failure of the
abortion to terminate the life of the unborn child, but do not include the
possibility of grief or mental anguish.

The guidelines, listed on the RCOG's website, say that after an abortion
"early distress, although common, is usually a continuation of symptoms
present before the abortion. Conversely, long-lasting, negative effects on
both mothers and their children are reported where abortion has been
denied."

The instructions also stipulate, "Referral for further counselling should
be available for the small minority of women who experience long-term post
abortion distress."

Dr. Gillian Penney, chairwoman of the RCOG's guideline development
committee, said that the organization's recommendations were thoroughly
researched and represented the balance of medical opinion.

"We don't think it's necessary to warn women about psychological
problems," she said.

Penney claimed that for most women, the risk of mental health problems is
greater if an abortion is denied than if it is carried out. "We've brought
together the whole body of evidence on this topic," she said.

An RCOG spokeswoman said Wednesday that the organization couldn't comment
specifically on the lawsuit.

The anonymous woman is being supported in her suit by Life, one of
Britain's leading pro-life groups, which called her "courageous."

"Women are not only not getting the whole story, they're getting none of
the story. They are being put on a conveyor belt," said Jack Scarisbrick,
Life's national chairman. "The information pamphlets they get regarding
abortion are bland and imply that it is a simple procedure with few
regrets."

Scarisbrick said that the RCOG has used outdated evidence in formulating
its guidelines.

He said that studies show that up to 10 percent of women suffer from
server psychological distress after an abortion and that women who have
had an abortion are three times more likely to attempt suicide than women
who carry a pregnancy to term.

"We will keep piling up the evidence," he said. "It's coming thick and
fast from around the world."

But Penney, the RCOG guidelines chief, said that groups interpreted
evidence

"Depending on your prejudices, you can be convinced of different
conclusions on this topic," she said. "There is no new evidence to
contradict the recommendations that have been made."

The RCOG's recommendations are reviewed every two years, with the next
review of abortion guidelines scheduled for January 2003.

Scarisbrick said his organization has already received women requesting
Life's help in pursuing claims against the NHS. Since most abortions in
Britain are approved by doctors on the grounds that a woman's mental
health is adversely affected by carrying a pregnancy to term, Scarisbrick
said successful suits could eventually halt most abortion in the U.K.

"The floodgates could open," he said. "Women have not been told the truth,
they have been conned."

In 1998 in Australia, a woman sued an abortion facility which she said had
not warned her of the possible psychological consequences of an abortion.
It became known as "Ellen's case" and in the end was settled, through
mediation, before it reached court. Ellen received a sum of money, but was
bound by a gagging order forbidding publication of the details.

Her lawyer, Melbourne QC Charles Francis, told the BBC that there are
other similar cases now in the pipeline, but so far none has come to open
court.

-- 
Thank you for supporting the Pro-Life Infonet. We appreciate your
prayers, encouraging emails, and your contributions.
--------------------



David A. Brown
Basic Christian: Forum
 
  
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