Study Links Abortion, Substance Abuse

Women who have an abortion are five times more likely to report subsequent substance abuse compared to women who carry to term, according to a study published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The abstract can be read free online.

Abstract: Abortion and Subsequent Substance Abuse

On-line access to the entire text of the article requires a paid subscription, available by clicking "PDF" at the abstract title.

The study was authored by Elliot Institute director Dr. David Reardon and Dr. Philip Ney, a British Columbia psychiatrist who specializes in post-abortion counseling. According to the authors, while the connection between abortion and substance abuse has never been widely publicized, this is at least the 16th published study connecting a history of abortion to subsequent drug or alcohol abuse.

Reardon commented, "Even if we assume the lowest statistical range for the relative risk, our results would indicate that each year, in the United States alone, there are at least 150,000 new cases of abortion-related substance abuse."

While many proponents of abortion dispute a causal link between abortion and substance abuse, Ney insists that his own experience in successfully treating abortion trauma proves that this connection is far more than a statistical fluke.

"I have treated women with a long history of self-destructive behavior who have only made progress in overcoming these tendencies after they had completed counseling for abortion trauma," says Ney. "Many other therapists have had the same experience. Consistently good results can only come from the right diagnosis and the right treatment."

For more information on this study and a list of citations and links to other studies mentioned in this news release, go to Elliot Institute.

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