“For [women] who had psychological problems [after abortion] there was an association with psychiatric illness — previous psychiatric illness — pressure from others, difficulty getting a decision about having an abortion, poor support from family, and other things like strong personal values, so people who perhaps for religious reasons felt that abortion was wrong and then had an abortion would suffer guilt afterwards.”
— BARBARA LUSK, NZ Family Planning Association
There are no known psychiatric diseases which can be improved or cured by abortion.
There are also a number of published studies which indicate abortion may harm the mental health of some women, and/or increase the risk of suicide.
Therefore, with respect to women's mental health, the notion of “therapeutic abortion” is an oxymoron, often performed for the convenience of others (including mental health service providers), and a poor substitute for good psychiatric care.
Given that a physician advising a woman to have an abortion on mental health grounds cannot prove abortion will benefit the woman's mental health, we believe (s)he must be able to demonstrate that abortion will not harm the woman's mental health.
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