March 20,, 2013 Dear ProLife Colleague, The February AAPLOG CME meeting provided excellent and unique content. The entire summary is found at: https://www.aaplog.org/aaplog-annual-educational-meeting/ The 12th educational symposium delved deeply into behavioral aspect of reproductive health, reproductive biology, medical ethics, clinical aspects of women’s health care, and psychological effects of abortion. This letter summarizes the last 4 speakers on the program. David Prentice updated us on new research in stem cells including both embryonic and adult stem cells. To date there are no useful therapies from embryonic stem cells (ESCs), despite enormous infusions of money. Even proponents of ESC research now admit that earlier promises of cure were overstated and the real results are “decades away.” Problems with the oncogenic and uncontrollable nature of ESC’s have not been overcome. A number of institutions such as Geron Corporation have discontinued ESC research after initially promoting it for cancer therapies. Others, including early proponents of cloning, have renewed emphasis on adult stem cell research, using reprogrammed adult stem cells. Dr. Prentice gave examples of a growing number of successful therapies utilizing adult stem cells, including reversal of diabetes, improvement of quadriplegia, and therapeutic growth of heart and bone tissue. One of the most intriguing treatments was spray-on stem cells for use in burns. Thea Ramirez gave us an update on adoption. She emphasized that adoption can be a very healthy and life affirming solution for young women with an unplanned pregnancy. Currently 10 abortions occur for every adoption, largely due to misperceptions and myths about the harmful psychological effects of adoption on the birth mother and adoptee. Both adoption and abortion involve losses, but the loss for a woman in abortion is greater and permanent. Studies have shown that young women, whose babies are adopted, compared to those who become single parents, are more likely to complete their education, be employed, and get married; they are less likely to have a repeat out-of-wedlock pregnancy and become divorced in later marriages. Priscilla Coleman addressed psychological morbidity of birth compared to abortion for the woman faced with an unplanned pregnancy. The most well established risk factors for psychological problems with abortion include coercion, religious views valuing life, ambivalence about abortion, bonding to the fetus, young age, and conflicted relationships with others, as well as pre-existing mental health issues. Coleman’s own current research is underway studying long term effects on women who have undergone abortion. 3% strongly agreed and 8% agreed with the statement that they made realistic attempts to take their own life. 14% strongly agreed and 28% agreed with the statement that because of the abortion they stopped taking care of themselves; 73% of those affected said that this effect lasted three years or more. A study emerged from France (Roussett, 2011) indicating that women undergoing medical abortion experienced significantly more serious adverse effects such as PTSD (38%) compared with those undergoing surgical abortions, consistent with earlier studies. In contrast, motherhood offers physiological and psychological benefits including improved neural circuitry and brain development, as well as protection against suicide. Some benefits, including being overjoyed with their pregnancies just prior to delivery, occurred with both planned and unplanned pregnancies (87% and 79% in Deave, 2005). Vincent Rue provided us with an overview of studies of the effect of abortion on men. There is limited funding for this politically incorrect field of inquiry since abortion is supposed to be a “woman’s issue.” Nonetheless, men can be profoundly affected by abortion. The most common feeling is overwhelming helplessness, as well as grief. Men tend to suppress their emotions to support their partners. He also discussed how abortion is a major stressor on relationships; higher levels of verbal and physical violence are found following abortion. Both men and women exhibited an increased tendency to engage in impersonal sex following abortion (Coleman et al. 2008). Dr. Rue proposed that a significant constellation of symptoms in couples could be termed PARS, or post-abortion relationship syndrome. Criteria would include a psychologically traumatic abortion experience inducing horror, fear or helplessness; re-experiencing the abortion through dreams or intrusive thoughts, flashbacks; symptoms of avoidance and detachment; symptoms of arousal such as insomnia, irritability, hypervigilance; and impairment in intimate relationships. The Research and Strategy Meeting of February 22 will be discussed in a following post.
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