A Louisiana bill was passed this week to require abortionists to inform their patients of the psychological effects of abortion. Women seeking an abortion would receive a pamphlet with information about the psychological effects of abortion along with mental health resources, and the patient would sign a form confirming that they received the information and that they will wait 24 hours before returning for the abortion. This has abortion supporters up in arms.
One such supporter is Amanda Marcotte of RH Reality Check. She claims the bill is based on lies and is an attempt on by Christian conservatives to ignore science and manipulate women. She says the bill “is focused strictly on false mental health claims.”
All Marcotte would have to do to realize that there truly are lifelong psychological effects from abortion would to be to ask one of the countless women who are tortured for decades by their abortion. Or she could read one of the many studies that supports what these post-abortive women are saying. Even a CNN special report highlighted the stories of emotional pain from post-abortive women. According to a study in the British Journal of Psychiatry, post-abortive women experienced 30% higher mental health issues compares to other women.
Perhaps the Louisiana bill actually is based on facts, science and real life experiences after all. But Marcotte insists women are perfectly fine after their abortions and that anti-abortion politicians are making up these proven psychological effects in order to control women.
She claims that anti-abortion politicians think women should only have sex for the purpose of having children. She says that according to Christian conservatives a woman who is having sex without the intention of having a child is “malfunctioning” and that Christians believe women are meant to be “asexual beings”. This is quite an assumption. She couldn’t be more wrong. And a recent study proved it.
A study on sex, based on the University of Chicago’s last National Health and Social Life Survey, found that devout, married Catholics have the best sex of any demographic group. Yes you read that right, devout Catholics. Overall, the study found that the most enjoyable and frequent sex occurred among married couples who attend church weekly, Catholic or not. These couples also had the least amount of sexual partners.
So Marcotte’s claim that conservatives are all afraid of sex and the men want to control women is way off base. And since she doesn’t seem to be up-to-date on the numerous studies that prove there are psychological effects of abortion on women, and doesn’t want to be bothered actually talking to or reading the stories of the women who have spent the rest of their lives after an abortion in agony and regret, her entire article should be ignored. It isn’t based on a single ounce of truth.
