Shameless Self-Promotion: National Women’s Health Network
A few months back, the National Women’s Health Network approached me about writing a column every so often for their newsletter, Women’s Health Activist. I can now share with you my first ever such piece for them, in the November/December issue – APA Releases New Report: Abortion No Threat to Women’s Mental Health – which addresses the findings of the APA on single abortion and mental health, as well as a bit of history and context on the issue.
I should note that I’m not at all insensitive to the needs of those women who do experience some mental health issues after abortion, or who are already struggling beforehand for a variety of reasons. I think Exhale’s support work and pledge to “respect the cultural, social and religious beliefs of all our callers” serves a need. However, I tend to agree with a sentiment expressed in Abortion and Life by Jennifer Baumgardner, which I just read, that we can acknowledge the varied experiences of women around abortion while protecting their right to make that choice. I would add that we should do so with a consideration of the evidence in the face of those who would claim that all women are permanently anguished and so we should restrict abortion in order to protect the womenfolk from themselves. This is my little contribution to the discussion.
PS-Judy and Kiki of OBOS also have a piece in this issue, on the most recent book, Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth.
