Health and Fitness

New Study Reaffirms Abortion Is Safe, PPFA Urges Policy Makers to Base Legislation on Science


WASHINGTON, DC –(ENEWSPF)—December 9, 2014. In response to a new study reaffirming that abortion as practiced in America today is safe, Planned Parenthood released the following statement urging elected officials to consider the science when drafting legislation that affects women’s health, most notably medically unnecessary targeted restrictions on abortion providers (TRAP), which have been introduced and passed by anti-women’s health legislators and special interest groups with the stated intent to “increase safety.”

Statement from Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America:

“Yet another study affirms abortion in America today is safe. The science says abortion is safe, but time and time again elected officials are ignoring the facts and jamming through abortion restrictions under a false guise of ‘safety’ when they actually endanger women.  We urge legislators to use the facts when making policy that affects women’s lives.” 

Background:

Data, including from the CDC, has shown abortion has a 99 percent safety record.

The study released yesterday finds women experience serious complications significantly less than 1 percent of the time. It also found that when a woman goes to an emergency room after an abortion, in half the cases it is for conditions unrelated to the abortion.  The authors also found that the majority of abortion-related complications women experience are minor.

Half of all pregnancies in the U.S. each year are unintended, and four in 10 of these are ended by medically safe, legal abortions.

Abortions are similar, in terms of level of risk, to other gynecological procedures that take place in outpatient settings every day, including loop electrosurgical excision procedure (“LEEP”), hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsies.

Despite the science, politicians in state-after-state continue introducing and passing legislation that restricts access to reproductive health care and safe and legal abortion. Just last week in Ohio, our supporters rallied to oppose one of the most extreme anti-abortion bills in the nation as it could come up for a vote in the state House in the coming days.  The bill would ban abortion as early as six weeks in a woman’s pregnancy — when many women don’t even know they’re pregnant. Politicians in South Carolina have now introduced a similar measure.

Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With more than 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.

Source: Planned Parenthood Federation of America


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