renata
22nd May 2003, 06:34 AM
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-abort22may22,1,3796805.story?coll=la%2Dhome%2Dhead lines
Emphasis mine below. Now people have different feelings about abortion, but it appears these guys are using discredited reasearch to fit their agenda. I do not think a reflection period is a bad idea, although it seems to be used here merely as a stumbling block. But requiring doctors to tell patients things that doctors know to be factually untrue is very cynical.
Texas approved one of the nation's most sweeping abortion counseling laws Wednesday, requiring doctors, among other things, to warn women that abortion might lead to breast cancer.
That link, however, does not exist, according to the American Cancer Society and federal government researchers, and critics say the law is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate, frighten and shame women who are seeking an abortion.
.....
After years of failed attempts to outlaw abortion outright, social conservatives across the nation are now finding success in limiting abortions by requiring so-called counseling of patients. Among the most aggressive tactics is the attempt to link abortion with breast cancer, a move that many conservative organizations have undertaken, but rarely with the success they have found in Texas.
"They don't care what science says," said Claudia D. Stravato, chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. "It's like talking to the Flat Earth Society."
....
The Texas law requires women to wait through a 24-hour "reflection" period before they receive an abortion, making Texas the 18th state with that law on the books. Supporters say that provision will help ensure that women are making the right decision. Opponents point out that abortion services are only available in 15 of Texas' 254 counties, and say the waiting period will be a hardship for women from rural areas who have to travel long distances for health care.
....
Women would be offered photographs approximating what their fetus looks like — color photographs, as specified by the law. Democrats' attempts to exempt victims of rape or incest from having to view the photos were defeated, ....
...
Finally, the bill requires doctors to offer women information warning them that abortion can increase the risk of breast cancer. Texas becomes one of a handful of states, including Mississippi and Minnesota, with such laws on the books.
....
Researchers aren't sure what causes breast cancer, but some believe that hormonal changes associated with the final stages of pregnancy can help protect a woman from breast cancer. Others have argued that breast cells might become vulnerable to cancer if those hormones do not develop, a notion that social conservatives have seized upon.
Doctors will have to offer all women information about the alleged link between abortion and breast cancer — even if they have had children previously and, therefore, have developed the hormones.
In February, the National Cancer Institute — the federal government's cancer research organization — asked more than 100 of the world's experts to review more than 30 studies that have been conducted and attempt to resolve the issue. Their conclusion: Having an abortion "does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer." ...
..
"The American Cancer Society's reputation as a source of information for the public is just critical to our mission. We're not going to mislead people about this," said Mary Coyne, a board member of the society's Texas division. "We spend $100 million a year on research. We know what we're talking about. There is just no research that supports this claim."
Corte, who has a professional background in property management, said he believes that conclusion is "flawed."
....
Emphasis mine below. Now people have different feelings about abortion, but it appears these guys are using discredited reasearch to fit their agenda. I do not think a reflection period is a bad idea, although it seems to be used here merely as a stumbling block. But requiring doctors to tell patients things that doctors know to be factually untrue is very cynical.
Texas approved one of the nation's most sweeping abortion counseling laws Wednesday, requiring doctors, among other things, to warn women that abortion might lead to breast cancer.
That link, however, does not exist, according to the American Cancer Society and federal government researchers, and critics say the law is a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate, frighten and shame women who are seeking an abortion.
.....
After years of failed attempts to outlaw abortion outright, social conservatives across the nation are now finding success in limiting abortions by requiring so-called counseling of patients. Among the most aggressive tactics is the attempt to link abortion with breast cancer, a move that many conservative organizations have undertaken, but rarely with the success they have found in Texas.
"They don't care what science says," said Claudia D. Stravato, chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Amarillo and the Texas Panhandle. "It's like talking to the Flat Earth Society."
....
The Texas law requires women to wait through a 24-hour "reflection" period before they receive an abortion, making Texas the 18th state with that law on the books. Supporters say that provision will help ensure that women are making the right decision. Opponents point out that abortion services are only available in 15 of Texas' 254 counties, and say the waiting period will be a hardship for women from rural areas who have to travel long distances for health care.
....
Women would be offered photographs approximating what their fetus looks like — color photographs, as specified by the law. Democrats' attempts to exempt victims of rape or incest from having to view the photos were defeated, ....
...
Finally, the bill requires doctors to offer women information warning them that abortion can increase the risk of breast cancer. Texas becomes one of a handful of states, including Mississippi and Minnesota, with such laws on the books.
....
Researchers aren't sure what causes breast cancer, but some believe that hormonal changes associated with the final stages of pregnancy can help protect a woman from breast cancer. Others have argued that breast cells might become vulnerable to cancer if those hormones do not develop, a notion that social conservatives have seized upon.
Doctors will have to offer all women information about the alleged link between abortion and breast cancer — even if they have had children previously and, therefore, have developed the hormones.
In February, the National Cancer Institute — the federal government's cancer research organization — asked more than 100 of the world's experts to review more than 30 studies that have been conducted and attempt to resolve the issue. Their conclusion: Having an abortion "does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer." ...
..
"The American Cancer Society's reputation as a source of information for the public is just critical to our mission. We're not going to mislead people about this," said Mary Coyne, a board member of the society's Texas division. "We spend $100 million a year on research. We know what we're talking about. There is just no research that supports this claim."
Corte, who has a professional background in property management, said he believes that conclusion is "flawed."
....