What's definition of a 'wanted' baby?

The American Psychological Association has published a report declaring "there is no meaningful connection between abortion and subsequent psychological disturbances in women."

However, the APA report does concede a woman can have negative psychological consequences, but only in cases where a "wanted" child was aborted.

David Reardon of the Elliot Institute has done numerous studies producing data showing the impact of abortion on women. Reardon's research of post-abortion women showed that over 60 percent felt "forced" into unwanted abortions by people or circumstances.

Other studies show 90 percent of abortions are done to please someone other than the woman.

If such a large majority of women who have abortions believe the abortion was not their choice, were those children wanted or unwanted?

Why would a woman feel pressured or forced into abortion if she truly considered the baby unwanted? Apparently, when they learn of the pregnancy, many women who have unplanned pregnancies decide they do not want to kill their children.

Abortion advocates may describe these children as unwanted, but that conclusion is not correct just because the pregnancies were unplanned.

The APA report states, "Among adult women who have an unplanned pregnancy, the relative risk of mental health problems is no greater if they have a single elective first-trimester abortion than if they deliver that pregnancy."

That statement implies that "unplanned" and "unwanted" are effectively equivalent.

This misleading equivalence is further conveyed when the report states "It is when a wanted child is killed or dies that a woman experiences subsequent negative mental consequences."

If the APA would recognize that many more babies are wanted, even though unplanned, they would be forced to conclude that many women have negative mental consequences after abortion.

William Beckman

Executive Director

Illinois Right to Life Committee

Chicago