You would think they think this is true!
Posted on 07/18/2006 1:35:59 AM PDT by neverdem
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Women who consult with pregnancy resource centers often get misleading information about the health risks associated with having an abortion, according to a report issued Monday by Democrats on the House Government Reform Committee.
Congressional aides, posing as pregnant 17-year-olds, called 25 pregnancy centers that have received some federal funding over the past five years.
The aides were routinely told of increased risk for cancer, infertility and stress disorders, said the report, which was prepared for Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.
Only a small fraction of the more than 4,000 pregnancy clinics nationwide get any federal funding, mostly for promoting sexual abstinence.
With a few exceptions, the federal government doesn't give money specifically for the counseling operations, but Waxman's staff said 25 centers got "capacity building grants." Thus, Waxman said, they should be held accountable for the information they dispense.
Of the 25 centers called, two could not be reached. Eight told the caller that abortion leads to a greater risk of breast cancer, the report said.
Care Net, an umbrella group for evangelical pregnancy centers across the country, instructs its affiliates to tell callers there is a possibility that abortion can lead to greater risk of breast cancer, according to Molly Ford, an official with the organization. She said there have been several studies that say it does, and several that say it doesn't.
"I know the report is wanting to say that it's conclusive, but it isn't," Ford said.
None of the pregnancy centers the committee staff called was identified, and it could not be determined if any were linked to Care Net, which has helped about a quarter of the nation's pregnancy centers begin operations.
One pregnancy center told a congressional aide the risk of cancer after an abortion could be 80 percent higher, the report noted. Ford said she doubted a pregnancy center would go that far, but the Web site for a pregnancy center in Albuquerque says the risk for cancer after an abortion is 50 percent or greater.
In February 2003, a National Cancer Institute workshop concluded that having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman's subsequent risk of developing breast cancer.
The report from the Democratic aides also said the pregnancy resource centers provided false information about the mental health effects of abortion, telling the aides that it could cause severe long-term emotional harm.
However, an American Psychological Association panel said, "Severe negative reactions are rare."
But Ford said that pregnancy center counselors don't need statistics to tell them that many women undergoing an abortion experience severe emotional trauma.
"This isn't about a medical statistic to us. We do post-abortion counseling every day," Ford said.
The Administration for Children and Families within the Department of Health and Human Services funds the abstinence programs overseen by some of the pregnancy centers. Aides referred questions about the report to Wade Horn, a Health and Human Services assistant secretary, who did not want to comment until he read the report.
Waxman said that Americans are divided on the issue of abortion, but no one should support misleading teenagers about basic medical facts.
" It's wrong to pour millions of federal dollars into organizations that are providing false health information to vulnerable teenagers," Waxman said.
On the Net:
Committee on Government Reform report, minority staff: http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/
Care Net: http://www.care-net.org/
CORAM, MT. SINAI, PORT JEFFERSON STATION (CMP) FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION pdf format
But Herr Waxman and his ilk have no problem screaming at us with absolute certitude that global warming is destroying the planet and secondhand smoke is killing thousands.
I look forward to seeing their report on what Planned Parenthood clinics tell their customers, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for it.
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em, Down Hezbullies.)
Who authorized this expense on the part of the taxpayers? Is this a legitimate "investigation"? If so few crisis pregnancy centers receive Federal funds, and those centers called were not identified, how do we know exactly what is going on here?
Henry Waxman is a monster in mind, soul and face. His only goal in life is to murder the unborn while keeping his friends in the abortion mills rolling in blood and money. An uglier goal would be diffcult to find but leave it to Wacky Waxman, he loves the smell of death and money.
You would think they think this is true!
You can start here.
http://www.childpredators.com/Tapes.cfm
Isn't that what going on the pill is supposed to do to young girls also? It's the same kind of thing. Not having a full term pregnancy for the first one. I'm astounded about hte number of teens that are on the pill, often for medical reasons.
Waxman needs to abort that nose. Good Lord!
That is uncalled for.
On topic - and although I have no readily available statistics, my guess is that a survey would show that most women regret having an abortion.
If a woman can be scared out of having an abortion for the reasons stated above than she probably didn't have her mind set on it anyway and that means she likely have 'less convenient' but nevertheless conceivable alternatives. In other words the abortion is a lifestyle choice of convenience, not an issue of survival (at least in her mind)
Before abortion was legal, some women (although very few) literally and knowingly risked their lives to have abortions. My guess is that these women were so desperate that for them the choice was essentially an issue of survival.
If abortion were made illegal, there would still be women like latter, but then none like the former.
The logic would dictate that anything that is within the realm of truth that might persuade a woman to not have an abortion should be undertaken.
Ultimately my opinion makes me pro-choice; but in the most limited circumstances possible and with the greatest amount of prevention and intervention possible.
However, an American Psychological Association panel said, "Severe negative reactions are rare."
In what way would the information mentioned in the first paragraph be false given the second paragraph.
Leftists are attracted to death and harm. Like iron to a magnet. The fact that many of them gain financially is also a reason, but it's deeper than that. They love death.
Why?
Envy - they envy the Creator of life.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.