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New research from the University of Otago, Christchurch, suggests abortion does not reduce the mental health risks of unwanted pregnancy.
Currently, abortion can only be performed legally in New Zealand if there is a risk to the mother’s physical or mental health or if the baby would have a serious disability.
About 98 per cent of abortions are performed on mental health grounds.
The research, published in the latest Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, analysed recent reviews into mental health following abortion and found there was no direct evidence showing women who had an abortion were at lower risk of mental health problems than those who gave birth after having an unwanted or unplanned pregnancy.
The study found, in the women followed up until the age of 30, that major mental health problems in those who had abortions were about 30 per cent higher than in women not having
abortions.
It found a range of other factors associated with unwanted pregnancy though, including education, family finances, the needs of other children and relationships.
“These conclusions have important, if uncomfortable, implications for clinical practice and the interpretation of the law,” the review stated.
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