A recent study by a Christchurch Professor of Medicine has found there to be a co-relation between aborting a pregnancy and the incidence of future mental health problems.

Professor David Fergusson and colleagues of the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences undertook the Christchurch Health and Development Study – a 25 year longitudinal analysis of a group of New Zealand children.

An area closely examined was pregnancy and abortion. Some 41 percent of participants between the ages of 15-25 experienced at least one pregnancy throughout the study. As a result, 14.6 percent had an abortion. Those that chose to abort encountered elevated rates of various mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviours and substance use disorders.

With debate surrounding the future usage of the abortion drug RU486 continuing in Australia and further hearings of a Senate committee to take place over the next few weeks Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce believes the results of this report simply highlight further the need to avoid an abortion.

“The findings of this investigation give further rise to the fact that there are a myriad of subsequent health concerns women face following an abortion,” Senator Joyce said.

“I was able to highlight during the first day of the Senate inquiry that there are various physical and medical complications that arise from the use of this drug and now this report paints a picture of what women can expect in terms of their psychological and emotional well being.”

“Not only is RU486 the more dangerous method to use in that period of time by a factor of 10 against surgical abortion, but we are also clearly opening up another chest of unmonitored psychological problems to go with it,” said Senator Joyce.

The Senate Inquiry resumes its investigations on February 3, 2006.