Abortion and Cancer

Quietly and with little notice from the press, state legislatures have started requiring that women be informed of the cancer risk associated with abortion. As a result, it may soon be common knowledge that having a baby at a young age modestly reduces a woman's lifetime risk of breast cancer, while having an abortion may increase it. In September 1995, Louisiana became the first state to require that women considering elective abortion receive information about the …

…of fatal diseases later in life, these organizations suddenly lose interest in protecting vulnerable consumers. There will always be some women who choose to undergo abortion even if it means their risk of breast cancer rises. But all women, especially the young, should be advised of current scientific knowledge, and doctors have a duty to warn them. Given the reluctance of the normal champions of patients' rights to make this case, lawmakers should step in.