Summary: Counselors and Physicians Should Pre-Screen
Women Before Abortion to Mitigate Known Risks
Counselors and physicians should pre-screen
women for predictive risk factors of post-abortion maladjustment. Not to
do so has significant clinical ethical, and legal implications for
practitioners of abortion.
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Women may suffer
serious emotional and/or physical consequences from induced
abortion. Researchers have indentified specific criteria that
can predict if women are more likely to experience negative
reactions after abortion. They include the patient's self-esteem,
family and work relationships, and relationships with partner. These
criteria need to be properly assessed and discussed prior to the
procedure as they are aspects of the patient's life and will
therefore influence her decision. In addition to evaluating these
criteria, it is equally important to inform the women about the
potential problems that may arise after abortion. Proper screening
and full disclosure can reduce the risks to the woman, particularly
in that she may choose to forego an abortion entirely. The view that
a woman's "right to choose" without regard to medical screening or
counseling supersedes traditional medical ethics and can be
detrimental to women undergoing abortions. Simply put, failing to
screen women intending to get an abortion is negligent - ethically
and legally.1
1
Abortion Decisions and the Duty to Screen:
Clinical, Legal, and Ethical Implications of Predictive Risk Factors
of Post-Abortion Maladjustment, Journal of Contemporary Health
Law and Policy, Vol. 20, 2003
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