A study purporting that childbirth is 14 times more dangerous to pregnant women than abortion has been swiftly rebutted by an advocate for women’s health.
Priscilla Coleman, professor of human development and family studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, is so intent on getting her own research on the health risks of abortion out to pregnant women and doctors that she has recently created a website for it.
There, she answers the report by Drs. Elizabeth Raymond and Robert Grimes in the June issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that claims to prove “the risk of death associated with childbirth is approximately 14 times higher than that with abortion.”
Coleman’s critique calls the Raymond-Grimes study a “dangerous distortion” — and deliberately misleading.
Grimes and Raymond claim their study, “The Comparative Safety of Legal Induced Abortion and Childbirth in the United States,” also shows that childbirth triggered more problems than abortion in all 10 types of individual complications they examined. What’s more, the gap between childbirth’s risks to life and health and abortion’s appears to be growing.
In the first decade after abortion was legalized, they claim, childbirth was just seven times more dangerous. But abortion is getting safer, they explain, thanks to an increasing use of pharmaceutical rather than surgical abortions and increasing reliance on surgical — or Caesarean — childbirth, as well as the trend of women having babies at later ages.
Reliance on Government Data
But Coleman says there are a host of problems with the Raymond-Grimes study, first of which is its reliance on the Centers for Disease Control for its data. Because the CDC relies on reports from state governments, which in turn rely on reports from abortion facilities, its data “seriously under-represents abortion morbidity and mortality.”
Abortion businesses are not required to report abortions, and many states do not report abortion-related deaths at all. Even those that do report deaths from abortion complications report only the complication and not the abortion. Moreover, suicide deaths are rarely linked to abortion in these reports, nor are deaths resulting from “physical or psychological disturbances” several years after an abortion.
What’s more, her critique states, the Raymond-Grimes study does not consider the 13% of abortions occurring after the first trimester, where mortality rates range from 14.7 to 76.6 per 100,000 (for abortions done at 14 and 21 weeks, respectively).
Furthermore, says Coleman, Raymond and Grimes ignore the wealth of evidence that childbirth is “protective” against such things as breast cancer and suicide. Women who are pregnant, for example, or who have delivered live babies within the last 90 days, are 1/20th as likely to commit suicide as non-pregnant women of child-bearing age.
Coleman said a far more accurate way of comparing mortality rates combines the records of women’s reproductive history with mortality reports. Such a study in the United States showed women who had abortions to be 62% likelier to die within eight years than women who bore children. A Finnish study showed women who had abortions were four times likelier to die within a year than women who bore live children.
Pro-Abortion Bias
Coleman says Raymond and Grimes reveal their pro-abortion bias at the outset by deploring the spate of state legislation requiring abortion facilities to provide women seeking abortion a warning about the health risks.
In the latest issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, an editorial by Dr. Mitchell Creinin, a Pittsburgh specialist in those areas, endorses Raymond and Grimes’ report, however.
“Raymond and Grimes clearly summarize the facts: Abortion is safer than delivery. Regardless of personal views, every woman deserves factual medical information whenever she is facing a decision of whether or not to terminate a pregnancy.”
Creinin also condemned legislators who have intruded on medical affairs, especially targeting the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the federal government from paying for abortions through Medicaid other than in cases of rape, incest or threats to the woman’s life. Why not similar restriction on tobacco, Creinin wondered, when it “kills 48,000 times more persons per year than abortion.”
Of course, he is not counting the fetuses.
“Individuals who oppose abortion rights,” he conceded, “believe every abortion is murder and would say that the mortality of the procedure is 100% for the fetus.” But there is no arguing with such people, he added. “The bottom line,” he insists, “is that each person in the United States does have the right to decide his or her destiny” — this time without any mention of the unborn.
In an interview, Grimes felt that Coleman may not have read his article “or is intentionally misrepresenting the science.”
Grimes defended the Center for Disease Control’s method of gathering abortion statistics and rebutted Coleman’s claim that both the CDC and his study underreport abortion deaths. “Underreporting of childbirth-related deaths is a larger problem,” he said, and, as a result, “abortion may be even safer relative to childbirth than reported in our study.” He also dismissed Coleman’s reliance on abortion impact studies from Finland, “a Scandinavian country with a population about the size of metropolitan Atlanta. The Finnish population is very different than the U.S. population, as is their health-care system. Extrapolating mortality data from Atlanta to the entire U.S. population would be inappropriate; the same is true for Finland.”
Coleman also has her supporters.
Thomas Glessner, president of the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, noted the flood of uncritical news coverage given to the Raymond-Grimes study and recommended doctors and nurses study Coleman’s report so they can explain “the errant methodologies of this study” to “media-savvy pregnant women who question the safety of childbirth over abortion.”
Register correspondent Steve Weatherbe writes from Victoria, British Columbia.
Edward Pentin: Images of Rome's 2013 March for Life
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When I was working as an OB nurse in the 80"s and 90’s, any death of a woman that occured within a year of her being pregnant, was counted as a pregnancy related death. Even deaths from accidents or violence. Deaths from abortion were also recorded as pregnancy related, they were not reported as abortion related for “privacy” reasons. I don’t know if the criteria has changed, but the claim that abortion is safer than childbirth is not new and has always been proof of the saying “lies, damned lies and statistics.”
I think she also disputed a similar British study not too long ago.
Thank you very much for this article!
Excellent article. A cursory look at mortality rates for women shows that if you assume that half the abortions are female children, abortion outstrips heart disease as the number one cause of death for women in the US. How is that for a statistic?
“Truth? What is truth?” - Pontius Pilate.
When one gets away from objective ideas of truth, including moral truth, one can justify anything.
Common sense tells us that abortion is wrong. The fetus is alive. It is human. It is distinct from the mother. So, the obvious moral action is to live and let live.
But without objective ideas of morality, people who want a different answer can bend the truth how they see fit. In the case of abortion, they assert that the fetus has less value than the personal desires of the woman. No objective criteria justifies this belief, only that they want it to be so. Because their conclusions are wholly unsupported they must manufacture “facts” to justify it, and this is exactly what we see here.
But Truth stands on its own. It need not be reinforced by falsehoods. Sadly, some in the Church forget this, foolishly embracing the tactics of the relativists to defeat relativism. This only makes the problem worse.
If every person can create their own morality, then their is no morality. People can always justify their own desires. What we have left is the morality of the strong imposing their will on the weak. This is the dictatorship of relativism.
Perhaps more dangerous is those who are seeking the truth can more easily become lost. This is especially true among the young. While the older generation rebelled against what they considered a stifling morality, their children struggle to know what morality is. With no moral compass, many wander around painfully lost, wanting to do the right thing, but having no idea what the right thing is.
Mentioning tobacco was a very stupid error by Dr. Creinin. It’s very easy to point out that we have been closing restrictions around that industry for years. It is illegal for a minor to purchase tobacco. We now have graphic photos used as warnings on cigarette packages. Many locales have enacted their own indoor smoking bans.
Posted by Terentia on Thursday, Jun 21, 2012 5:51 AM (EST): I don’t know if the criteria has changed, but the claim that abortion is safer than childbirth is not new and has always been proof of the saying “lies, damned lies and statistics.”
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Thanks!
I think it’s also proof of the saying that “figures don’t lie but liars can figure.”
If you search online, there was a recent study in the UK attempting to show the same pro-abortion results & the data was equally questionable.Statistics can be tweaked to almost any outcome if you have an agenda or an industry to protect.
Oh yes. Once again, mankind thinks he has outwitted God and found science to be better than nature.
Funny how around Father’s Day and Mother’s Day the media always does the feel-good segments about how being a parent increases one’s life-span and quality of life. But, bring up abortion, and sudddenly, “oh no! Pregnancy is BAD! It’s unsafe. Look at how killing your child is better for you all around!”
Another example of how politics is and has infiltrated the scientific community. Once a bastion for unbiased information and validated facts. Now science claims truth as well as fact. Science claims the answers of why we are here, not just explaining the world God made. It wasn’t made for that, though. Consequently, it will become progressively more subjective as it acquires…sadly, an agenda. And it becomes..sadly, a belief system. With all it’s pros and cons.
First and foremost, the comparison/study is ridiculous. I wouldn’t spend much time & money arguing this at her level. It doesn’t matter! This is akin to arguing that “suicide” can be less painful than living your life out. Or that, well, killing the elderly is more humane and easier to deal with than caring for them .... Or that letting your child do drugs is “easier” than fighting for their future. In all, her placement of “pain” is terribly misplaced.
Posted by Mariam on Thursday, Jun 21, 2012 9:19 PM (EST):Another example of how politics is and has infiltrated the scientific community. “
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I agree but I think that’s always been a problem.This is just the most recent case.We had eugenics regarded as “science” not too long ago.
Trusting in God’s Wisdom
There once was a man who proclaimed he did not believe in God. “God could never love anyone and if he existed, I would insist that he prove it to me”, he often proclaimed to friends. “God takes lives all the time and the poor and down-trodden are first on the menu”, he would say further. Even though the man was often kind to people all throughout his life, he believed that one should live life to the fullest in every way. He also believed strongly that a woman had every right to an abortion, and if she chose to do so, it was her business only.
One day the man found himself in front of an abortion clinic watching women walk in as protestors were praying and begging the pregnant women not to go in the clinic. A woman who was protesting began talking loudly to a young pregnant woman who was walking into the clinic. This immediately enraged the man and he began yelling at and cursing the woman who was protesting and others began to join in.
The young woman walking into the clinic became scared and upset at both the woman protesting and the man, and immediately turned and ran away from the clinic. This enraged the man and others even more and they escalated their yelling and insults toward the woman protestor. The woman protestor cried and left the scene.
Many, many years later the man was in a serious car accident and was thrown from the car. As he lay dying, many people consoled him as an ambulance rushed to the scene. A young priest who had also been called to the scene began to perform last rites. The man, although in terrible pain and very terrified, gruffly said to the priest, “Don’t waste your breath with that prayer, Father, I’m not a Catholic and even if I was, God has never gone out of his way to help me – take a good look”.
The priest gently smiled at the man and stopped saying the last rites. After a few seconds, the priest began to softly recite the Divine Chaplet of Mercy. “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and the whole world”, he recited over and over. The man peacefully passed into darkness.
Suddenly, a great light engulfed the man along with great love. The man was more afraid than ever as he knew he was in the presence of God. He asked what was happening and who it was that he was speaking to. He asked this because he could only see one form but felt there were others in the area as well.
“I am Jesus, Son of the Living God, and you have been born to a new life. We are here to judge your life on earth”. Immediately, as in a video, the man began to see his entire life in review. The good and the bad.
Many times when he helped the poor, other times when he freely partook in sins of the flesh. Times when he helped the elderly, and times when he intentionally hurt other people. The life review seemed to stop as quickly as it had started and the man felt ashamed.
Quickly, however, the man recovered, and recalled what he had said to friends during his life. “What chance did I have when my creator never showed any effort to reach out to me with love?” “Why did you not even try a little to help save me from myself?”.
The Lord looked lovingly at the man and played back the life scene in front of the abortion clinic. The man was mortified as he watched himself become enraged. He was overcome with resign and asked the Lord what happened to the woman protestor who had left the scene those many years ago.
The Lord responded, “She was called to me a few days later, she had accomplished her mission”.
“And what of the woman that decided not to have an abortion that day?”, he asked.
“She bore a healthy son and passed to me after childbirth, she had accomplished her mission”.
The man looked down and felt very sad. He slowly looked up and softly said to the Lord, “I wish I would have met her son; that I could know what he looks like and see how he turned out in life”. But, I never did, and yet you show me these images anyway.” Lord, can you not show me one instance in my life where you went out of your way even a little bit to show the extent of your love for me”?
“You met her son at the twilight of your life”, said the Lord, “He will be joining us soon – he has accomplished his mission”. “Come, let us go to heaven”.
The man felt happy, relieved, and curious all at once, and felt compelled to ask Jesus two final questions. “Who was this woman’s son and what was his mission?”, asked the man.
“He was a simple priest who believed in God’s Mercy, and you were his mission”, responded three voices.
Trusting in God’s Wisdom
There once was a man who proclaimed he did not believe in God. “God could never love anyone and if he existed, I would insist that he prove it to me”, he often proclaimed to friends. “God takes lives all the time and the poor and down-trodden are first on the menu”, he would say further. Even though the man was often kind to people all throughout his life, he believed that one should live life to the fullest in every way. He also believed strongly that a woman had every right to an abortion, and if she chose to do so, it was her business only.
One day the man found himself in front of an abortion clinic watching women walk in as protestors were praying and begging the pregnant women not to go in the clinic. A woman who was protesting began talking loudly to a young pregnant woman who was walking into the clinic. This immediately enraged the man and he began yelling at and cursing the woman who was protesting and others began to join in.
The young woman walking into the clinic became scared and upset at both the woman protesting and the man, and immediately turned and ran away from the clinic. This enraged the man and others even more and they escalated their yelling and insults toward the woman protestor. The woman protestor cried and left the scene.
Many, many years later the man was in a serious car accident and was thrown from the car. As he lay dying, many people consoled him as an ambulance rushed to the scene. A young priest who had also been called to the scene began to perform last rites. The man, although in terrible pain and very terrified, gruffly said to the priest, “Don’t waste your breath with that prayer, Father, I’m not a Catholic and even if I was, God has never gone out of his way to help me – take a good look”.
The priest gently smiled at the man and stopped saying the last rites. After a few seconds, the priest began to softly recite the Divine Chaplet of Mercy. “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and the whole world”, he recited over and over. The man peacefully passed into darkness.
Suddenly, a great light engulfed the man along with great love. The man was more afraid than ever as he knew he was in the presence of God. He asked what was happening and who it was that he was speaking to. He asked this because he could only see one form but felt there were others in the area as well.
“I am Jesus, Son of the Living God, and you have been born to a new life. We are here to judge your life on earth”. Immediately, as in a video, the man began to see his entire life in review. The good and the bad.
Many times when he helped the poor, other times when he freely partook in sins of the flesh. Times when he helped the elderly, and times when he intentionally hurt other people. The life review seemed to stop as quickly as it had started and the man felt ashamed.
Quickly, however, the man recovered, and recalled what he had said to friends during his life. “What chance did I have when my creator never showed any effort to reach out to me with love?” “Why did you not even try a little to help save me from myself?”.
The Lord looked lovingly at the man and played back the life scene in front of the abortion clinic. The man was mortified as he watched himself become enraged. He was overcome with resign and asked the Lord what happened to the woman protestor who had left the scene those many years ago.
The Lord responded, “She was called to me a few days later, she had accomplished her mission”.
“And what of the woman that decided not to have an abortion that day?”, he asked.
“She bore a healthy son and passed to me after childbirth, she had accomplished her mission”.
The man looked down and felt very sad. He slowly looked up and softly said to the Lord, “I wish I would have met her son; that I could know what he looks like and see how he turned out in life”. But, I never did, and yet you show me these images anyway.” Lord, can you not show me one instance in my life where you went out of your way even a little bit to show the extent of your love for me”?
“You met her son at the twilight of your life”, said the Lord, “He will be joining us soon – he has accomplished his mission”. “Come, let us go to heaven”.
The man felt happy, relieved, and curious all at once, and felt compelled to ask Jesus two final questions. “Who was this woman’s son and what was his mission?” , asked the man.
“He was a simple priest who believed in God’s Mercy, and you were his mission”, responded three voices.
Trusting in God’s Wisdom
There once was a man who proclaimed he did not believe in God. “God could never love anyone and if he existed, I would insist that he prove it to me”, he often proclaimed to friends. “God takes lives all the time and the poor and down-trodden are first on the menu”, he would say further. Even though the man was often kind to people all throughout his life, he believed that one should live life to the fullest in every way. He also believed strongly that a woman had every right to an abortion, and if she chose to do so, it was her business only.
One day the man found himself in front of an abortion clinic watching women walk in as protestors were praying and begging the pregnant women not to go in the clinic. A woman who was protesting began talking loudly to a young pregnant woman who was walking into the clinic. This immediately enraged the man and he began yelling at and cursing the woman who was protesting and others began to join in.
The young woman walking into the clinic became scared and upset at both the woman protesting and the man, and immediately turned and ran away from the clinic. This enraged the man and others even more and they escalated their yelling and insults toward the woman protestor. The woman protestor cried and left the scene.
Many, many years later the man was in a serious car accident and was thrown from the car. As he lay dying, many people consoled him as an ambulance rushed to the scene. A young priest who had also been called to the scene began to perform last rites. The man, although in terrible pain and very terrified, gruffly said to the priest, “Don’t waste your breath with that prayer, Father, I’m not a Catholic and even if I was, God has never gone out of his way to help me – take a good look”.
The priest gently smiled at the man and stopped saying the last rites. After a few seconds, the priest began to softly recite the Divine Chaplet of Mercy. “For the sake of His Sorrowful Passion, have Mercy on us and the whole world”, he recited over and over. The man peacefully passed into darkness.
Suddenly, a great light engulfed the man along with great love. The man was more afraid than ever as he knew he was in the presence of God. He asked what was happening and who it was that he was speaking to. He asked this because he could only see one form but felt there were others in the area as well.
“I am Jesus, Son of the Living God, and you have been born to a new life. We are here to judge your life on earth”. Immediately, as in a video, the man began to see his entire life in review. The good and the bad.
Many times when he helped the poor, other times when he freely partook in sins of the flesh. Times when he helped the elderly, and times when he intentionally hurt other people. The life review seemed to stop as quickly as it had started and the man felt ashamed.
Quickly, however, the man recovered, and recalled what he had said to friends during his life. “What chance did I have when my creator never showed any effort to reach out to me with love?” “Why did you not even try a little to help save me from myself?”.
The Lord looked lovingly at the man and played back the life scene in front of the abortion clinic. The man was mortified as he watched himself become enraged. He was overcome with resign and asked the Lord what happened to the woman protestor who had left the scene those many years ago.
The Lord responded, “She was called to me a few days later, she had accomplished her mission”.
“And what of the woman that decided not to have an abortion that day?”, he asked.
“She bore a healthy son and passed to me after childbirth, she had accomplished her mission”.
The man looked down and felt very sad. He slowly looked up and softly said to the Lord, “I wish I would have met her son; that I could know what he looks like and see how he turned out in life”. But, I never did, and yet you show me these images anyway.” Lord, can you not show me one instance in my life where you went out of your way even a little bit to show the extent of your love for me”?
“You met her son at the twilight of your life”, said the Lord, “He will be joining us soon – he has accomplished his mission”. “Come, let us go to heaven”.
The man felt happy, relieved, and curious all at once, and felt compelled to ask Jesus two final questions. “Who was this woman’s son and what was his mission?”, asked the man.
“He was a simple priest who believed in God’s Mercy, and you were his mission”, responded three voices.
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