INTRODUCING THE POST-ABORTION DEPRESSION
RESEARCH AND CARE ACT
Extensions of Remarks
August 03, 2001
Mr.
Speaker, today, I introduced the Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act,
a bill to provide hope and healing for the more than 35 million women in this
country who have had abortions in the past twenty-eight years.
The
Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act will direct federal funding for
the research of post-abortion depression and the development of successful
treatments for emotional distress in post-abortive women.
I
have been working on this legislation because I believe that it is a travesty
that more work has not been done to support women who have chosen to have an
abortion. We cannot simply abandon these women. Because of the emotional issues
that often surround a woman's decision to have an abortion, many women are
reluctant to even talk about their experiences. Some women don't come to terms
with the emotional impact of their abortion until years later. I believe that
increased research on post-abortion depression will lead to a greater awareness
of this issue and the development of compassionate outreach and counseling
programs to help post-abortive women.
We
already know much about the psychological impact of giving birth and of
miscarrying, and yet much remains to be discovered about post-abortion
depression. Why should women who choose to have an abortion be given any less
care and concern than women who give birth or women miscarry? Post-abortive
women deserve equal treatment.
While
there is some disagreement among researchers as to the extent and substance of
post-abortion emotional response, everyone agrees that the decision to have an
abortion is fraught with emotion. It only makes sense, then, to continue to
explore the psychological impact of abortion on women.
I
urge my colleagues to support post-abortive women by cosponsoring the
Post-Abortion Depression Research and Care Act. Let's not let politics get in
the way of good mental health care for women.
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