Abortions in the U.S. Are Safe and Effective, a New Report Says

The majority of legal abortions performed in the U.S. are safe, free of complications and devoid of long-term health effects, according to a comprehensive new report. A committee assembled by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine analyzed available data on abortion safety, quality and care. The resulting report, published Friday, says the four major abortion methods used in the U.S. — medication, aspiration, induction and dilation and evacuation (D&E) — are all safe and effective, and that complications are rare. The vast majority of U.S. abortions — 90% — are also performed during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, according to the report, which drastically improves their safety. The committee also concluded that, contrary to some persistent misinformation, evidence generally does not suggest that abortions increase a woman’s risk of later infertility, pregnancy and birth complications, breast cancer or mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. The report also delved into delivery of care. It found that most abortions can be performed in office settings, and that there is “no evidence” to suggest that abortion providers should require hospital admittance privileges — a stipulation sometimes put on abortion providers that can limit access. Medication and aspiration abortions, the report says, can be performed not only by trained physicians but also by phy...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime onetime Reproductive Health Source Type: news