When I first came across the idea of a Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS)—the cover story on the New York Times Sunday magazine a few weeks back—I was incensed. “What in the hell is the New York Times doing validating the anti-abortionists pseudo science?”
Then I took the time to actually read the article. I was in staunch agreement with the author, who paints pro-life and religious zealots as certifiable nut jobs. But there was something disconcerting about PAS that I could not quite shake, a few kernels of truth behind the fanatical preaching. These kernels were not enough to convince me that PAS exists, but they were enough to convince me that both sides of the debate—right to choose versus right to life—have a lot to learn by unraveling this so-called syndrome.
PAS: Fact or Fiction?
Imagine that you are one of the approximately 1.3 million women who get an abortion every year. While you regret having an unplanned pregnancy, you are relieved after the procedure is over. You were not financially, emotionally, or logistically ready to have a child. Now imagine someone comes along—an abortion recovery counselor—and tries to tell you that instead of relief, you should be feeling remorse. The abortion, you see, was not the end to your problems, but the beginning.
According to pro-life and anti-abortion groups, many women will develop Post-Abortion Syndrome. Symptoms include guilt, shame, sadness, remorse, lowered self-esteem, depression, and hostility. PAS supporters point to abortion as reasons for drug and alcohol abuse, suicides, and eating disorders. Anecdotal testimonials from women help to highlight their claims:
“My abortion has left me empty, alone, and in despair. It has taken me to a place I almost could not come back from. The self-hatred I see every time I look in the mirror has been my constant companion for the last ten years,” says Lori, a woman quoted on the right-to-life Web site, Rachel’s Vineyard Ministries.
Although anti-abortionists describe PAS as a real medical condition, they do not prescribe a medical cure. Rather, they offer week-long counseling retreats, which usually lead women on a path towards God and away from reproductive rights.
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