In addition, a similar study conducted over a 13-year period by the same research center revealed a direct correlation between abortion and death specifically from suicide, accidents, and homicide. Once again, medical records were linked that signified a relationship between the cause of death and abortion. Some of the findings include, but are not limited to, the following:

- Female deaths from suicide, accidents, and homicide were 248 percent higher in the year following an abortion when compared to deaths among women who had not been pregnant the previous year.

- Women who had an abortion were six times as likely to commit suicide than women who gave birth the previous year.

- The results of a 1997 Finland-based study were confirmed, which found women who had had an abortion were 3.5 times more likely to die in the following year as compared to women who gave birth.

Again, if and only if these studies stand up to review, the argument that abortion is safer than childbirth is indeed weakened, although the degree to which Roe v. Wade is effected, if at all, remains to be seen.

Interestingly, when I performed a PubMed search using the keywords - "abortion, women, death rate," just to do a quick check on the key points in the above article, one of the very first items that popped up was on what was a report that referred to an "abortion paradox":

The strong desire among couples to limit family size coupled with the lack of access to modern methods of contraception by many women, especially in the rural areas of the country, have contributed to the increasing use of abortion as a means of averting unplanned or mistimed motherhood. In contrast to the expected results of a typical fertility regulator, however, abortion seems to up-regulate instead of down-regulate the occurrence of maternal mortality.

The authors of this piece attribute the down-regulation of maternal mortality related to abortion on the illegality of the procedure in Uganda. But they fail to explain why their data coincides with other data around the world derived from countries where the procedure is legal.

When reading this post, readers need to take into account my personal bias on this issue, that I am most definately pro-life, and believe that abortion is murder. In regard to those of you who may disagree with me, I respect your right to be wrong! As for choice, ask the kid, I know how he or she will vote, if given the chance.

Pro-choice advocates are generally liberal, and are against the death penalty but in favor of killing the unborn. Pro-life advocates are generally conservative, and are against killing the unborn but in favor of killing those that are guilty of killing others. If one indeed agrees that life is sacred and not to be taken except in legitimate defense of one's life or nation, and only then with great regard for innocent lives, then it would seem that both sides could come together and find some great middle ground that recognizes that taking either the unborn's life or even that of the killer's, is still murder, and should be avoided. After all, our society can afford to house prisoners, and also care for children. That's the least we should do for all of our citizens. Protect us from the criminals, protect the unborn from being murdered by their parents, and protect the citizens from participating in murder.

Not a bad idea, is it not?

Related:
Pregnancy-associated mortality after birth, spontaneous abortion, or induced abortion in Finland, 1987-2000.

The abortion paradox in Uganda: fertility regulator or cause of maternal mortality.