Life Links 12/5/07

A study by Australian researchers has found that "young women who have abortions are more likely to drink heavily and abuse hard drugs."

The study tracked 1,122 young women who were born at the Mater hospital in the early 1980s, finding that 21 years on, about one-third had an abortion.

Those who had an abortion were three times more likely to also abuse hard drugs, like heroin, methamphetamines and glue, than the women who had either had no pregnancy or those who had a child....

The findings were adjusted for age, family socio-demographic factors and previous mental health problems.

The researchers (or at least the lead researcher) appear to be pro-choice and the article doesn't mention where, if anywhere the results have been published. The results were presented recently at the World Psychiatric Association conference.


Illinois NOW (whose political action committee has endorsed Clinton) is taking shots at Obama for his "present" votes on prolife legislation. We're getting messages about his votes from NOW and Planned Parenthood. Interesting.


The New York Times reviews Juno, a movie whose title character is a pregnant teenager.


For some reason, the NY Times prints this incredibly ignorant letter to the editor from James Chenitz on stem cell research which claims "President Bush has provided nothing to stem cell research but impediments." You just can't win with some people. If you're the first president to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cell research but want some kind of moral line, somehow all your actions impede stem cell research.


Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered a way to help adult stem cell from bone marrow regenerate damaged nerves.