I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1457 
To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, post-abortion 
depression and psychosis. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2007 
Mr. PITTS (for himself, Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Mr. 
SALI, Mr. AKIN, Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. 
SOUDER, Mr. WELDON of Florida, Mr. GINGREY, Mr. INGLIS of South 
Carolina, Mr. GOODE, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, and Mr. LAMBORN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce 
A BILL 
To provide for research on, and services for individuals with, 
post-abortion depression and psychosis. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Post-Abortion Depres-
sion Research and Care Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
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(1) About 3,000,000 women per year in the 
United States have an unplanned or unwanted preg-
nancy, and approximately 1,186,000 of these preg-
nancies end in elective abortion. 
(2) Abortion can have severe and long-term ef-
fects on the mental and emotional well-being of 
women. Women often experience sadness and guilt 
following abortions with no one to console them. 
They may have difficulty in bonding with new ba-
bies, become overprotective parents or develop prob-
lems in their relationship with their spouses. Prob-
lems such as eating disorders, depression, and sui-
cide attempts have also been traced to past abor-
tions. 
(3) The symptoms of post-abortion depression 
include bouts of crying, guilt, intense grief or sad-
ness, emotional numbness, eating disorders, drug 
and alcohol abuse, suicidal urges, anxiety and panic 
attacks, anger or rage, sexual problems or promis-
cuity, lowered self esteem, nightmares and sleep dis-
turbance, flashbacks, and difficulty with relation-
ships. 
(4) Women who aborted a first pregnancy are 
four times more likely to report substance abuse 
compared to those who suffered a natural loss of 
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their first pregnancy, and they are five times more 
likely to report subsequent substance abuse than 
women who carried to term. 
(5) Greater thought suppression is associated 
with experiencing more intrusive thoughts of the 
abortion. Both suppression and intrusive thoughts, 
in turn, are positively related to increases in psycho-
logical distress over time. 
(6) Women who experience decision-making dif-
ficulties and may lack social support may experience 
more negative emotional consequences to induced 
abortion. 
(7) Post-abortion depression often relates to the 
lack of understanding in society and the medical 
community of the complexity of post-abortion de-
pression, and economic pressures placed on hospitals 
and providers are contributing factors. 
(8) Social pressure to have an abortion can be 
directly related to higher levels of immediate regret 
and more mental undoing over subsequent years. 
(9) Post-abortion depression is a treatable dis-
order if promptly diagnosed by a trained provider 
and attended to with a personalized regimen of care 
including social support, therapy, medication, and 
when necessary hospitalization. 
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(10) While there have been many studies re-
garding the emotional aftermath of abortion, very 
little research has been sponsored by the National 
Institutes of Health. 
(11) A major New Zealand study shows abor-
tion has serious negative consequences for women. 
Among the alarming findings with respect to girls 
15 through 18 years of age are the following: 
(A) With respect to experiencing major de-
pression— 
(i) those who had not become preg-
nant had a 31.2 percent chance; 
(ii) those who became pregnant but 
did not have an abortion had a 35.7 per-
cent chance; and 
(iii) those who had an abortion had an 
astonishing 78.6 percent chance. 
(B) With respect to experiencing anxiety— 
(i) those who had not become preg-
nant had a 37.9 percent chance; 
(ii) those who became pregnant but 
did not have an abortion had a 35.7 per-
cent chance; and 
(iii) those who had an abortion had a 
64.3 percent chance. 
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(C) With respect to thoughts of suicide— 
(i) those who had not become preg-
nant had a 23 percent chance; 
(ii) those who became pregnant but 
did not have an abortion had a 25 percent 
chance; and 
(iii) those who had an abortion had a 
50 percent chance. 
TITLE I—RESEARCH ON POST- 
ABORTION DEPRESSION AND 
PSYCHOSIS 
SEC. 101. EXPANSION AND INTENSIFICATION OF ACTIVI-
TIES OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MENTAL 
HEALTH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of NIH and 
the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health 
(in this section referred to as the ‘‘Institute’’), shall ex-
pand and intensify research and related activities of the 
Institute with respect to post-abortion depression and 
post-abortion psychosis (in this section referred to as 
‘‘post-abortion conditions’’). 
(b) COORDINATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTES.—The 
Director of the Institute shall coordinate the activities of 
the Director under subsection (a) with similar activities 
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conducted by the other national research institutes and 
agencies of the National Institutes of Health to the extent 
that such Institutes and agencies have responsibilities that 
are related to post-abortion conditions. 
(c) PROGRAMS FOR POST-ABORTION CONDITIONS.— 
In carrying out subsection (a), the Director of the Insti-
tute shall conduct or support research to expand the un-
derstanding of the causes of, and to find a cure for, post- 
abortion conditions. Activities under such subsection shall 
include conducting and supporting the following: 
(1) Basic research concerning the etiology and 
causes of the conditions. 
(2) Epidemiological studies to address the fre-
quency and natural history of the conditions and the 
differences among racial and ethnic groups with re-
spect to the conditions. 
(3) The development of improved diagnostic 
techniques. 
(4) Clinical research for the development and 
evaluation of new treatments, including new biologi-
cal agents. 
(5) Information and education programs for 
health care professionals and the public. 
(d) LONGITUDINAL STUDY.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the Institute 
shall conduct a national longitudinal study to deter-
mine the incidence and prevalence of cases of post- 
abortion conditions, and the symptoms, severity, and 
duration of such cases, toward the goal of more fully 
identifying the characteristics of such cases and de-
veloping diagnostic techniques. 
(2) REPORT.—Beginning not later than 3 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and peri-
odically thereafter for the duration of the study 
under paragraph (1), the Director of the Institute 
shall prepare and submit to the Congress reports on 
the findings of the study. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the 
purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized 
to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2008 through 2012. 
TITLE II—DELIVERY OF SERV-
ICES REGARDING POST-ABOR-
TION DEPRESSION AND PSY-
CHOSIS 
SEC. 201. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM OF GRANTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this title referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall in accordance with this title make grants 
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