Physical Health of Women After Seeking Abortion Services
Authors: Lauren J. Ralph, Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, Daniel Grossman, Diana Greene Foster
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2020)

Letters21 January 2020Physical Health of Women After Seeking Abortion ServicesLauren J. Ralph, PhD, Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, MD, Daniel Grossman, MD, and Diana Greene Foster, PhDLauren J. Ralph, PhDAdvancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California (L.J.R., D.G., D.G.F.)Search for more papers by this author, Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, MDUniversity of California, Davis, Sacramento, California (E.B.S.)Search for more papers by this author, Daniel Grossman, MDAdvancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California (L.J.R., D.G., D.G.F.)Search for more papers by this author, and Diana Greene Foster, PhDAdvancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California (L.J.R., D.G., D.G.F.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L19-0624 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:Dr. Reardon and Dr. Elward are concerned about the generalizability of our findings given that 38% of the women whom we approached participated. Enrolling participants in multiyear health studies is a universal challenge; for example, only 24% of those approached agreed to participate in the widely cited longitudinal NHS II (Nurses' Health Study II) (1). Dr. Reardon and Dr. Elward should be reassured that the demographic profile of our study population closely mirrors that of U.S. women seeking abortion services (2), which rules out the possibility of differential participation based on measurable characteristics. As for characteristics that are ...References1. Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, T.H. Chan School of Public Health. History of the Nurses' Health Study. 2016. Accessed at www.nurseshealthstudy.org/about-nhs/history on 3 July 2019. Google Scholar2. Jerman J, Jones RK, Onda T. Characteristics of U.S. abortion patients in 2014 and changes since 2008. Guttmacher Institute. 2016. Accessed at www.guttmacher.org/report/characteristics-us-abortion-patients-2014 on 3 July 2019. Google Scholar3. Foster DG, Gould H, Taylor J, et al. Attitudes and decision making among women seeking abortions at one U.S. clinic. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2012;44:117-24. [PMID: 22681427] doi:10.1363/4411712 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Biggs MA, Upadhyay UD, McCulloch CE, et al. Women's mental health and well-being 5 years after receiving or being denied an abortion: a prospective, longitudinal cohort study. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017;74:169-78. [PMID: 27973641] doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.3478 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Rocca CH, Kimport K, Roberts SC, et al. Decision rightness and emotional responses to abortion in the United States: a longitudinal study. PLoS One. 2015;10:e0128832. [PMID: 26154386] doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0128832 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health, University of California, San Francisco, Oakland, California (L.J.R., D.G., D.G.F.)University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California (E.B.S.)Disclosures: None. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-1666. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSelf-reported Physical Health of Women Who Did and Did Not Terminate Pregnancy After Seeking Abortion Services Lauren J. Ralph , Eleanor Bimla Schwarz , Daniel Grossman , and Diana Greene Foster Physical Health of Women After Seeking Abortion Services Kurt S. Elward Physical Health of Women After Seeking Abortion Services David C. Reardon Metrics 21 January 2020Volume 172, Issue 2Page: 164-165KeywordsBirthDisclosureEmotionsInformation storage and retrievalLongitudinal studiesPsychiatry and mental healthResearch funding ePublished: 21 January 2020 Issue Published: 21 January 2020 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2020 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...