But Not Miscarriage or Stillbirth: Study Shows Abortion Increases Risk for Substance Abuse in Future Pregnancy.

Are women who have an abortion more likely to abuse substances in a later pregnancy? Yes, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the British Journal of Health Psychology.

By including women who have experienced other forms of perinatal loss--miscarriage and stillbirth--the study highlights the uniquely destructive nature of abortion.

Led by Dr. Priscilla Coleman, associate professor of human development and family studies at Bowling Green State University, the researchers compared substance use among pregnant women with histories of abortion, miscarriage, and stillbirth against women who had not experienced such losses.

A prior history of abortion was linked with a 201% higher risk of using marijuana, a 198% higher risk of using crack cocaine, a 406% higher likelihood of using cocaine other than crack, a 180% higher risk of using any illicit drugs, and a 100% higher likelihood of using cigarettes. The study carefully controlled for age, marital status, education, and number of people in the household. However, no differences were observed in the risk of using any of the substances if there was a prior history of miscarriage or stillbirth.

The negative effects of substance use on unborn children are well established. The results of this study suggest that abortion-related psychological distress may extend beyond the woman to her unborn children.

The study adds to an expanding literature suggesting that women who have had an abortion are at an increased risk for substance abuse problems. One study, published by Coleman and colleagues in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 2002, employed a nationally representative sample.

It found that pregnant women with a prior history of abortion, compared to women who had previously given birth, were more than 10 times as likely to use marijuana and over 5 times as likely to use various illicit drugs. In addition, they were more than twice as likely to use alcohol.