Abortion and Breast Cancer: Bush Election Sparks Media Backlash.(Letter to the Editor)

When it comes to the link between induced abortion and breast cancer (the "ABC link"), it can be argued that the mass media have not deserved - - at least until now - - the brunt of the blame for the failure of the public to know about this preventable risk factor.

After all, widespread coverage was given to the 1994 study by Janet Daling and her associates, which showed a 50% increased risk of the disease after an induced abortion. And there was modest interest in my and my colleagues' 1996 review, which documented a 30% risk increase in worldwide studies.

But in the "Periscope" section of the March 12, 2001, Newsweek, the headline was blatantly unfair and the text of the little piece itself completely one-sided.

Take the headline: "Making scare tactics legal." Then there is the first line, which said it all: "Though the first anti-abortion administration in eight years is just over a month old, emboldened abortion foes have already launched a novel legal push."

The "novel" tactic is the introduction in 15 states of some sort of legislation requiring abortionists to warn women about the ABC link. In fact, five states (Mississippi, Montana, Louisiana, Kansas, and Texas) already require some sort of legal warning about the link, under laws going back as far as 1995.

Ironically, Newsweek gave the issue some of the best and most objective coverage back in 1994 and 1996. So what has changed?

Is the evidence weaker today for an ABC link? No, it's stronger.