Avia Collinder, Sunday Gleaner Writer
Rhonda Arias and Yvette Murray
Men believe they are powerless. The woman takes the baby's life because she wants to take control of her own fears. It causes a breakdown in the man's sense of manhood, which needs restoration.
LOCAL ANTI-ABORTION advocates are claiming a connection between mental illness in women and abortion. In a bid to deal with what they regard as a largely ignored problem, they have initiated abortion-recovery training.
"I have been a GP for over 25 years, and in that time, I have seen a lot of psychological problems among women, especially if they cannot get pregnant again. Some of them end up at Bellevue," states Dr Sheree Simpson, general practitioner and member of the Christian Doctors Association.
Research indicates that some 22,000 abortions are done locally and, while much of the abortion debate here is focused on botched abortions and the need to legalise the service in order to improve women's access to health, not much has been said about mental health.
Simpson explains: "We are doing this (abortion recovery) seminar because whenever we speak about abortion on air, the pregnancy crisis centre is overwhelmed with calls. They cannot cope."
Pastor Rhonda Arias, founder and director of United States-based Oil for Joy for Mourning Ministries, which was hired by the local group, Coalition for Abortion-Recovery Training, tells The Sunday Gleaner studies have found a significant link between abortion and subsequent drug and alcohol abuse. "At least 19 per cent of abortees experience post-traumatic stress disorder," she states.
Men affected
Arias, who is making her fourth training visit to Jamaica, says men are also affected psychologically by abortion. "Usually, relationships do not survive abortion. Men believe they are powerless. The woman takes the baby's life because she wants to take control of her own fears. It causes a breakdown in the man's sense of manhood, which needs restoration," she advises.
She points out that the psychological consequences also affect productivity. "The ability to make decisions and follow through, set goals, were all affected by abortion."
Arias notes that globally, no counselling is given before an abortion and many women are faced with health-impairing psychological consequences after the event.
"Most women who go for abortion are not educated on psychological consequences. Studies show that 80 per cent don't know what they are getting into," she discloses.
Yvette Murray, a former US Air Force member and current assistant to Arias, admits to having had an abortion at age 21.
Side effects
"Friends told me that if I wanted an abortion 'We know where to take you'," she recounts.
"At the abortion clinic, they did a pregnancy test, which was positive and took my money. I was told about bleeding and what to do, but I was not told about the emotional side effects."
Murray continues: "Immediately after the abortion, I felt like I had done something wrong. I felt that something had been torn away from me. I went through a cycle of depression, self-hatred, guilt and shame over the abortion decision, although I was still believing that what I aborted was not a baby, but just a couple of cells."
Murray says that after the abortion, "how I related to people was out of anger. There was a lack of joy." She states: "Women are so caught up in shame, they are held back. You cannot be honest. You have to be healed before you can go on."
The abortion-recovery-training seminar is being held at Family Life Ministries between Friday April 4 and Sunday April 6 at Family Life Ministries and St. Andrew High School for Girls. On Monday evening, April 7, an open forum will be held at St. Andrew High School in St Andrew.
Post-abortion emotional healing process
Rethinking the actual experience (denial stage).
Deal with the places of anger - herself, the baby's father, abortion doctor and others.
Grieve for the child, establishing a memorial.
Grasp the future God planned for you.
