by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 28, 2004
Chicago,
IL (LifeNews.com) -- A group that educates about the link between
abortion and breast cancer says the Associated Press is continuing to
ignore the link and giving only a one-sided presentation of the medical
community's views about it.
The Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer is calling on the Associated Press to improve its reporting after two articles published in the last several weeks.
In the latest news story, AP profiled the state of Mississippi and discussed how pro-life laws have been a factor in significantly reducing the number of abortions over the last decade.
According to the report, Mississippi "is one of two states, along with Texas, requiring that women seeking abortions be told, in contradiction of National Cancer Institute findings, that abortion might increase their risk of breast cancer."
Karen Malec, president of Coalition says the article makes no mention of the politics behind the NCI decision or its efforts to shut out pro-life researchers who disagreed with it. The AP news story also doesn't say that several medical organizations agree an abortion-breast cancer link exists.
"Neither AP story informed readers about the recognized breast cancer risk of abortion -- that the best way to prevent breast cancer is by having more children, starting before age 24, and breastfeeding them," Malec says.
"The AP seems to have adopted the government's anti-information agenda," Malec explained.
"Its reporters are willing to report evidence of a negative relationship between abortion and breast cancer, but they're unusually reluctant to report evidence of a positive relationship," says Malec. "It's shameful they have no concerns about protecting women's health."
Malec notes that 28 retrospective studies out of 37 worldwide all show a greater risk of breast cancer among women who undergo abortions.
Some of the medical groups that acknowledge the abortion-breast cancer link exists include the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Polycarp Research Institute, and Breast Cancer Prevention Institute.
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons called on doctors in 2003 to fully disclose a "highly plausible" relationship between abortion and the disease.
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer - http://www.abortionbreastcancer.com
