I don't know why, but recently I've been thinking a lot about the link between abortion and breast cancer. Ironically, the other day I happened upon a blog from a breast cancer survivor who posted a comment about this very relationship: having had an abortion can increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
In my book, I briefly described this association, noting for example the dramatic drop in hormone levels within a woman's body following an abortion. The resultant shift in hormonal activity can, according to many studies I've reviewed, affect a woman's breast tissue and put her at risk for developing breast cancer later on in life.
I remember the plethora of negative feelings that washed over me as I contemplated this issue months ago. No, I have never had an abortion, but I most certainly have had breast cancer. What would I be feeling at this very moment if I'd had an abortion in the past and am now finding myself battling this horrid disease?
Unfortunately, most young women NEVER hear about this association between abortion and breast cancer, because this knowledge might make them decide NOT to have the abortion. Abortion clinics would lose money. And most people just don't want to talk about the topic at all. "It's too personal," or " It's none of my business." However, I feel that this scenario is somewhat ironic; we give women the choice to decide what is best for their bodies, but yet we deprive them of crucial information that could ultimately result in saving their own lives.
I realize that abortion is a highly controversial topic. But regardless if one is "pro-choice" or not, I feel that medical information should be available to everyone, and especially to women in this case, that outlines the associated risk between abortion and breast cancer. Most likely, many women would choose not to have an abortion if they knew of this risk beforehand. In my opinion, it doesn't really sound like they are given all the information they need - and deserve - in order to make a good "choice."
My heart goes out to the millions of women who have chosen to terminate their pregnancies. The decision to have an abortion was, I'm sure, very difficult to make. I can only imagine the excruciating emotional pain they may suffer, perhaps years or even decades later, and I pray that they never find themselves face to face with possibly one of the most colossal battles imaginable: breast cancer.
May God bless you, and I would love to hear your comments!
Blessings,
Karen
