Information About Abortion

Abortion and Breast Cancer

Currently, scientists cannot agree about whether there is a link between abortion and breast cancer. Some studies have shown an association between induced abortion and breast cancer, while others have shown no link. Abortion is at least four times more prevalent than breast cancer so links that are made may not actually be due to a cause and effect relationship.

All of the studies that have been reported in reputable journals to date depend on the women accurately reporting their history of abortion. Many women may under report their history for all sorts of personal reasons; indeed it is estimated that 40% of women under report their past history of abortion. This means that the available studies have significant inconsistencies so that the results may not be true. In a Danish study of 1.5 million women, there was no association shown between induced abortion and breast cancer. This study relied on uniformly collected data in Danish registries thereby avoiding the major problem of differential reporting of abortions.

Studies that follow women through time, collecting information about women's health histories as it occurs need to be done before conclusions are drawn. These are called cohort studies; they are undertaken over many years so it may be several years before the actual risk is known.

It is also known that full term pregnancy before age 25 lowers breast cancer risk. Delaying having a full term pregnancy until later life means that the woman does not have the protective effect against breast cancer. Most pregnancies are delayed by women's use of contraception rather than abortion. All women who delay having full term pregnant until after age 25 have an increased risk of breast cancer, so the risk is not just due to having an abortion. There are lots of other factors such as diet and family history that also affect a woman's chances of developing breast cancer.

Regular breast examinations, following a healthy diet with plenty of exercise and not smoking are all important ways of looking after your health.