Abortion 'serious risk to mental health'

Abortion can be a serious risk to women's long-term mental health and those who have a termination can be six times more likely to commit suicide than those who have given birth in the past year, doctors have told MPs.

Trevor Stammers, a tutor in general practice at St George's University of London, was speaking in support of a bill to be tabled in the House of Commons, which would ensure women are counselled about the possible consequences of abortion before terminating an unborn child.

Conservative backbencher Ann Winterton's bill would require women to be told of the possible ill-effects of abortion and to be made to wait a week to allow time for second thoughts before going ahead. Read more