The Lone Star State released an updated version of a booklet which is given to women who are thinking about getting an abortion. While the Texas State Health Department's 24 page booklet promises women "a right to know the truth", some of the things that are stated in there contradict with Science.
The Booklet Contains 'Biased' Pro-Life Phrases
The booklet, which is titled 'A Woman's Right to Know', is given to women 24 hours before a scheduled abortion. It contains phrases like "your baby" and "the baby that is growing in your womb", instead of using "fetus" or "embryo", which makes it pretty clear where Texas stands on the abortion issue. It also has detailed information about the potential risks of abortion, as well as complications associated with giving birth.
Daniel Grossman, an investigator at the Texas Policy Evaluation Project, said: "I can only hypothesize that it sounds like very biased language that is meant to make women feel bad about their decision. It's certainly not medically appropriate."
Abortion May Cause Breast Cancer?
A section of the booklet is criticized for suggesting that abortion is linked to breast cancer. It reads: "if you give birth to your baby, you are less likely to develop breast cancer in the future. Research indicates that having an abortion will not provide you this increased protection against breast cancer."
However, the American Cancer Society debunked this by saying: "Linking these topics creates a great deal of emotion and debate. Scientific evidence does not support the notion that abortion of any kind raises the risk of breast cancer or any other type of cancer."
A Woman Should Have Access To Information Before Abortion
Spokeswoman for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Carrie Williams, said that the pamphlet was created to be "helpful, user friendly and medically accurate, and we carefully studied the medical and scientific research available to us along the way."
"In the end, it's about making sure pregnant women have access to the information they need to make the best decisions for themselves," Williams added.
