March 29, 2024
Letter

Abortion, cancer link

The recent and enthusiastic hyping of the link between abortion and breast cancer by pro-life activists is part of their shifting political tactic of dressing up an anti-choice agenda with “women’s health” rhetoric.

Abortion could in fact be a risk factor for breast cancer later on in life – study results have been mixed – but it is certainly not the only significant one. According to the American Cancer Society, known breast cancer risk factors include: sex, age, race, genetics-family history, early menarche, late onset of menopause, prior radiation therapy to the chest area and post-menopausal hormone replacement therapy. Additional known and suspected factors include childlessness (according to the Actuary, a British insurance company magazine, nuns are known to be at particularly high risk), late (after 30) age of first birth, alcohol use, obesity, lack of physical activity, smoking, exposure to certain environmental pollutants and – oddly – working “the night shift.” Any woman could have any combination of the above risk factors.

Given the great variety of risk factors for breast cancer – of which abortion may only be one – if pro-lifers are truly concerned about women’s health, they should focus their considerable talents and efforts on finding treatments and cures for breast cancer. Using cancer as a calculated scare tactic to promote their anti-choice political agenda is both transparent and intellectually dishonest.

Caterina Anderson

Bangor


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