In late April, the Oklahoma legislature passed a bill that would pull the medical licenses of physicians who provide abortions. Although the governor vetoed the bill in late May, this makes Oklahoma the first state (so far) to attempt to place abortion services outside of the bounds of professional conduct by a physician. But the majority of states have implemented myriad strategies—from mandatory waiting periods to physician admitting privileges to required ultrasounds—to limit if not completely prohibit abortion at the state level.
In the last five years, state legislators adopted as many restrictions to abortions—288 in all—as they have in the previous 15 years. Many of these restrictions are developed and defended as providing important safety and health protections for women. Rarely a part of these policy discussions, however, are the health and well-being consequences for the women who have unwanted pregnancies and births. New research provides a cautionary perspective: women who bring unwanted pregnancies to term may be at greater risk for poor mental health.
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