Eight medical groups have recognized that abortion increases a
woman's risk of developing breast cancer.
Twenty-eight of 37 worldwide studies have linked induced abortion
with breast cancer.
This dangerous link was first suspected back in 1957, and
recent
studies continue to report the life-threatening risk.
Yet in the last several months, Glamour
magazine has twice
attempted to deny such a link to its readers. Its most recent effort is
a May 2006 article,
"The New Lies About Women's Health" by Brian
Alexander (WARNING: Photo of rear female nudity). What medical
personnel does Glamour cite for its article? People such as
Dr.
Herb Brown (.pdf file), who has been medical director at
Planned Parenthood of San Antonio. Geesh. Conflict of interest,
anyone?
(Glamour also cites Harvard's
Marcia Angell, who recently penned
a Los Angeles Times op-ed in favor of California's
physician-assisted suicide bill. (In the article, she claims,
"Physician-assisted suicide is one of the religious right's signature
issues, used mainly as a wedge in the battle against abortion rights. It
lets foes of abortion claim that their commitment to life is absolute
and has nothing to do with women's rights." Ugh.))
Is
Glamour potentially harming female readers by hiding the truth from
them? It appears so.
Karen Malec, president of the
Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer, has
challenged Glamour to a debate on this important women's
health issue. For several years, Malec has spoken passionately in
alerting and educating women about this serious risk. (Here
(.pdf file)
is a journal article by Malec in the Summer 2003 issue of the Journal
of American Physicians and Surgeons.)
In a radio interview last week on
EWTN and
Ave Maria Radio, Malec reported,
"They (Glamour magazine) are not telling women that eight
medical groups recognize this link between abortion and breast
cancer, and women have a right to know that ... We challenged
Glamour magazine to a debate in
our latest press release. We've received no response from
them ... There has never been a debate on the abortion-breast
cancer link, and that is because they know they would lose.
The evidence for this is overwhelming. Privately, scientists
admit that there is a link between abortion and breast cancer ...
They are worried about losing their government grant money. They're
worried about the loss of the perks of their job, such as their
ability to get up and speak at public meetings and that sort of
thing."
The presence of a wide and pervasive liberal media bias is well
attested; but here is a case in which journalistic bias could be putting
women's lives in serious jeopardy.