British Section of the World Federation of Doctors Who Respect Human Life

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Published research shines light on a common pro-abortion lie.

Pregnant teens who carry their babies to term do better psychologically than those who choose abortions, according to a study by Bowling Green State University.

That finding flies in the face of contentions by pro-abortion advocates that teenagers are better off if they choose abortion. One fourth of U.S. abortions each year are done on teenagers.

When Sydna Masse had an abortion in 1981, she thought it would be for the best.

"The prospect of abortion... seemed like the perfect solution," she said, "because that would allow me to go on with my life."

To cope, she began smoking marijuana, a behavior common among teens who have had abortions. Dr. Priscilla Coleman, the lead researcher on the Bowling Green study, found that they're six times more likely to use drugs.

"They find ways to cope alone," she told Family News in Focus. "My sense is that it's just an effort to survive the pain or dull the pain."

The study, published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence, also found girls who aborted their babies were four times more likely to have sleep disturbances and five times more likely to seek counseling.

Sue Turner, director of Alabama Physicians for Life, said teenagers have long believed the lie.

"We've heard it so long and so loud that everybody just assumes that it's the best thing for them," she said, "because they've 'got their whole lives ahead of them' and they 'just can't be bogged down by a child because they'll end up on welfare.'"