Did you know that a candidate for Congress in Idaho falsely connected abortion with an increased risk of developing breast cancer?

In 2006 during a televised debate, congressional candidate Bill Sali stated that abortions cause breast cancer to support his position that legislators need to push more bills restricting abortions.  In fact, a link between abortion and breast cancer has been disproved.  Anti-choice forces are distorting scientific findings to frighten women and justify further anti-choice laws.

Breast cancer is a significant health concern for women.  According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 212,920 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2006, and approximately 40,970 women in the U.S. will die of the disease in 2006.  However, anti-choice propaganda asserting that abortion causes breast cancer is clearly unsupported by scientific research.

NARAL Pro-Choice America believes that women must have access to scientifically accurate and unbiased health information.  But numerous studies have shown that abortion does not increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.  For example, in 2004 The Lancet Medical Journal published a report done by the Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer disproving the connection between abortion and breast cancer. For more information about the safety of legal abortion, please click here.

By distorting information and instilling fear in women considering abortion, such propaganda may deter women from exercising their constitutionally protected right to choose.  Attempts to link abortion to breast cancer are part of a broader campaign by anti-choice forces to stigmatize abortion.

Breaking The Rules With Candidate Sali: Other Views, The Time-News, Oct. 30, 2006. American Cancer Society, What Are the Key Statistics for Breast Cancer?, available at http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_1x_what_are_the_key_statistics_for_breast_cancer_5.asp?sitearea=cri (last visited Jan. 12, 2007).  Study: Abortion, Breast Cancer Not Linked, Associated Press, Mar. 26, 2004.