



About the Conference
Our national medical education conference addresses topics related to life-affirming and pro-family medical practice, bioethics and legal updates that impact your practice. In addition to a review of the latest medical evidence related to these issues, attendees will have the opportunity to meet and interact with researchers, speakers, and fellow physicians who know the challenges our profession is facing and an give you the information that you need.
Venue
Sheraton Grand Seattle
The Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld® has everything you love about Florida, all in one location. Our Orlando waterpark resort is within walking distance of SeaWorld® and all of Orlando’s most celebrated attractions are just a quick shuttle ride away.
MBEC attendees have a negotiated rate of $229 + $10 resort fee + tax (currently 12.5%). This is for a King or Double/Queen room.
New this year!
You will be able to select your hotel options and reserve your room during the registration process. **Please do not call the hotel or book via the hotel website as you will not receive the negotiated conference rate.
The property is only 13 miles from the Orlando airport. There is not a hotel airport shuttle, however Uber, Lyft and Taxis are readily available.
Continuing Medical Education (CME)
Ascension designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 12.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
This activity is awarded 12.25 ANCC contact hour(s).
Medical Students & Residents
Pre-Conference Events
Medical Voices Masterclass
AAPLOG offers two professional development programs designed to help medical professionals contribute their expertise outside of a healthcare setting. These free single-session courses are held multiple times throughout the year, both at in-person locations across the country and virtually, usually on the same day and at the same venue, so you can choose to sign up for both training sessions in a single day if you are interested and available.
Here is more information about these courses.
Life-Affirming Medical Voices Training
Science-Based Communication for Tough Conversations in Every Situation
4 hours
At this training, national media & policy experts will equip you with the practical tools to utilize your medical training and expertise to defend life-affirming medicine in any setting. From interviews with journalists to testimony before state legislatures to conversations with colleagues who disagree — when they ask, you’ll have the facts. You’ll be able to make the case, back it with science, and speak it anywhere.
Legal Training
4 hours
Led by national legal experts, our legal training program equips medical professionals with the skills to successfully navigate a deposition and deliver clear, confident, and credible testimony. Master this process and present your expertise with authority and clarity.
You will be asked to submit your CV/resume.
The Foundational FACTS of the Female Cycle
Master the facts about the fifth vital sign – the female cycle – in this timely workshop led by Dr. Marguerite Duane and leading experts in fertility awareness-based methods and restorative reproductive medicine. Learn how cycle charts can be used as diagnostic tools. Become a first trimester care expert. Engage in small group case studies discussing common concerns in women’s health.
Ready, Set, Go: Facilitating Obstetrical Training in Africa through the Safe Passages Program
Safe Passages is a participatory, simulation-based training program addressing the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality and severe morbidity in Africa including postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, sepsis and infection, obstructed labor, newborn asphyxia and neonatal sepsis.
The workshop will help prepare medical volunteers interested in facilitating obstetrical training in hospitals and health centers in Africa. Training and management protocols are contextualized to the resource limitations that often exist in rural hospitals and health centers in Africa.
Upon completion of the workshop, participants should be better prepared to facilitate training workshops for physicians, midwives and nurses using a participatory approach, simulation models and a life-affirming ethos consistent with African religious and cultural values.
Research Bootcamp
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The nuts and bolts of analyzing a research article.
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The basics of common statistical tools and methods.
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The importance of pro-life voices in peer review and how to get started.
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Real time to practice newly learned skills.
Networking Reception with Cash Bar
Schedule
(Pre-Conference/Optional) Research Bootcamp
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Conference Begins
8:30 AM
Biography
Helen is the CEO of Women’s Accessible Medical Services, P.S. Helen received a Master’s degree in Social Work (with a focus on Administration and Public Policy) from the University of Washington, where she also earned a BA in Women’s Studies. She co-founded 3W with a fellow college friend in 2012 and has since served as 3W Advisory Board Member (2012-present), Advancement Director (2015-17), Executive Director (2017-20), and now CEO (2020-present).
Biography
Dr. Susan Rutherford has practiced as a board certified ObGyn and Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist.
She earned her M.D. at the University of Washington, completed her ObGyn residency at the Naval Hospital, San Diego and fellowship in MFM at LA County Hospital, University of Southern California. After 12 years in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps she was discharged having achieved the rank of Commander. In 1990 she founded and was Medical Director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Program at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, WA, growing a practice with associates that covered two hospitals with a combined over 7,000 deliveries per year. Later she became Evergreen’s Medical Director of Women’s and Children’s Services. During this career she served on the Board and as President of the Washington State Obstetrical Association.
Dr. Rutherford has fully retired from the paycheck and helped to open a novel life-affirming women’s reproductive health clinic in the University district of Seattle in 2017 where she serves on the Board and as Medical Director, with limited patient care plus teaching. 3W Medical for Women is AAAHC accredited and the only life-affirming clinic in Seattle that provides free pregnancy diagnosis. It is distinguished by also providing reproductive health screenings and limited problem-focused GYN services.
In 2023, 3W was voted the BEST WOMEN’S CLINIC IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST through the Seattle Times competition. Dr. Rutherford hopes this clinic’s story will encourage others to do similarly even in very hostile climates.
Implementation of Accreditation and Sexual Health Services to Strengthen the Medical Reputation of Centers Confirming Pregnancy*
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
Objectives
- Identify benefits of ambulatory healthcare accreditation
- Describe sexual health medical services appropriate for a life-affirming clinic
- Discuss organizational components to promote and protect the mission
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
There and Back Again: The Road from Roe to Dobbs
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
A Review of the Latest Embryonic Biotechnologies
9:35 AM – 10:20 AM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Q&A Session for Mr. Bradley & Dr. Prentice
10:20 AM – 10:30 AM
Morning Break
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Unnatural Death: A History and Critique of Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Abortion Pill Reversal: The Current Science and Landscape
11:50 AM – 12:35 AM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Q&A Session for Dr. Weikart & Dr. Delgado
12:35 PM – 12:45 PM
Lunch
12:45 PM – 2:00 PM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
The Impact of Legalised Abortion on Maternal Mortality
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Prolife policy update
2:50 PM – 3:35 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Q&A Session for Dr. Miller & Ms. Dangers
3:35 PM – 3:45 PM
Afternoon Break
3:45 PM – 4:10 PM
Biography
Dr. Kerri Brackney is dually board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Maternal Fetal Medicine. She currently works as an academic MFM physician in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to training students, residents and fellows, she directs the Regional One Health Perinatal Infectious Disease clinic, serves on the oversight committee for the Tennessee Initiative for Perinatal Quality Care, and is a member of the Tennessee Perinatal Advisory Committee. Her clinical and research interests include cardiovasculardisease, sickle cell disease and HIV in pregnancy, as well as prenatal diagnosis and racial disparities inobstetrics.
Dr. Brackney received her undergraduate education at Bryan College in Dayton, TN. She completed medical school at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2006 and her OB/GYN residency at Penn State Health in 2010. After practicing as an OB/GYN for eight years, she completed a one-year fellowship in Obstetric Ultrasound at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2019 followed by a three-year fellowship in Maternal Fetal Medicine at the combined MetroHealth/University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University program in 2022.
Dr. Brackney is a member of the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA) and its outreach, the Women Physician and Dentists in Christ. She is on the AAPLOG board and helps lead the CMDA ObGyn Section. She served for three years with Christ Community Health Services in Memphis, and enjoys providing high risk obstetrical care for the underserved. She volunteers for a pregnancy resource center, reading obstetric ultrasound. She has a passion for both domestic and foreign missions and longs to see an American culture in which abortion is unthinkable.
Biography
Dr. Robin Pierucci is a wife, mother, and neonatologist. She has a Master’s degree in bioethics, has completed the National Catholic Bioethics Center certificate program. This background dovetails with her research, publications, and ongoing involvement in championing provision of care for babies at the edge of viability, for infants and their families affected by in utero drug exposure, and her latest endeavor, the creation of a clinic devoted to care of families and their babies who have a fetal anomaly. She has multiple publications in peer and non-peer reviewed journals and has spoken around the country on multiple perinatal and ethical topics. Dr. Pierucci, a Jewish convert to Catholicism, has appeared on a number of programs aired on EWTN including, Women of Grace, The Journey Home, EWTN Live, and Pro-Life Weekly. She has become increasingly active testifying about the reality of fetal pain and the edge of viability, including testifying on Capitol Hill for the Born Alive Protection Act. Dr Pierucci is a member of the Catholic Medical Association, an associate scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute and a board member of the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) where she is also the co-chair of their pro-life council.
Biography
Brandon P. Brown, MD, MA, FAAP
Dr. Brandon Brown is a pediatric radiologist, working at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health as the Chief of Fetal and Perinatal Imaging, and formerly as Director of Physician Vitality and Values for Indiana University Health. He completed his undergraduate degree in political philosophy at the University of Dallas in Texas and completed a joint degree program in medicine and philosophy at Indiana University.
His clinical work is at the intersection of several areas of medicine as one of the founders of The Fetal Center at Riley Children’s Health, and he is a member of the Departments of Radiology, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Surgery, Philosophy and Medical Humanities. Dr. Brown’s research focuses on imaging techniques in high-risk pregnancy, MRI of placental blood flow and its relationship to fetal abnormalities, and perinatal ethics. In 2005, he served as a graduate research fellow for the Indiana University Center for Bioethics. He is a member of the Section on Bioethics for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and is a director of the board for the Association of University Radiologists and the Society for Pediatric Radiology. At the IU School of Medicine, he serves as Vice-Chair for Faculty Affairs, Professional Development, and Vitality in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences.
He has delivered more than 100 invited lectures on the topics of medical and fetal ethics, medical professionalism, and imaging in fetal medicine. He has won each of the awards in his department for teaching medical students, technologists, nurses, and residents. He was the 2018 Berlin Scholar in Medical Professionalism, and the 2019 Exemplar of Professionalism Award for IU School of Medicine. In 2024, he was awarded the Career Achievement Award from the Indiana University Medicine Alumni Association.
Biography
Christopher Tollefsen is Professor of Philosophy at the University of South Carolina. He has published over 100 articles in journals and edited collections, and a similar number of popular essays in venues such as Public Discourse, First Things, and National Review. He is the author of Lying and Christian Ethics and co-author of The Way of Medicine: Ethics and the Healing Profession (with Dr. Farr Curlin) and Embryo: A Defense of Human Life (with Robert P. George) as well as the editor of several collections, including John Paul II’s Contribution to Catholic Bioethics and Artificial Nutrition and Hydration: The New Catholic Debate. In 2019-20, he served as a Commissioner on the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights. He has twice been a Visiting Fellow in the James Madison Program at Princeton University, as well as at the Eudaimonia Institute at Wake Forest. In 2024-25 he is a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame.
Panel Discussion of hard cases – medical and bioethical considerations
2:00 PM – 3:35 PM
Objectives
- Identify, evaluate and treat ethically challenging obstetric complications, such as previable preterm premature rupture of membranes.
Breakout Session 1 (4 options)
4:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
A deeper dive into the evidence around public policy and its impact on abortion rates
4:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Can you really be a prolife MFM?
4:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
The Three-Generation Model: Promoting Parent Connection and Future Family Formation
4:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Reproductive Life Planning
4:10 PM – 5:00 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Donna Harrison Keynote Speaker
5:10 – 6:30 PM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Seeking Truth in the Age of Feeling
5:10 PM – 6:30 PM
Objectives
- Discuss the importance of sexual integrity leading to marriage in human history and relatedly how our society has been affected by the sexual revolution starting in the 1970s
- Define the biologically-based male and female sex differences in brain biochemistry and anatomy and how they complicate 21st-century relationships
- Describe the physiological traits that show that monogamy is the optimal relationship form for humans
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Sessions End (Dinner on Your Own)
6:30 PM
Sessions
8:30 AM – 5:15 PM
Welcome and Presentation of Honeycutt Poster Award Winner
8:30 AM – 8:45 AM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Restorative Reproductive Medicine and Root Cause Treatment for Fertility Instead of IVF: Its Time Has Come
8:45 AM – 9:30 AM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Building Bridges: Strategies for useful conversations with pro-choice friends and colleagues
9:35 AM – 10:20 AM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Q&A Session with Dr. Yeung and Ms. Snyder
10:20 AM – 10:30 AM
Break
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Breakout Session 2 (4 options)
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
When OBGYN Fits in the Crosshairs of Sociopolitical Ideology
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Update on STIs
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
The Female Cycle as the Fifth Vital Sign
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Innovative models for being a pregnancy center medical director
11:00 AM – 11:45 AM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Lunch / Residency Fair
12:00 – 1:30 PM
Breakout Session 3 (4 options)
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Abortion and Mental Health: What Can We Conclude?
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Life Finds a Way: Single ventricle maternal circulation outcomes, challenges, and successes
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Legal conscience protections for medical professionals
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Being an advocate while in medical training
1:30 PM – 2:15 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
The Ever-Evolving Saga of Antenatal Corticosteroids for Fetal Maturation
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Human Development and Advancements in Fetal Intervention
3:20 PM – 4:05 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Surrogacy
4:10 PM – 4:55 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Q&A Session with Dr. Chapa, Dr. Lee and Ms. Faust
4:55 PM – 5:10 PM
Wrap Up of Day
5:10 PM – 5:15 PM
Cocktail Reception
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Dinner and Keynote Speaker
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
The Time is Now: Speak Now or Forever Be Silenced
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Objectives
- Describe the impact of welfare, contraception promotion, sex education and abortion restrictions on abortion rates
- Understand the nuances of these categories
- Understand the impact of broader context on the relationship between these variables and abortion rates
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Religious Services
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Coffee
8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Maternal & Neonatal Outcomes Through Physician-Midwife Collaboration
9:00 AM – 9:50 AM
Objectives
At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Understand the basics of chemical abortion, including the risks to women, particularly with self-managed abortion
- Understand what is meant by “gender affirming care.”
- Distinguish between informed consent and the informed consent model of care that is utilized in gender-affirming care.
- Appreciate some of the ethical issues with both self-managed abortion and gender-affirming care.
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Biography
Bio coming soon.
Ethical Considerations in Ending a Pre-viable Pregnancy for Maternal-Fetal Vital Conflict
9:55 AM – 10:40 AM
Objectives
At the end of this session, attendees will be able to:
- Understand the basics of chemical abortion, including the risks to women, particularly with self-managed abortion
- Understand what is meant by “gender affirming care.”
- Distinguish between informed consent and the informed consent model of care that is utilized in gender-affirming care.
- Appreciate some of the ethical issues with both self-managed abortion and gender-affirming care.
Abstract
An unbiased appraisal of the research literature shows that a significant number of women do suffer negative psychological consequences of abortion. These risks should be included in the information disclosed by the physician during the consent process. Furthermore, these potential risks are among the reasons that the informed consent process for abortion should be consistent and comprehensive―and should allow time for the patient to consider her options carefully. As the U.S. Supreme Court acknowledged in Gonzales v. Carhart, “It seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (IV.A). As we will see, evidence from clinical and social science research supports this conclusion. Some women who obtain abortions subsequently suffer psychologically complex and distressing consequences, and in many of these cases, psychological harms are pronounced and measurable. Identifiable medical, psychological, and social factors in the patient’s history can also help predict which patients may be at elevated risk.
References
- Priscilla K. Coleman, “Abortion and Mental Health: Quantitative Synthesis and Analysis of Research Published 1995–2009,” British Journal of Psychiatry 199, no. 3 (August 2011 2011), http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/199/3/180.long.
- J. M. Thorp, Jr., K. E. Hartmann, and E. Shadigian, “Long-Term Physical and Psychological Health Consequences of Induced Abortion: Review of the Evidence,” Obstet Gynecol Surv 58, no. 1 (Jan 2003), http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.OGX.0000045217.37578.0B.
- D. M. Fergusson, L. J. Horwood, and J. M. Boden, “Does Abortion Reduce the Mental Health Risks of Unwanted or Unintended Pregnancy? A Re-Appraisal of the Evidence,” Aust N Z J Psychiatry 47, no. 9 (Sep 2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0004867413484597.
- H. P. David, N. K. Rasmussen, and E. Holst, “Postpartum and Postabortion Psychotic Reactions,” Fam Plann Perspect 13, no. 2 (Mar-Apr 1981), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7250345.
Q&A Session with Ms. Morton, Ms Schenkel, and Dr. Harrison
10:40 AM – 10:50 AM
Closing Remarks
10:50 AM – 11:00 AM
*No CME credit available for this presentation
What have others said about our conference?
The annual AAPLOG Matthew Bulfin Educational Conference will be held Feb. 27-March 1, 2026 in downtown Seattle, WA. Pro-life medical professionals of all specialties, students/residents, PRCs and other organizations, and others are welcome to attend. The opening session begins at 8:30AM on Friday, Feb. 27. Check in will begin on Thursday morning, Feb. 26 for pre-conference events, and all day Fri., Feb. 27. AAPLOG dues-paying members receive a discount registration fee. An early-bird registration discount is available to all others through Nov. 7, 2025.
All sessions will be held at The Sheraton Grand Seattle. Please refer to the Venue section for further information. The conference rate is $219 (King or Double) + 15.7% tax + 2.3% per room per night tourism tax (current rates as of this post). Please reserve your room during the registration process to get the conference rate.
Parking information:
There is valet parking ($78) available at the hotel and nearby cheaper garages downtown. The hotel has an agreement with the U.S. Bank Center Garage (1465 6th Ave., across the street) for hotel guests ($45/24 hrs. with some in/out privileges). There are multiple parking garages close by for $17-$19 all day rates with the “early bird” discount (in before 9:30am).
Your conference registration fee includes the following meals and breaks: Thursday night reception (cash bar), Friday lunch and afternoon snack; Saturday morning snack, lunch, cocktail reception (cash bar), and dinner. There will be coffee, tea, and water available throughout Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday morning.
Medical students and residents are encouraged to attend. We have a DeCook scholarship program that covers most of the conference and travel costs for students who apply and are accepted. There is also a special registration rate for non-scholarship students/residents.
We are currently raising funds to help reach our goal of bringing 100 medical students and residents to the conference through our scholarship program. You can help make this a reality and change the future of medicine by donating here for our scholarships.
The Sheraton Grand is 13.7 miles from the Seattle-Tacoma, WA airport (SEATAC). The hotel does not offer an airport shuttle; however, taxis, Uber, and Lyft are readily available. The hotel is also near the Westlake subway Station.
The conference is closed to the media.
If you need to cancel your registration, please email LBaesel@helmsbriscoe.com.
If you decide to completely cancel your conference registration, we will refund your conference fee if you notify us by February 2, 2026.
If you completely cancel your registration after February 2 to February 17, 2026, we will issue a refund for half of the conference fee.
If you completely cancel your registration after February 17, 2026, then we cannot refund your conference fee because we will have incurred costs related to the conference.
We welcome sponsors and exhibitors to join us. Please see Sponsor tab on this site and the booklet for more details. Thank you for your sponsorship!
Registrants check in will begin Fri, Feb. 10 at 9am through 5pm.
We will use the Cvent event app (optional) and send details to all registrants a week before the conference. Throughout the conference, you can use the app to find the updated schedule and the following:
- Real-time reminders and announcements about conference programming
- Profiles of exhibitors, sponsors, and fellow attendees, as well as a chat feature allowing you to connect with them
- Polling
- A discussion forum allowing you to share thoughts with all conference attendees
- And more!
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