title: Receiving Versus Being Denied a Pregnancy Termination and Subsequent Alcohol Use: A Longitudinal Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research finds women who terminate pregnancies are at risk of subsequent problematic alcohol use, but methodological and conceptual problems are common. This study examines the relationship between receiving versus being denied termination and subsequent alcohol use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data are from a prospective, longitudinal study of US women seeking pregnancy terminations. Participants presented just before a facility's gestational limit and received terminations (Near Limits, n = 452) or just beyond the limit and were denied terminations (Turnaways, n = 231).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups did not differ in alcohol use before pregnancy recognition. One week after termination-seeking (Turnaways still pregnant, Near Limits not), Turnaways had lower odds of any and binge alcohol use, but did not differ on 1+ problem symptoms. Over 2.5 years, both Near Limits and Turnaways increased any and binge alcohol use, with Turnaways increasing more rapidly. The groups did not converge again on any or binge use. For Near Limits, any alcohol use surpassed the pre-pregnancy recognition level, but binge use did not. Changes in problem symptoms over time were not evident for either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While women who had a termination were more likely to report any and binge alcohol use than women who had a child, this difference was due to a reduction in consumption among women having the child rather than an increase in consumption among women having a termination. Thus, assertions that having a termination leads women to increase alcohol use to cope with having had a termination are not supported.
authors: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), University of California, San Francisco, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94706, USA robertss@obgyn.ucsf.edu.
authors: Sarah C M
authors: SC
authors: Roberts
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0984 TRC, 401 Parnassus Ave, Langley Porter Room 379, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors: Kevin
authors: K
authors: Delucchi
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 501 North Columbia Road Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037, USA.
authors: Sharon C
authors: SC
authors: Wilsnack
authors: Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), University of California, San Francisco, 1330 Broadway, Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94706, USA.
authors: Diana Greene
authors: DG
authors: Foster
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult