An unidentified British woman plans to sue the United Kingdom's National Health Service for "negligence" for failing to warn her of the possible psychological consequences of obtaining an abortion, the Express reports. The woman said that she experienced feelings of "guilt and self-hatred" after undergoing an abortion procedure four years ago and "came to the brink of a nervous breakdown" after giving birth to a child two-and-a-half years later. "After I had my son, I realized what I had lost. ... I just looked at him and I just realized what I had done," she said (Palmer, Express, 6/13). A woman seeking an abortion in the United Kingdom is supposed to undergo counseling with a doctor or other medical professional about her reasons for having an abortion and her feelings about it before she is referred to a clinic for the procedure. At the clinic, she then receives a second consultation and is offered further counseling before and after undergoing the abortion (Boseley, Guardian, 6/13).

Psychological Impact of Abortion?
The woman in question, who worked for the NHS, said that she was informed of the possible physical risks and side effects but was not apprised of the possible psychological effects of an abortion. "I just want to make the NHS aware of the approach they have on the wards, just to let them know what women are going through, how serious it is. ... I think they need to do something about it," she said (BBC News, 6/12). Dr. Gillian Penny, chair of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' guidelines development group, said that women do not typically experience psychological problems following an abortion unless they were "already disturbed" prior to the procedure. "I would suggest that this woman perhaps did have pre-existing psychological problems," she said (Laville, Daily Telegraph, 6/13). She added that psychological problems are "far more" prevalent following unwanted pregnancies than abortions. Nuala Scarsbrick, a trustee of the antiabortion group Life, said that the case demonstrates that women are "deliberately not being told the whole truth" about abortion and are "not given the chance to make informed decisions." She added that she hopes the case, which is still at a "very early stage of development," will "encourage other women to speak out and take action" (BBC News, 6/12).