Abortion: A Positive Decision

The case is daringly made here that abortion is a positive experience--and Lunneborg's argument is both moving and persuasive. The author, a retired women's studies professor from the University of Washington, provides an oral history of abortion elicited from the patients and providers at Planned Parenthood and American feminist health clinics. She finds abortion clinics to be places where women are highly valued and patients' self-esteem is carefully tended; some patients here report being treated better in the clinics than anywhere else. Calling on the results of a questionnaire and interviews, Lunneborg demonstrates that patients seldom experience guilt or trauma, despite the ethical dilemma inherent in the procedure. ``The reality of the abortion is there's no regret, no sadness, no guilt, nor remorse. It's a sense of relief,'' asserts one woman. Many others report feeling more in charge of their lives afterward. The book explodes many myths. (May)