| Wednesday, September 14, 2011 Political Heavyweights Join Americans United for Life in commemorating its 40th Anniversary Gala Plans Underway at the Newseum
in downtown Washington, D.C.
National leaders and political luminaries will join together in November to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Americans United for Life -- the nation’s premier pro-life legal team and the country’s first national pro-life organization -- incorporated in 1971 before the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The high profile event is already marked by an impressive list of pro-life leaders serving as honorary hosts of the much-anticipated evening. Among the evening’s highlights, Media Research Center President Brent Bozell III will memorialize his father L. Brent Bozell, Jr. of National Review who was among the prominent pro-life leaders who founded AUL, and he will speak about the legacy of the pro-life movement. The Honorary Co-Chairs for AUL Gala include U. S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Click here to read the entire list of current, federal office holders who have lent their support as honorary hosts to this important event: AUL President and CEO Dr. Charmaine Yoest noted that the evening’s celebration would mark the “accumulated pro-life victories AUL has earned through years of public service and the people who made them possible.” Stay tuned for more news of guest speakers and special dignitaries who will be part of the festivities. To register to attend the Nov. 2 event, click here.
![[object Object]](http://action.aul.org/images/content/pagebuilder/11657.jpg) Share Your Pro-Life Story No celebration of AUL’s 40 years of service would be complete without acknowledging the partnership between AUL and its supporters that made possible the accomplishments of AUL through the years. As part of the anniversary celebration, we’ve set up a 40th anniversary guestbook so that we can remember together the victories, the struggles, the memories and the people who together make AUL what it is today. Click here to sign AUL’s 40th anniversary guest book and share your story of how together we’ve made a difference for life. Landmark Study Provides Further Evidence Abortion a Mental Health Risk for Many, Confirms AUL’s
Call for Informed Consent Laws “The fact that 81 percent of women experienced a higher risk of mental health issues following an abortion should be enough for all sides of the life debate to agree that informed consent laws are needed in every state,” said AUL’s Dr. Charmaine Yoest.  At left: Priscilla K. Coleman.
A study on the mental health effects of abortion released recently could have a huge impact on future discussions of the procedure. The new study is the work of Priscilla K. Coleman, a research psychologist and Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University.
Coleman published the study September 1 in The British Journal of Psychiatry (BJP), a publication of Britain's Royal College of Psychiatrists. The study, entitled "Abortion and mental health: quantitative synthesis and analysis of research published 1995-2009," critically reviewed the results of 22 previous studies on abortion and mental health published between 1995-2009. These 22 studies included data on 877,181 women from six countries, 163,831 of whom had experienced an abortion.
The results revealed moderate to high increased risk of mental health problems after abortion. Women with a history of abortion had an 81% higher risk of subsequent mental health problems. More specifically, the study found that women with a history of abortion had an increased risk of anxiety (34% higher), depression (37% higher), alcohol (110% higher), marijuana use (220% higher), and suicidal behavior (155% higher).
Dr. Yoest noted that the study’s data confirmed consistent calls from AUL for informed consent laws for women.
“The results are shocking, and the findings provide further evidence of the terrible toll that abortion takes on the lives of the women who are given too little information about the abortion procedure,” said Dr. Yoest.
To read the full report, click here.
In the News
The Washington Times noted AUL’s involvement in a successful effort in Alabama in which it became the fifth state to restrict abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy. To read more, click here. The venerable Chuck Colson wrote a widely published column on AUL’s Planned Parenthood report in which he joined calls for a federal investigation into the abortion mega-provider and urged parents to share their values with their daughters. To read more, click here. 
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