Overdose and termination of pregnancy: an important association?

Abstract

Are taking an overdose and undergoing termination of pregnancy linked? In one practice this study has identified a significant association between the two events. If this finding is supported more widely, could one event act as a risk marker for the second?

PIP: A retrospective review of the records of 1359 female patients 15-39 years of age registered with a general practice in the UK revealed an association between deliberate self-harm and induced abortion. 163 (12%) of these women had undergone pregnancy termination, primarily at age 19 years or younger, and 47 (3.5%) had a history of deliberate overdose; 15 women had a history of both of these events, generally within 2 years of each other. The association between induced abortion and overdose was significant (p 0.01). Although abortions were more likely to follow than precede overdoses, this trend was not significant. It was speculated that both events are related to similar psychosocial factors, including socioeconomic deprivation and self-destructiveness. If this association is confirmed in larger studies, methods to identify women at risk should be explored.