Erratum

An editing error occurred in the second paragraph in the July 20 Viewpoints column by APA President-elect Nada Stotland, M.D., titled “The Myth of Abortion Trauma Syndrome: Update, 2007.” Here is the correctly worded paragraph:

The Supreme Court's 5-4 decision about so-called “partial birth abortion” outlawed a procedure that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists had testified was sometimes necessary to protect a woman's health and also asserted that abortion caused psychological damage to women. This was the first time the Court upheld a law forbidding a procedure that medical experts testified was sometimes necessary to protect the patient's health. To quote from the opinion: “While we find no reliable data to measure the phenomenon, it seems unexceptionable to conclude some women come to regret their choice to abort the infant life they once created and sustained. Severe depression and loss of esteem can follow” (550 U.S., pp. 28-29, 2007). ▪