Inthe May 13 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), a study was published which sparked a rare barrage of letters to the CMAJ editor. The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Reardon — who will be the keynote speaker at this November’s “Silent No More” Canadian pro-life conference in Edmonton — found that low-income women who have abortions have a higher risk of psychiatric admissions than those who give birth.

Many letter-writers were outraged that the CMAJ would publish such “biased” research, “flawed in its methodology” by a researcher who was know to be “against abortion rights.”

CMAJ defended its publication of this research in its July 22 editorial, “Unwanted results: the ethics of controversial research, ” saying that the criticisms amounted largely to an ad hominem attack of Dr. Reardon’s credentials — he is pro-life. But as the editorial asks, “does ideological bias necessarily taint research?” Since it is possible, and because abortion is so controversial, the editors of CMAJ subjected Dr. Reardon’s paper “to especially cautious review and revision.” They also note it is not unreasonable to hypothesize that abortion (or childbirth) might have a psychological impact on women, and to refrain from researching it because one might not like the results is “hardly scientific.”

In response to the CMAJ editorial, our president, Jakki Jeffs, sent a letter on behalf of LifeCanada — “Women Deserve our Best, not our Bias,” (see sidebar this page) — congratulating the CMAJ on its decision to critically assess and publish Dr. Reardon’s findings. Jakki’s letter was printed online in the July 31 issue of CMAJ.

It seems the more one looks into the issue of abortion, the more one finds evidence of how a pro-abortion bias seems to permeate our culture. And I don’t mean pro-choice—choice depends on freedom and freedom depends on truth.

Because exposing this pro-abortion bias is so important, we dedicate most of this issue of LifeCanada News to examining the bias which seems to be infecting one area of our society, the website of the Canadian Health Network.

There can be no freedom without truth. Let us never give up searching for that truth; and in spite of everything, may we always, always defend it. — BM