Article Abstract:
Issues regarding human reproduction - abortion and embryo research - are divisive enough among the citizens of the two Germanies that they can be almost said to threaten ratification of the reunification treaty. In East Germany, abortion is free on demand, while in West Germany, if a woman does not satisfy two reviewers that social or medical reasons for terminating her pregnancy exist, she commits a criminal offense. Many women, unable to wait for the review process, formerly went elsewhere for the procedure. Now, with reunification just around the corner, the East-West difference is critical politically, since a position that allies itself with one group of voters will alienate voters on the other side. Chancellor Helmut Kohl wanted to put off the problem by, in essence, continuing the status quo for another two years for members of former East or West German states. The political process surrounding his proposals and counterproposals is described. Ultimately, the proposal that passed the Bundestag prohibits prosecution for West German women who obtain abortions in East Germany. The Social Democrats (an opposition party to Kohl's Christian Democrats) want to make such modern possibilities as surrogate motherhood, egg donation, experiments on embryos, cloning humans, and crossbreeding humans and other species, illegal. They would also like to limit artificial insemination to sperm from a woman's partner and, in Bavaria, make it available for married couples only. It is unlikely that the East Germans will consent to these limitations. All of this has led to the cessation of research on issues relating to reproduction in Germany. While the national political process grinds on, some local governments, such as Berlin's, have taken matters into their own hands, and simply ruled that the more liberal East Berlin law applies. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
There have been numerous studies of the psychological effects of abortion on women. Many of these studies have been methodologically flawed, and disparate conclusions have been reached. At least a portion of the disparity is accounted for by the intrusion of political and moral influences on the analysis. In a review of studies with more rigorous research designs, it was found that the majority, about 76 percent, of women experience relief after a legal abortion. About 17 percent reported negative emotions after abortion, which include a sense of loss and concern about social approval. Studies which quantified the strength of these emotions as much as possible, reported that the positive emotions were generally stronger than the negative emotions. Severe psychological impact can occur in some individuals, and these women will require sympathetic care. But, in the words of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, although such feelings may be overwhelming for a few individuals, the psychological problems resulting from abortion are 'minuscule from a public health perspective.' (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
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Article Abstract:
Intense activation of GABA channels may produce biphasic, hyperpolarizing-depolarizing GABA responses because the activation also triggers activity-dependent breakdown in the chloride gradient. Experimental evidence in support of this model is examined.
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