A recent article in the New York Times reported results from an APA study that concluded that abortion does not cause mental illness. The full title of the article is “Abortion Does Not Cause Mental Illness, Panel Says.” Maybe I am being paranoid, but somehow that title calls the results into question (as in, “a panel claims this, but we’re still not sure”). However, in the brief summary, the author points out that these results are the same as results from a large scale review of evidence in 1990. So, why are we continuing to ask this question? Is it because conservative forces are hoping that we’ll find something that gives credence to the idea that women shouldn’t have control over their own bodies? Given that this finding has been replicated in two large studies now, for my money, I’d rather invest in exploring mental health consequences of issues that have less to do with partisan politics and more to do with actual risk.

There are direct relationships between where you fall in the socioeconomic hierarchy and your health. There are also relationships between whether you are a man or a woman, and where you fall on this hierarchy. Lastly, there are relationships between gender and health. How do gender and socioeconomic status interact to give some people a better shot at a healthy life? The attached files are from a talk I gave on this topic, as well as a reference list to accompany the slides. Please feel free to email or post with questions.

SES, Gender and Health (Slides)

SES, Gender and Health (Outline and Biblio)

Natasha Jategaonkar who is a project manager for the Framework Convention Alliance told me a little bit about the world’s first public health treaty. In this excerpt from our conversation, Nat comments on the role of tobacco advertising in relation to the treaty. Listen to Nat here.