Public Health Policy 2007
"Minnesota's Voice for Public Health"

Evidence-based information on Public Documents

Since December 2003, MPHA has been advocating to get changes made on the MDH Women's Right to Know website and brochures, specifically language that connects abortion to an increased risk for breast cancer. Leading national health care organizations, after assessing all research on this topic, refuted any association between breast cancer and abortion. Despite this evidence, language on the MDH Women's Right to Know website and brochure leads a reader to believe that there may be a connection between breast cancer and abortion...

On behalf of MPHA, Janny Brust, President MPHA, has written two letters on this topic to the Commissioner of Health. The second letter requested a meeting to discuss the issue. Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of APHA, also wrote a letter supporting MPHA's position and urged the Commissioner to meet with MPHA representatives. A meeting was not granted.

Last week, on March 17th there was a Senate hearing on SF2570. Revisions to SF2570 include removing breast cancer as a risk of abortion and urges using evidence-based information on public documents. Wendy Hellerstedt, Ph.D., associate professor at the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, testified on MPHA's behalf. Dr. Hellerstedt quoted the American Cancer's Society's position that states, "The public is not well served by false alarms…at the present time, the scientific evidence does not support a causal association between induced abortion and breast cancer." Dr. Steven Miles also testified, saying, "Minnesota has been harmed by this act of malfeasance. The Health Department staff have been demoralized. The Department's credibility in the eyes of citizens and news outlets in the Twin Cities in the Twin Cities and in Greater Minnesota has been compromised. The Department's national reputation has been besmirched." Chris Norton, from the MN Breast Cancer Coalition, gave compelling testimony of the harm done to women with breast cancer who may be reluctant to talk about their disease for fear that it will be connected to abortion and of scaring women who need an abortion with the unfounded fear that they may increase their risk for breast cancer. The vote passed 6 to 3 in favor of the revisions.

MPHA will continue to advocate for evidence-based public health information on all health issues and will continue to do everything possible to change information on the Women's Right to Know website that falsely connects abortion with an increased risk for breast cancer.

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