Abstract
<h3>To the Editor.</h3> —Dr Stotland would have us believe that Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, in his report to the President on abortion, stated that "the available scientific evidence did not demonstrate significant negative (or positive) mental health effects of abortion."<sup>1</sup>In other words, abortion has no effect on mental health. In fact, this was not Dr Koop's conclusion at all, and there is no such statement in his report. Quoting from Dr Koop's letter of January 9, 1989, to President Reagan: "[T]he data do not support<i>the premise that abortion does or does not cause or contribute to psychological problems</i>"<sup>2</sup>(emphasis added). That is, there were two premises considered: (1) abortion does cause or contribute to psychological problems, and (2) abortion does not cause or contribute to psychological problems. Reviews of the research findings did not adequately support premise 1. But neither did they support premise 2.
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