
David C. Reardon, Ph.D.
Associate ScholarDavid C. Reardon is director of the Elliot Institute and an associate scholar with the Charlotte Lozier Institute. He is widely recognized as one of the leading experts on the aftereffects of pregnancy loss on women. He is the author of numerous books and peer-reviewed articles on this topic, including the most comprehensive summary of the medical literature on abortion and mental health. He has been a noted advocate of healing programs for women, men, and families who have lost children to abortion, miscarriage, or neonatal death.
His studies have been published in such prestigious medical journals as the British Medical Journal and the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and have proven that, compared to childbirth, abortion and miscarriage are associated with higher rates of maternal death, psychiatric hospitalization, subsequent substance abuse, clinical depression, and numerous other complications.
Articles about Dr. Reardon and his work have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, including Newsweek and the New York Times. He is a frequent guest on Christian radio and Christian television talk shows and has been a keynote speaker at many state and national conventions for crisis pregnancy centers and pro-life organizations.
Dr. Reardon was propelled to center stage of the pro-life movement after the publication of his first book, Aborted Women, Silent No More. This was the first major book examining abortion’s impact on women and was described by one reviewer as “the most powerful book ever written on abortion.” He is also the author of Making Abortion Rare: A Healing Strategy for a Divided Nation, and The Jericho Plan: Breaking Down the Walls That Prevent Post-Abortion Healing. He is co-author of Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault, and Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion.
Research Authored
Study: Many Women Who Had Abortions Felt Pressured by Others
Abortion pressure and coercion constitute one of the most widespread hidden epidemics in America, and one of the least covered by the media. Our latest research shows that these insidious influences are tragically far more common than most people realize.
Hidden Epidemic: Nearly 70% of Abortions Are Coerced, Unwanted or Inconsistent With Women’s Preferences
Nearly 70% of women with a history of abortion describe their abortions as inconsistent with their own values and preferences, with one in four describing their abortions as unwanted or coerced, according to the study published in the medical journal Cureus.
The Effects of Abortion Decision Rightness and Decision Type on Women’s Satisfaction and Mental Health
Perceived pressure to abort is strongly associated with women attributing more negative mental health outcomes to their abortions. The one-third of women for whom abortion is wanted and consistent with their values and preferences are most likely over-represented in studies initiated at abortion clinics.
EXCLUSIVE: Over 60% of Women Who Got Abortions Reported High Level of Pressure, Study Finds
Over 60% of women who aborted their unborn baby reported high levels of pressure from other sources, a new peer-reviewed study from the Charlotte Lozier Institute found. And that same group of women also reported higher levels of mental health struggles and quality of life issues following the abortion.
Whose Choice? Pressure to Abort Linked to Worsening of Subsequent Mental Health
Over 60 percent of women who had abortions report high levels of pressure to abort from one or more sources, and those same women report higher levels of subsequent mental health and quality of life issues, according to a new Lozier Institute peer-reviewed study published in the Cureus medical journal.
Effects of Pressure to Abort on Women’s Emotional Responses and Mental Health
Women who feel pressured to agree to abortion are more likely to experience negative emotional and mental health reactions. Our study aims to investigate five types of pressure women may face and a sample of effects that may be associated with unwanted abortions.
Elevated cardiovascular disease risk in low-income women with a history of pregnancy loss
Pregnancy is associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but little is known regarding the association between CVD and specific types of pregnancy losses. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of pregnancy loss on the risk of subsequent CVD of any type.
A Post Hoc Exploratory Analysis: Induced Abortion Complications Mistaken for Miscarriage in the Emergency Room are a Risk Factor for Hospitalization
Previous research indicates that an increasing number of women who go to an emergency room for complications following an induced abortion are treated for a miscarriage, meaning their abortion is miscoded or concealed.
Overlooked Dangers of Mifepristone, the FDA’s Reduced REMS, and Self-Managed Abortion Policies: Unwanted Abortions, Unnecessary Abortions, Unsafe Abortions
The failure of abortion providers to support and undertake prospective longitudinal studies of a nationally representative sample of women contributes to our belief that the ideological biases of abortion providers have led to a combination of disinterest, willful ignorance, or even a conspiracy to hide the widespread dangers of unwanted and contraindicated abortions.
A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Emergency Room Utilization Following Mifepristone Chemical and Surgical Abortions, 1999–2015
Existing research on postabortion emergency room visits is sparse and limited by methods which underestimate the incidence of adverse events following abortion. Postabortion emergency room (ER) use since Food and Drug Administration approval of chemical abortion in 2000 can identify trends in the relative morbidity burden of chemical versus surgical procedures.