London (CNSNews.com) - In the first case of its kind in the U.K., a woman is suing Britain's state-run health service for emotional distress following an abortion.

The woman, who requested anonymity, had the abortion four years ago when she was 24 years old. In an interview with BBC radio broadcast Wednesday, she said the procedure was "very frightening."

"I was really confused and I didn't know what to do so I ended up having a termination at the local hospital," she said. "I certainly wasn't in the right frame of mind to make any decisions like that."

After the abortion, the woman said she drank heavily and eventually sought counselling after she became pregnant again and gave birth to a boy.

"I'd always realized what I'd done, but that (the birth) brought it all back," she said.

The woman said doctors with the National Health Service (NHS) never inquired about her mental state before the abortion.

"There was no warning of any psychological effects or any links to breast cancer," she said. "I just want to make the NHS aware of their approach ... I think they need to do something about it."

Guidelines

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) is responsible for formulating national recommendations on what women should be told about abortion.

The instructions include a list of complications such as bleeding, perforation of the uterus, infection and failure of the operation to terminate the pregnancy, but do not include the possibility of mental problems.

The guidelines, listed on the RCOG's website, say that after an abortion "early distress, although common, is usually a continuation of symptoms present before the abortion. Conversely, long-lasting, negative effects on both mothers and their children are reported where abortion has been denied."

The instructions also stipulate, "Referral for further counselling should be available for the small minority of women who experience long-term post abortion distress."

Dr. Gillian Penney, chairwoman of the RCOG's guideline development committee, said that the organization's recommendations were thoroughly researched and represented the balance of medical opinion.

"We don't think it's necessary to warn women about psychological problems," she said.

Penney said that for most women, the risk of mental health problems is greater if an abortion is denied than if it is carried out.

"We've brought together the whole body of evidence on this topic," she said.

An RCOG spokeswoman said Wednesday that the organization couldn't comment specifically on the lawsuit.

Clash on evidence

The anonymous woman is being supported in her suit by Life, one of Britain's leading pro-life groups, which called her "courageous."

"Women are not only not getting the whole story, they're getting none of the story. They are being put on a conveyor belt," said Jack Scarisbrick, Life's national chairman. "The information pamphlets they get regarding abortion are bland and imply that it is a simple procedure with few regrets."

Scarisbrick said that the RCOG has used outdated evidence in formulating its guidelines.

He said that studies show that up to 10 percent of women suffer from server psychological distress after an abortion and that women who have had an abortion are three times more likely to attempt suicide than women who carry a pregnancy to term.

"We will keep piling up the evidence," he said. "It's coming thick and fast from around the world."

But Penney, the RCOG guidelines chief, said that groups interpreted evidence

"Depending on your prejudices, you can be convinced of different conclusions on this topic," she said. "There is no new evidence to contradict the recommendations that have been made."

The RCOG's recommendations are reviewed every two years, with the next review of abortion guidelines scheduled for January 2003.

Scarisbrick said his organization has already received women requesting Life's help in pursuing claims against the NHS. Since most abortions in Britain are approved by doctors on the grounds that a woman's mental health is adversely affected by carrying a fetus to term, Scarisbrick said successful suits could eventually halt most abortion in the U.K.

"The floodgates could open," he said. "Women have not been told the truth, they have been conned."

The lawsuit comes a week after a smaller U.K. pro-life group claimed to have videotape of private abortion clinics giving out misleading advice about abortion.

The U.K. Life League has been sending female supporters into clinics with hidden video cameras. The organization's leaders said the videotapes would be passed on to lawyers and would form the basis of a freely distributed documentary.