Research: Past and Present

My research actually changed the two texts that I will compare. The new article that I will compare with Engelhardt’s, “Disease of Masturbation,” talks about a “disease” known as “Post-abortion syndrome.” This syndrome was first coined by anti-abortion groups that attempted to document this syndrome’s existence. This is still a very controversial diagnosis as it offends many groups of people. But this article goes on to cite research that disproves the existence of the diagnosis because research showed that “severe negative reactions after abortions are rare and can best be understood in the framework of coping with normal life stress.” There exist support groups and counselors for those women who have had abortions, but the article cites research that these support groups are misleading:
"Rather than exploring the roots of a woman's psychological distress and providing unbiased therapy, anti-choice counselors tend to direct her anger towards the abortion provider by claiming that women are misinformed about the psychological trauma that abortion inflicts."

Engelhardt says “to be ill it to fail to realize the perfection of an ideal type.” Because masturbation was so negatively looked upon, to some, the solution was to place a diagnosis for this behavior as it were a disease. In 2010, there is still the attempt to diagnose a behavior that is against the moral values of some groups of people: “Some post-abortion difficulties may result from a lack of social support because women are expected to bear the brunt of unplanned and unwanted childbearing.”