The hypothesis, he told me, was simple, but no one he knew of had investigated it: “If pregnancy is a normal physiological process … terminating a viable pregnancy using abortion is going to potentially cause significant physiological and ultimately behavioral issues.�

Sammut’s research, published in May in the journal Frontiers in Neuroscience, demonstrates that drug-induced abortions have negative effects on rats’ well-being, including “a clear reduction in grooming, an unkempt coat, a reduction in exploratory behavior … a reduction in general activity, increased immobility and the assumption of a stooped/hunched posture in the corner of the cage.� ...