Abstract
Two types of distortions often arise in abortion jurisprudence. The first is distortion of scientific fact. Too often abortion opponents distort medical facts, and courts accept those distortions as true. Take, for example, the claim that abortion makes women depressed and suicidal. In fact, no reputable study supports any such causal link. Nonetheless, this unfounded assertion has been used to justify laws requiring that women seeking abortion be provided with certain information lest they later suffer from post-abortion trauma. In particular, some states now require that doctors read to their abortion patients a state-scripted message describing their pregnancy as a "whole, separate, unique living human being." Equally without scientific foundation is the claim that morning after pills like Plan B act as abortifacients. Whether it be substantive due process, equal protection, or the focus of this article -- the First Amendment -- the rules are different when the claim involves abortion.