David C. Reardon, Biographical Sketch

Biographical Sketch

David C. Reardon, Ph.D., director of the Elliot Institute, 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 popular and scholarly 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 key note speaker at many state and national conventions for crisis pregnancy centers and pro-life organizations.

The emphasis of his work has been on promoting a “pro-woman / pro-life” approach to the abortion issue which emphasizes efforts to prevent coerced and unsafe abortions and efforts to create a more healing environment for women, men and families hurting because of a past abortion.  

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.”

Another of his books, Forbidden Grief: The Unspoken Pain of Abortion, co-authored with Dr. Theresa Burke, is the most comprehensive review of the impact of abortion on women available. It is a compelling revelation of the secrets post-abortive women tell only their therapists but everyone should know.

In Victims and Victors: Speaking Out About Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault, with Julie Makimaa and Amy Sobie, he compiled the witness and testimonies of 194 women who became pregnant following sexual assault. The nearly universal opinion of these women demonstrates that abortion is neither helpful nor necessary in cases of rape and incest, and in fact does far greater harm than good to these victims of sexual assault.

To learn more about Dr. Reardon, we suggest reading The Elliot Institute: Passionate Advocate For Abortion’s Other Victims.

Speaking engagements may be arranged by calling the Elliot Institute at 217.525.8202 or through CMG Booking.

Dr. Reardon’s most popular hour long presentation, “Ending Abortion With Compassion” examines:

• why women really have abortions,
• the emotional complications that follow abortion,
• the obstacles in the way of post-abortion healing,
• how we can all help to promote the conversion and healing of those who have been involved in abortions, and
• how a simple legal reform can dramatically reduce abortion rates by protecting women from unwanted, unsafe, and unnecessary abortions.

MedLine Bibliography

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Reardon+DC

• Effects of Pressure to Abort on Women’s Emotional Responses and Mental Health. Reardon DC, Longbons T.Cureus. 2023 Jan 31;15(1):e34456
• The Effects of Abortion Decision Rightness and Decision Type on Women’s Satisfaction and Mental Health.  Reardon DC, Rafferty KA, Longbons T.Cureus. 2023 May 11;15(5):e38882
• A Cohort Study of Mental Health Services Utilization Following a First Pregnancy Abortion or Birth.
  Studnicki J, Longbons T, Fisher J, Reardon DC, Skop I, Cirucci CA, Harrison DJ, Craver C, Tsulukidze M, Ras Z. Int J Womens Health. 2023 Jun 15;15:955-963
• The Enduring Association of a First Pregnancy Abortion with Subsequent Pregnancy Outcomes: A Longitudinal Cohort Study. Studnicki J, Longbons T, Reardon DC, Fisher JW, Harrison DJ, Skop I, Cirucci CA, Craver C, Tsulukidze M, Ras Z.Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2022 Oct 11
• A Post Hoc Exploratory Analysis: Induced Abortion Complications Mistaken for Miscarriage in the Emergency Room are a Risk Factor for Hospitalization. Studnicki J, Longbons T, Harrison DJ, Skop I, Cirucci C, Reardon DC, Craver C, Fisher JW, Tsulukidze M.Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2022 May 20;9
•  A Longitudinal Cohort Study of Emergency Room Utilization Following Mifepristone Chemical and Surgical Abortions, 1999-2015. Studnicki J, Harrison DJ, Longbons T, Skop I, Reardon DC, Fisher JW, Tsulukidze M, Craver C.Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2021 Nov 9;8
• Estimating the Period Prevalence of Mothers Who Have Abortions: A Population Based Study of Inclusive Pregnancy Outcomes. Studnicki J, Fisher JW, Longbons T, Reardon DC, Harrison DJ, Craver C, Tsulukidze M, Skop I.Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2021 Jul 23;8
• Intervals and Outcomes of First and Second Pregnancies in Low-Income Women: A Record-Linkage Longitudinal Prospective Cohort Study. Reardon DC, Craver C.Med Sci Monit. 2021 Jun 25;27
• Effects of Pregnancy Loss on Subsequent Postpartum Mental Health: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.  Reardon DC, Craver C. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb; 18(4): 2179. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18042179
• Pregnancy Outcome Patterns of Medicaid-Eligible Women, 1999-2014: A National Prospective Longitudinal Study. Studnicki J, Fisher JW, Reardon DC, Craver C, Longbons T, Harrison DJ. Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2020
• Improving the Metrics and Data Reporting for Maternal Mortality: A Challenge to Public Health Surveillance and Effective Prevention.  Studnicki J, Reardon DC, Harrison DJ, Fisher JW, Skop I. Online J Public Health Inform. 2019 Sep 19;11(2):e17.
• The abortion and mental health controversy: A comprehensive literature review of common ground agreements, disagreements, actionable recommendations, and research opportunities. Reardon DC.  SAGE Open Med. 2018 Oct 29;6:2050312118807624. doi: 10.1177/2050312118807624.
• The Embrace of the Proabortion Turnaway Study: Wishful Thinking? or Willful Deceptions? Reardon DC. Linacre Q. 2018 Aug;85(3):204-212. doi: 10.1177/0024363918782156. Epub 2018 Jun 20.
• Missed opportunities and potentially misleading results in maternal mortality study. Reardon DC. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2018 Aug 9. doi: 10.1111/aogs.13435
• Pregnancy associated death in record linkage studies relative to delivery, termination of pregnancy, and natural losses: A systematic review with a narrative synthesis and meta-analysis. Reardon DC, Thorp JM. SAGE Open Med. 2017
• Missed opportunities and overstated results in anxiety and quality of life study following termination of pregnancy. Reardon DC. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2017 Mar;96(3):382. doi: 10.1111/aogs.13053.
• Postpartum mental health study flawed by fetal loss omission. Reardon DC. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2015;33(4):318-9.
• Abortion and mental health: findings from the national comorbidity survey-replication. Reardon DC. Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jun;123(6):1354-5.
•  Interrelationships between breast cancer, smoking & abortion. Reardon DC. Issues Law Med. 2014 Spring;29(1):167-9.
• Abortion and mental health: findings from the national comorbidity survey-replication. Reardon DC. Obstet Gynecol. 2014 Jun;123(6):1354-5.
• Reproductive history patterns and long-term mortality rates: a Danish, population-based record linkage study. Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Calhoun BC. Eur J Public Health. 2013 Aug;23(4):569-74.
• Short and long term mortality rates associated with first pregnancy outcome: population register based study for Denmark 1980-2004. Reardon DC, Coleman PK.  Med Sci Monit. 2012 Sep;18(9):PH71-6.
• Rebuttal of Raymond and Grimes: The Comparative Safety of Legal Induced Abortion and Childbirth in the United States. Reardon DC. Linacre Q. 2012 Aug; 79(3): 259–260. doi: 10.1179/002436312804872730.
• Lack of pregnancy loss history mars depression study. Reardon DC.  Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2012 Aug;126(2):155item 16877620

• Women’s preferences for information and complication seriousness ratings related to elective medical procedures. Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Lee MB. J Med Ethics. 2006 Aug;32(8):435-8.
• Prolonged unintended brain cooling may inhibit recovery from brain injuries: case study and literature review. Ford GP, Reardon DC. Med Sci Monit. 2006 Aug;12(8):CS74-9.
• Relative treatment rates for sleep disorders and sleep disturbances following abortion and childbirth: a prospective record-based study. Reardon DC, Coleman PK.  Sleep. 2006 Jan;29(1):105-6.
• Substance use among pregnant women in the context of previous reproductive loss and desire for current pregnancy. Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Cougle JR. Br J Health Psychol. 2005 May;10(Pt 2):255-68.
• Pregnancy-associated mortality after birth.  Reardon DC, Coleman P. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Oct;191(4):1506-7.
• Generalized anxiety following unintended pregnancies resolved through childbirth and abortion: a cohort study of the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth. Cougle JR, Reardon DC, Coleman PK.J Anxiety Disord. 2005;19(1):137-42.
• Induced abortion and traumatic stress: a preliminary comparison of American and Russian women. Rue VM, Coleman PK, Rue JJ, Reardon DC. Med Sci Monit. 2004 Oct;10(10):SR5-16. Epub 2004 Sep 23.
• Risk factors for legal induced abortion-related mortality in the United States. Reardon DC. Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Sep;104(3):635.
• Deaths associated with abortion compared to childbirth–a review of new and old data and the medical and legal implications. Reardon DC, Strahan TW, Thorp JM Jr, Shuping MW.  J Contemp Health Law Policy. 2004 Spring;20(2):279-327.
• Substance use associated with unintended pregnancy outcomes in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Reardon DC, Coleman PK, Cougle JR. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2004 May;30(2):369-83.
• Abortion and breast cancer. Reardon DC. Lancet. 2004 Jun 5;363(9424):1910-1.
• Abortion, health, and the law. Reardon DC. N Engl J Med. 2004 Apr 29;350(18):1908-10.
• Abortion decisions and the duty to screen: clinical, ethical, and legal implications of predictive risk factors of post-abortion maladjustment. Reardon DC. J Contemp Health Law Policy. 2003 Winter;20(1):33-114.
• State-funded abortions versus deliveries: a comparison of outpatient mental health claims over 4 years. Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Rue VM, Cougle J. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2002 Jan;72(1):141-52.
• A defense of the neglected rhetorical strategy (NRS). Reardon DC. Ethics Med. 2002 Summer;18(2):23-32.
• Suicide rates in China. Reardon DC. Lancet. 2002 Jun 29;359(9325):2274; author reply 2274-5.
• Science, philosophy, religion, and use of embryonic stem cells. Reardon DC. Lancet. 2002 Jun 8;359(9322):2036-7; author reply 2037.
• Depression and unintended pregnancy in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth: a cohort study. Reardon DC, Cougle JR. BMJ. 2002 Jan 19;324(7330):151-2.
• State-funded abortions versus deliveries: a comparison of outpatient mental health claims over 4 years. Coleman PK, Reardon DC, Rue VM, Cougle J. Am J Orthopsychiatry. 2002 Jan;72(1):141-52.
• Maternal age and fetal loss. Missing abortion stratification adds to confusion. Reardon DC. BMJ. 2001 Feb 17;322(7283):429-30.
• Abortion and subsequent substance abuse. Reardon DC, Ney PG. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2000 Feb;26(1):61-75.
• Differential Impact of Abortion on Adolescents and Adults. Franz W, Reardon D. Adolescence; Roslyn Heights Vol. 27, Iss. 105, (Spring 1992): 161-72.

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