Therapy Is Expensive

I just completed my presentation.  In fact I”m still sitting in class right now.  Thank you again to those of you who took my survey. 

The results weren’t terribly surprising. 

Question 1: Did re-opening adoption records cause abortion rates to rise?  To answer this question I looked at the abortion rates in states that have re-opened records.  I ran a paired samples T-test comparing the rates before re-opening records to the rates after re-opening records.  There is no significant difference between abortion rates before re-opening records and those after.

Question 2: Are abortion rates higher in states with Open Adoption Records? To answer this question I compared the open records state’s abortion rates to those who have yet to re-open records.  There is no significant difference between the abortion rates in Open Record States and those in sealed record states.

From the data from questions 1 and 2 we can refute the claim that re-opening records will cause abortion rates to soar.

Question 3: Will re-opening records decrease the number of women who relinquish their parental rights?  To answer this question I posted a survey and asked first moms (aka natural moms, birth moms, biological moms etc) to help me out by filling it out.  83% of respondants stated that the status of adoption records had NO influence on their decision. 0.00% were heavily or completely influenced by the status of records. Yep thats right absolutely no one who responded was heavily or completely influenced by sealed records.  (not shocking but felt the need to reitterate based on how certain people are that opening records would be catastrophic)

70% of respondents were either not informed or only minimally informed about closed record practices. If having closed records is such a selling point why not tell people about them?

I also left space for additional feedback.  Not everyone offered it but a fair number did.  The feedback gave me insight into questions I SHOULD have asked, or rather seperate research that needs to be done.  I obviously couldn’t cover everything.  I had a very finite time frame, but oh the research I could do if i had but the time and finances (do I sound like a nerd yet?).

Most of the responses were of the “open records now” variety.  Many pointed out that either due to the BSE or Coercion it wasn’t “making an adoption plan” or even their “choice”. 

Some took issue with my terminology.  I used the term first/birth and I am sorry to have offended anyone however for this research I will continue to use those terms.  I will use them together or possibly interchangably.  I do this because outside the adoption community the term first mom is not well understood.  Whats the point of doing research if those reading it don’t understand it?

Some took issue with my survey.  I shouldn’t have asked the abortion questions.  I used the rationalization that since those who support closed records lump abortion with adoption I needed to as well.  I thought by asking those questions I could prove that there is no link between adoption and abortion. And even though that is what the data shows, how rediculous is it to link two things in order to prove they aren’t linked. The analysis of pre-existing data refuted the abortion claims all on its own.  There was no need to ask those questions.  I won’t be using that data in my report.

As I said more info will be posted as I write the actual paper.  For now I’ll reward myself for finishing my presentation by going home and pouring myself a glass of wine.