How the Roe v. Wade Reversal May Impact Girls with ADHD

The recent Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade may have a chilling long-term effect on the health and mental health of women with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of Psychology at the University of California, said.

According to Hinshaw, previous studies state that young women with ADHD are at least four times more likely to experience unwanted pregnancy than their peers with other neurotypical conditions. The elevated risk, combined with a higher likelihood of engaging in unprotected sex and experiencing intimate partner violence, would mean that banning abortion may have a "disproportionate impact" on young women with ADHD, Additude Mag reports.

ADHD Symptoms

ADHD symptoms encourage risky behavior leading to unplanned pregnancies in middle and high school as eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, and substance abuse issues surface.

According to Berkeley Girls with ADHD Longitudinal Study (BGALS), one-fifth of their participants committed suicide, compared to only 6 percent of the girls without the condition. ADHD girls are prone to engage in moderate to severe self-harm, including cutting, burning, or other forms of self-mutilation, compared to 19 percent of typically developing young women.

According to Ellen B. Littman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist specializing in identifying and treating complex presentations of ADHD, girls with the condition feel different, marginalized, and criticized. They crave approval and acceptance but are haunted by shame and stigma.

Their risk of early pregnancy may be attributed to several factors like forgetting to take their daily pill, impulsivity that leads to unprotected sex, lack of sexual education, and limited or no access to contraceptives such as condoms or other forms of birth control. Difficulties associated with ADHD, such as executive problems, impulsivity, and risk-taking behavior, may be why girls and women with ADHD have higher risks of unwanted pregnancy.

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Engaging in risky sexual behavior

According to Charlotte Borg Skoglund, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of a Swedish study on the impact of ADHD on young women, girls with ADHD are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors compared to girls without the condition.

For females, sexuality is a shortcut to social acceptance. It is common for girls with ADHD to have a history of early initiation of sexual activity, more sexual partners, and engaging in casual and less protected sexual activity.

They are also more likely to have premenstrual syndrome (PMS), in which girls with ADHD may self-medicate with drugs, alcohol, food, and/or sex.

According to a study published in the Journal of Attention Disorders, for women with and without ADHD before the age of 30, ADHD medication for 180 days or longer decreases the likelihood of early pregnancy among ADHD by 30 to 34 percent.

ADHD women with long-term treatment were also found to have reduced risk of pregnancy by reducing impulsivity and risky sexual behaviors and lowering the risk and severity of associated comorbidities like substance abuse disorders.

Getting sexual education, such as encouraging the use of contraceptives and avoiding risky sexual behaviors, may decrease unplanned pregnancy in young girls or teens with ADHD.

Related Article: Roe vs. Wade: Abortion Provider Braces for Increased Number of Patients from the Restrictive States