Controversial medical journal paper fuels abortion restrictions in US legal battles
The British Journal of Psychiatry is facing criticism for refusing to retract a paper on abortion that has been used in US legal cases to restrict access to the procedure. Three international board members have resigned after the journal and its owner, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, ignored the advice of its own internal panel to retract the paper. The author of the paper, Priscilla K Coleman, has testified in favor of greater restrictions on abortion in multiple cases. Critics argue that the paper has methodological issues and its conclusions are invalid. The refusal to retract the paper raises questions about the journal's editorial independence and the impact of legal threats on scientific publishing.