Source Introduction
Abortion laws play a significant role in determining the political, social, and economic status of a given country. While some countries have more restrictive abortion legislation than others, allowing women mothers to choose whether to abort or not. Su Mon Latt, Allison Milner, and Anne Kavanagh co-authored an article that explores the impact of abortion law reforms on maternal mortality. The paper is titled “Abortion Laws Reform May Reduce Maternal Mortality: An Ecological Study in 162 Countries” and was published in 2019, in the BioMed Central (BMC) journals’ database.
Credibility
Source’s credibility and reliability help in reinforcing the information provided since it is believed to be true. Credibility can be described as the degree to which people believe a source to be true and relevant (Chipidza et al., 2022). Some of the criteria for selecting a credible source include the authors’ reputation, the time elapsed since published, and the legality of the publishing company or database (Giromini et al., 2022). “Abortion Laws Reform May Reduce Maternal Mortality: An Ecological Study in 162 Countries” is credible since it is published on a well-known website and its authors are specialists in various areas.
The source was authored by three individuals: Su Mon Latt, Allison Milner, and Anne Kavanagh. Su Mon Latt is a reputable scholar in the area of public health and human rights (Oxford Population Health, n.d.). She graduated from the University of Oxford in Great Britain and The University of Melbourne, in Australia. Additionally, she joined the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit (NPEU) and Oriel College in October 2019 as a Doctor of Philosophy student in Population Health (Oxford Population Health, n.d.). Furthermore, Su Mon Latt has worked with global organizations including the United Nations Population Fund in Myanmar.
The second author, Allison Milner, works at the Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. The author graduated from The University of Melbourne, Australia (The University of Melbourne, n.d.). Allison Milner has published other articles including “Gender/Sex as a Social Determinant of Cardiovascular Risk” which can be accessed at the National Library of Medicine (O’Neil et al., 2018). The third author, Anne Kavanagh, works with the Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health (The University of Melbourne, n.d. a). She is a graduate of The University of Melbourne, in Australia.
Usefulness
Unsafe abortion is one of the causes of maternal mortality, encumbering social, political, and economic growth. Abortion laws are crucial in determining the number of unsafe abortions and may vary from one country to another (Latt et al., 2019). The article aimed at assessing whether the maternal mortality rate varies from one country to another with the flexibility of abortion-related legislation. The article’s central thesis is that reforming abortion restrictive abortion laws can help reduce maternal deaths.
The purpose of the article was to assess how maternal mortality rates can be lowered by reforming restrictive abortion laws. Achieving the study goals involved an ecological study that assessed the association between abortion laws and maternal mortality in 162 countries between 1985 and 2013 (Latt et al., 2019). The data used was extracted from the United Nations and World Health Organization databases. The results showed that in countries with a flexibility score of 3 and above the maternal mortality ratio was lower if higher than zero. The study utilized data from credible sources, making it valuable and useful in supporting my claims and counter claims against economic and social impacts of abortion.
Conclusion
Abortion laws vary from one country to another and can help determine the maternal mortality rate. “Abortion Laws Reform May Reduce Maternal Mortality: An Ecological Study in 162 Countries” help in understanding how flexible abortion legislations can help in saving the lives of women. The article is authentic and credible since it was written by authors with scholarly reputations and working with known organizations. The article will help me in proving a counter-argument against the social and economic impacts of legalizing abortions.
Reflection
Questions Asked
When evaluating the credibility of the article, I asked myself two questions. What other scholarly materials have the authors published? And what is the importance of knowing an author’s educational background?
Importance of Evaluation Practice
The evaluation process has helped me narrow down my research topic ideas to specific claims and counter-claims. Additionally, the evaluation process, especially the article summary, has provided me with much information on my research topic.
References
Chipidza, W., Krewson, C., Gatto, N., Akbaripourdibazar, E., & Gwanzura, T. (2022). Ideological variation in preferred content and source credibility on Reddit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Big Data & Society, 9(1), 205395172210764. Web.
Giromini, L., Young, G., & Sellbom, M. (2022). Assessing negative response bias using self-report measures: New articles, new issues. Psychological Injury and Law. Web.
Latt, S. M., Milner, A., & Kavanagh, A. (2019). Abortion laws reform may reduce maternal mortality: an ecological study in 162 countries. BMC Women’s Health, 19(1). Web.
O’Neil, A., Scovelle, A. J., Milner, A. J., & Kavanagh, A. (2018). Gender/sex as a social determinant of cardiovascular risk. Circulation, 137(8), 854–864. Web.
Oxford Population Health (n.d.). Our Team: Su Mon Latt. Web.
The University of Melbourne (n.d.). Associate Professor Allison Milner – Latest research stories and news. Web.
The University of Melbourne (n.d. a). Prof Anne Kavanagh. Web.