What are the Mental Health Effects from Abortion?

Are you thinking of abortion as you contemplate your options for an unplanned pregnancy? Before making a decision, it is important to understand the possible mental health consequences of this option in addition to the possible physical effects. Here is more information on the mental health and physical effects of abortion. 

How Does Abortion Work?

There are two main abortion types: medical abortion and surgical abortion. Each procedure works to end an existing pregnancy through medication or a surgical process with anesthesia. Abortion is a serious medical procedure that comes with serious mental and physical effects. 

The Mental Effects of Abortion

Abortion is considered a loss to your body – as you had a pregnancy before and didn’t have one after the procedure. The recovery after abortion can be very traumatic to your mental state and it can take time to overcome these effects.

According to the National Library of Medicine study for women after a miscarriage or abortion, “A significant number of those experiencing a reproductive loss exhibit signs of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder.” They also share in the study that there is often a delay in the onset of these mental effects, as women may not experience them until a couple of months later – or even longer.

The study reveals mental health conditions attributed to reproductive loss, including subsequent relationship problems, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation.

The Physical Effects of Abortion

With medical abortion, the medications could cause vaginal bleeding and abdominal cramping. This type of abortion also come with risks, including:

• Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
• An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
• Heavy and prolonged bleeding
• Infection
• Fever
• Digestive system discomfort

Some side effects of surgical abortion are infection or excessive bleeding. Risks of surgical abortion include:

• Damage to the womb or cervix
• Uterine perforation 
• Scarring of the inside of the uterus
• Reaction to the medicines or anesthesia, such as problems breathing
• Not removing all the tissue, requiring another procedure

Before Abortion

If you haven’t already, it’s imperative to confirm your pregnancy with a lab quality pregnancy test and an ultrasound before making a pregnancy decision. 

If you receive a positive pregnancy test, an ultrasound will tell you how far along you are, determining which abortion procdures are available to you. An ultrasound can also alert you to complications that may require immediate medical attention such as, ectopic pregnancy, a non-viable pregnancy, or potential miscarriage.

Schedule a no-charge and confidential appointment today to learn more about your pregnancy options and confirm your pregnancy. We are here for you.