Research indicates that while limiting access to abortion does result in poor mental health, abortion itself does not.
Healthcare providers are required by law to inform you that abortion causes bad mental health in several states.
You may have heard that having an abortion might result in despair, suicidal thoughts, or a condition known as “post-abortion syndrome.” All of these are myths.
Abortion does not cause mental health issues or their symptoms, according to decades of thorough research.
However, being refused an abortion when you desire one might negatively affect your general health.
The effects of navigating restrictions in order to receive abortion care
Many states prohibit access to abortion services. You might have to deal with limitations like required waiting periods between seeking abortion treatment and receiving abortion services in jurisdictions where the procedure is legal.
Mandatory waiting periods have been linked to both financial hardship and emotional suffering, according to research, especially for individuals from lower-income households and those who live further away from abortion providers.
Pre-abortion counseling is required in several states. Healthcare providers are required by law in several states to provide false or deceptive information in an effort to persuade patients against having an abortion.
This includes false information on the effects of abortion on mental health.
Additionally, studies have demonstrated that individuals who encounter stigma when seeking an abortion, regardless of whether they end up having one, are more likely to suffer from detrimental psychological effects years later.
Pregnancy and parenting implications
You can be experiencing a variety of feelings if you desired an abortion but were not able to get one.
In general, denying someone an abortion is linked to worse consequences for their mental health. However, this does not imply that you will always struggle with emotional issues or acquire a mental illness.
The majority of the aforementioned research points out that your situation affects your mental health.
Following an abortion denial, you may be more susceptible to mental health issues if you:
lack or have minimal social support
had a mental illness or signs of a mental illness before to getting an abortion.
don’t feel like you’ve made progress in your work and other areas of your life, and you don’t feel like you’ve bonded with your newborn face enough. Stress related to money
Getting support could help your mental health. Getting sympathetic, nonjudgmental counseling and talking to encouraging family members are two examples of this.
You can obtain social support by joining support groups for people in your circumstances, regardless of whether you end up having an abortion, miscarrying, or giving birth.
The consequences of getting abortion treatment
The overwhelming body of research indicates that getting an abortion does not have a detrimental impact on one’s mental health.
Numerous respectable organizations concur with this result, including:
The American Psychological Association
Psychiatric Association of America
Center for Reproductive Rights, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
After having an abortion, many people suffer from “post-abortion syndrome” or “post-abortion stress syndrome,” which is characterized by symptoms similar to those of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is no proof that this is true (Trusted Source).
Neither the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, nor the International Classification of Diseases acknowledge post-abortion syndrome. These guides are frequently used to categorize and identify mental health issues.
Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health collected data on abortion seekers over a number of years for their seminal analysis, the Turnaway Study.
The wellbeing of those who had desired abortions and those who had desired pregnancies was compared in earlier research.
The data is biased because being pregnant and wanting a child is fundamentally different from being pregnant and not wanting a child. Comparing apples and oranges is what it is.
Rather, the Turnaway Study examined the mental health consequences of those who had sought abortions as opposed to those who had sought abortions but were unable to obtain them.
Research using data from the Turnaway Study has discovered that:
There is no evidence that having an abortion results in worse mental health outcomes.
Five years after seeking abortion services, the individuals’ mental health improved, regardless of whether they were granted or denied one.
Neither soon after seeking an abortion nor years later, individuals who received one were no more likely to experience suicidal thoughts than those who were refused one.
Neither immediately after seeking an abortion nor years later, individuals who had one had no higher risk of developing postpartum depression than those who were denied one.
There is no evidence that having an abortion increases the use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
Over the course of five years, a study documented the emotional responses of participants to their abortion. The most common emotion people express after having an abortion is relief.
Though it is extremely rare, some people do regret having abortions. Five years later, 99% of abortion patients in the same survey said they had made the right choice.
After an abortion, everyone experiences different emotions. Even though the majority of people appear to have happy thoughts about their abortion years later, it’s normal to experience conflicting or bad emotions.
For compassionate and nonjudgmental post-abortion therapy, contact All-Options (888-493-0092) or Exhale (phone 866-439-4253 or text 617-749-2948) if you need emotional assistance following an abortion.
Repercussions for kids and teenagers
People who have desired abortions had better outcomes for their current children as well as any children born after the abortion.
Children born to women who were denied abortions are more likely to have worse child development ratings than children born to women who had abortions, according to research.
Five years of researchThe well-being of children born to individuals who were denied an abortion (index children) and children born to those who had a desired abortion (subsequent children) was compared by Trusted Source.
It was discovered that index children were more likely to live in poverty and have poor maternal attachment.
The consequences of not being able to obtain desired abortion treatment
A 2021 systematic analysis found that overall, poorer mental health outcomes are linked to wanting abortion treatment but not being able to get it.
Additionally, this review found that those who were denied abortions were more likely to experience negative financial results.
A 2016 investigationA reliable source examined the effects of unwanted pregnancies using survey data gathered over a 60-year period.
The majority of participants were in their fifties, and the majority of their pregnancies took place prior to the legalization of abortion.
It came to the conclusion that unintended pregnancies are closely linked to negative mental health outcomes, especially depression, in later life.
An investigationAccording to data from the Turnaway Study, those who were refused abortions had the following experiences in comparison to those who had one of their own choosing:
additional signs of anxiousness
decreased life satisfaction and self-esteem
According to research, those who were refused an abortion are also more likely to:
have lower credit scores, are impoverished, and are at risk of bankruptcy and eviction
remain with a violent relationship and raise your kids by yourself.
According to a 2019 study, those who gave birth after being refused an abortion were more likely to experience negative physical health effects. Joint pain, migraines, and chronic headaches were more common among them.
According to a 2015 study, they had a higher risk of postpartum hemorrhage and eclampsia.
The emotional health of those who were refused abortions was examined in a different 5-year study that was released in 2021.
Participants’ mental states steadily improved during pregnancy and after giving birth, despite the fact that they reported experiencing both happy and negative emotions a week after being denied an abortion.
This implies that even while denying an abortion can lead to emotional pain, it is possible to eventually feel better.