About Abortion

Abortion Facts

Ethnicity and Abortion in the United States:

In many countries abortion is legal, while in some, it is still illegal. Legal abortion us generally safer for the woman than that of having an abortion in countries where it is performed illegally, but even legalized abortion carries with it certain medical risks.
 
Women have abortion for numerous reasons. Most abortions are a result of an unwanted pregnancy. Another reason is defects of the fetus observed in prenatal testing indicating some type of congenital abnormality. At times that defect is major, such as in the case of Down Syndrome, and at other times the defect may be minor or there may be only a slight possibility that serious problems may develop with the baby or future child. Sometimes the risks of giving birth to a handicapped or deformed fetus or the alleged potential for birth defects are erroneous or exaggerated by medical personnel.
 
In the U.S., perhaps 30% of pregnant teenage girls abort their baby. In one large high school in Newark, the SAC coordinator and counselor stated that, "it seems like every girl that walks through these doors (her office) is pregnant.

Other sources put the percentage of teenage girls who abort at approximately 40%. (See: Statistics in Adolescent Pregnancy. Teen Shelter Org). Nationwide in the U.S., statistics indicate that about one in four pregnancies ends in abortion.

Even more controversial than abortion is late-term abortion, with about 10% of abortions considered to be late-term. Pregnancies that are beyond the first trimester, from 20 to 27 weeks, fall into this category.

Abortion as a form of contraception:

Contracept.org, Los Angeles, California, a resource for contraception and healthy sex, says this about using abortion for birth control,

"Using abortion as birth control is not healthy physically or psychologically, and is not a mature or responsible approach to sex. If you are using abortion as birth control, you are encouraged to rethink your sexual decisions." One option it suggests is to "wait on sex until you find a relationship where you could continue a pregnancy should one occur."

According to the book, Intended Consequences: Birth Control, Abortion, and the Federal Government, D.C Donald T. Critchlow, Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center and former professor at Hong Kong University and Warsaw University, states that Planned Parenthood, the Population Council, and the Ford Foundation promoted abortion as a form of birth control in the 1970s in the United States.

Possible Psychological and Emotional Effects of Abortion for Females

Education provides one solution towards preventing abortion. Girls need to be taught by their parents and through their public education to respect themselves and their bodies, and to learn the value of monogamy, of long-term relationships, and of emotional commitment before engaging in sexual relations. This is beneficial both emotionally, psychologically, and physically. How to avoid what might lead to an unwanted pregnancy is also of necessity in a girl's education.

Young men, on the other hand, need to learn not to use their procreative powers as a sport or as a means of proving one's manhood, and to be responsible. They need to realize that they are held accountable for any life they bring into the world through sexual relations, and that governments, in general, hold the male responsible for providing for that child. Promiscuity in itself can carry a heavy emotional and psychological price tag for both the girl and the boy.

Abortion can also leave emotional and psychological burdens that are sometimes long-lasting. The mother needs to think seriously before having an abortion, and not make a decision due to pressure from others; she is the one that is going to have to live with that decision for the rest of her life.

It is said, surprisingly, that even the father of the baby that has been aborted is oftentimes in need of therapy because of guilt or grief over the lost life (Kalish, S., May/June 2004. Psychology Today). Depression can result when a girl or woman has an abortion or series of abortions, and this is not uncommon.

Abortion stories:

A mental health social worker then in her 30s in Princeton, NJ, describes how she aborted her fetus, with subsequent depression. She says that her conscience plagued her after the abortion, with the words "Thou shalt not kill", echoing in her mind. Whether or not proponents of abortion agree with that religious statement, the psychological backlash to the abortion happened after the fact and left her with serious depression. She sought help from mental health professionals and did recover from debilitating depression, but still spoke sadly about her abortion many years later. She started in the mental health profession as a result of the depression and subsequent treatment she received that all stemmed from her abortion.

Another woman wrote about her abortion:

"Being a woman who experienced an abortion, I can tell you that withholding information from women that may affect them for the rest of their lives is both dangerous and demeaning. Doctors may explain more about tonsillectomies or appendectomies than they do about abortions. I really believe that if I had been fully informed, both medically and as to my options, I would have chosen not to abort my baby." Susan Neiburg Terkel, author of Abortion - Facing the Issues. (1988. p.123)

Parents - Keep the Communication Lines Open

In many states (New Jersey being one), abortion is permitted for minors without parental consent or even parental notification. A 13- or 14-year-old can go to a neighborhood Planned Parenthood center and have an abortion without her parents being informed (ACLU). If a teenage girl becomes suddenly withdrawn, depressed, or behaves erratically, an abortion that parents are unaware of can be one possible reason.

Parents need to keep lines of communication open with their children and teens, and not to overreact to their errors. Parents need to express approval of their children. If they do this, should a girl or young man get into serious trouble for any reason, they won't be afraid to come to the parent. Open communication also makes a child or teen much more likely to consult with the parents before making major decisions such as having an abortion, even though in approximately 10% of cases, it is the parent that encourages the teen to have an abortion.

The grief or guilt that comes with having an abortion can last (for some women) for decades, and some never fully heal emotionally. Some women have expressed the thought that they always wonder who or what the baby could have become. Having an abortion, then, is not something to be taken lightly, even in the case of a baby with congenital defects. About 20% of women who have had an abortion have severe mental distress five years after, compared to around two percent who had miscarriages (Health, BBC News. December 12, 2005).

Abortion Story:

"I went through, and still go through, severe mental problems — visualizing the procedure in my mind, hating myself, grieving, and wanting to escape from the whole situation. No one ever told me about the emotional side effects after having an abortion.

The abortion precipitated years of drug and alcohol abuse, an eating disorder, and eventually, serious clinical depression. That supposedly safe procedure has had fourteen years of serious repercussions. "Depression can surface immediately after an abortion, or years and even decades later. A woman may be depressed, guilty, or angry." (Abortion: Facing the Issues. p. 55)

Down Syndrome and Abortion

The majority of Down Syndrome babies are aborted in the United States. Things to keep in mind are, not all children with Down Syndrome are equal in the severity of the disorder. Some are quite functional, and one teacher who has worked with numerous Down Syndrome children in special education, contend that many are very lovable, gentle, and intelligent. The alarming statistic that close to 90% of fetuses detected with Down Syndrome is being aborted in the U.S. is disturbing, and reflects a disproportional alarm towards raising a handicapped child.
 
Many Down Syndrome children attend school, are able to learn, are well adjusted, and "make it," when they are raised in a loving family. "I am so lucky I get to do so many things," said Sarah, 11 1/2 years old, with Down syndrome. �I just want you to know, even though I have Down syndrome, it is OK.� (Harmon, A. 2007, May 9. New York Times).

Coping With Guilt and Religious Issues involved with Abortion

For those who have had an abortion and feel that they are depressed as a result or who are having difficulty coming to terms with it, one's faith and the spiritual or religious aspect of life do come into play. The grief of abortion goes beyond the borders of psychology and into the realm of religion. Please see here for spiritual and religious considerations of abortion.

"For some women, their decision to have an abortion is made in such haste or with so little knowledge, that later, when they have had more time to think about the morality of it, become convinced that their abortions were immoral. This leaves them feeling guilty, angry, and remorseful... The more information a woman has, the more likely she is to make a moral decision that she can live with not only in the short-term but in the future as well." (Susan Terkel. 1988).

References for abortion and effects of abortion

About abortion, psychological effects of abortion