In the overarching state of humanity, few topics are as important to the long term societal standpoint as abortion. Even more important and contested is the controversial subject of whether or not a woman will endure long term psychological effects or disorders after said abortion. This subject has been highly debated, with valid points made by both sides. It is important that we all look into these repercussions, especially since approximately 33% of women will undergo an abortion by the time they reach forty-five years old. This often challenged subject has many aspects. The main ideas that I researched where whether or not having an abortion leads to a higher risk for mental health issues, whether or not “post-abortion syndrome” is a …show more content…
This is not the case. According to one of the most recent studies done on this correlation, done by a reproductive expert from Johns Hopkins University, stated that only seven in every thousand women sought treatment for mental health issues after their abortions. This study was done with close to 400,000 women, as opposed to most of the studies done in the United States with a much smaller group of women. Also, we must take into account the state of the woman’s mental health before the pregnancy and abortion. The same study done by Johns Hopkins also states that the women involved in the study came from a demographic that was more likely to have mental health issues anyway, due to low incomes and a high rate of unplanned pregnancies. Obviously, if a woman has psychological issues to begin with, she will most likely have them post-abortion as well. On the other side of the coin, anti-abortionists argue that anything as stressful as terminating a pregnancy could possibly lead to depression, guilt, and even suicide, which is certainly true. But if the large majority remains unaffected and not seeking treatment, who is to say that women who terminate their pregnancy are at a higher risk for these issues? Another of the widely important subissues I chose to research was whether or not “post-abortion syndrome” is a relevant medical term that affects a large amount of women. The term “post-abortion syndrome” is not recognized by
The practice of abortions throughout the United States are safe. Abortions have become safer since the procedure was reluctantly legalized in the United States-by the Supreme Court-in 1973. According to The American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs the number of deaths associated with abortion drastically dropped from roughly four out of every one hundred thousand women in 1973 to .6 per every one hundred thousand women in 1997 (Abortion is Safe). These statistics show that procedure in how an abortion is performed has become safer since legalization. Legalization of abortion permitted the procedure to be performed in a sterile setting- such as a hospital operating room. The medical risk associated with an abortion procedure is highly overestimated. An abortion performed exactly as medically advised carries half the risk of a tonsillectomy (Abortion is Safe). (A tonsillectomy is a simple procedure that is performed on many children in their childhood.) On the other hand, anti-abortion advocates point to emotional problems that could harm the pregnant woman after an abortion. These advocates attempt to show there is a link to mental disorders in post abortion women. A New Zealand study looked to verify this claim. The analysis showed that there was a credible link between depression, suicide attempts and substance abuse in post abortion women (Cords). Researchers also aimed to connect having an abortion with post-traumatic stress disorder
More than fifty percent of women have regret after abortion. The majority of women who have abortions are depressed for years and years after the abortion. Studies show woman who have abortions are six to seven times more likely to commit suicide (Terzo). On many separate occasions women have reported having dreams about the child they aborted over and over and over again. Doctors at abortion clinics are misleading young scared pregnant woman and convincing them to have abortions. Some women are not warned about the emotional trauma that is in store from hem shortly following the termination of their child. Many women have shared that the doctors who performed their abortion ensured them this child was just a blob of tissue and it was no big deal that they were paying someone to murder their unborn
One of the most widely discussed issues within the topic of abortion is the mental health of the mother. Research by Guttmacher Advisory says “Based on the best scientific evidence currently available, there is no credible evidence that abortion, in and of itself, causes mental health problems for most women.”(2008). Guttmacher backs their claims with studies and research done by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA states that many studies didn’t take into account how a woman’s mental health was before thinking about abortion. They also point out that any significant life event is stressful such as divorce or a death so one cannot say abortion
Abortion can cause periods of depression in which the pain can encysted. Some women become aggressive or nervous, or even hyperactive. Anxiety can find an answer food such as bulimia or, conversely, anorexia. For others, psychosomatic reactions will take over with stomach aches, absence of periods, headaches, the loss of self-esteem ("I'm bad, I'm unworthy, painful for others"), the fear of not being pregnant again or anxiety of existential insecurity are consequences commonly observed. Some episodes of a woman’s life can relive the acutely suffering felt at the time of abortion: the date in which the child had been born, or the anniversary date of the abortion, the desire to make present the dead child, are conducive to outbreaks of suffering intensely lived as, for example, anxiety or depressive
Sharon Salzberg once said, “As we look around, it's very clear that in this world people do outrageous things to one another all of the time. It's not that these qualities or actions make us bad people, but they bring tremendous suffering if we don't know how to work with them”. The wake of devastation abortion leaves behind could not be described better. It is argued that it is the woman’s body; therefore it is the woman’s choice. What many do not know, however, is that abortion not only affects the mother, but the father, and of course the child. Guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, broken relationships, “numbing”, and even suicide; all of these are symptoms of Post-Abortion Syndrome (PAS). PAS is the emotional/psychological damage women may experience after having an abortion. According to Dangers of Legal Abortion by Ann Saltenberger, women who have had abortions are nine times more likely to attempt suicide than women in the general population. Men, or the father, portray a range of emotions after their partner’s abortion. These include grief, guilt,
Cohen, Susan A. "Abortion and mental health: myths and realities."Guttmacher Policy Review 9.3 (2006): 8-16. Web 27 Jan. 2016.
For example, “ Emotional and psychological effects following abortion are more common than physical side effects and can range from mild regret to more serious complications such as depression.” stated Americanpregnancy.org. Every woman's body is different so each one would react differently to the abortion, while some will not have any side effects. According to independence.com “A new study from the US has also shown that 95% of women don’t regret having an abortion.” 1 in 3 women has an abortion, and 95% don’t regret it but the other 5% usually will be diagnosed with postpartum depression because of the emotional toll. Postpartum depression can a stressful and challenging
Many women who have had an abortion say that they have been diagnosed with clinical depression and post-traumatic stress disorder also known as PTSD. They have also taken into substance abuse, using drugs and alcohol to escape the fact that they have prematurely ended a life. Along with all of that many women almost all have their relationships suffer because of their abortion, it’s a very sad thought that all of these lives have been impacted with one silly decision to not be careful and to not be responsible. After this traumatizing event many women put up mental walls to shut out their friends and family that only want to help and love them, because they’re afraid of what they may think of their decision to end a life before it ever began. Spiritual relationships suffer after an abortion, many women and even the men associated with the women feel uncomfortable and unworthy in the eyes of their god and therefore only losing more hope for an already bleak
Many women choosing to have an abortion are unaware of the psychological effects it will have on them. Many are affected for years or maybe even lifetime after the procedure. Abortion can affect each woman differently, some claim that abortion has negative effects on women’s mental health. Women have abortions for different reasons within different personal, social, economic, and cultural contexts. All of these may lead to variability in women’s psychological reactions following the abortion. This paper will focus on answering the following questions:
Foremost, abortion has been linked to numerous psychological disorders, detrimental and benign. In 2006, a study conducted by Sleep, the official journal of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, found that 36% of women who experienced an abortion surgery suffered sleeping disorders and nightmares. Of that 36%, 11% were affected further resulting from the sleeping disorder. Studies have shown that cases of insomnia have been discovered; thus, affecting those women’s lives even further. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry published an astonishing study in 2010 including a sample of 3000 females. They determined that women who underwent an abortion were 98% more susceptible to mental health disorders opposed to the
Abortion is a controversial topic in today’s society in more ways than one. Part of the controversy results in a stigma regarding abortion regarding its impact on the woman who underwent the abortion procedure. Researchers Charles et al. and Henry David conducted studies regarding the effects of abortion on the mother and the effects on the child if they were denied abortion, respectively. The findings of the studies explored the psychological effects on women who were granted an abortion and the children of those who were denied an abortion throughout life.
This journal address the relationship on abortions and how women are mentally affected by it. It address two issues, one the risk that occurs with abortion as opposed to the risk that its alternative brings up, and two how a women responds after she have the abortion. An important point that was stated in the journal was that women who have a first-trimester abortion of a pregnancy that they do not want is not greater than women who choose not to have an abortion and deliver the unwanted baby. I am going to use this journal in my research to help me further discuss how abortion affects the aborter. It will help me give credibility to the research that I am trying to prove on how many women have different affects and the reason why they may
In this deadlock, most would agree the woman should decide on an abortion and not the men. The physical, emotional, and financial struggle women go through during a pregnancy is said to be unequal. As Erika Bachiochi (writer of "How Abortion Hurts Women: The Hard Proof.") states, “Women who have had abortions suffer an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and suicide.” This shows that even after having an abortion woman can have long lasting complications. Bachiochi explains to us how women who go through pregnancies and abortions are more likely to succumb to anxiety and depression. She also states that “It is now common medical knowledge that a full-term pregnancy, especially before the age of 32, acts as a protective mechanism against breast cancer.” Further enforcing why women should choose if they want an abortion or not. An abundant women and men have
The study of women’s self-esteem and well-being dates back to 1987 when Ronald Reagan was president. He wanted the public to understand the trauma that women face from having an abortion. This was used as a scare tactic because Regan opposed abortion and this issue was one of his major focuses during presidency. He hired a surgeon named C. Everett Koop and instructed him to develop a report with the known traumas. Unfortunately for Reagan, Koop reported to him that there is no evidence on the effects for women. The mental health risks have been known as inconclusive. Having an abortion myself and experiencing a lower satisfaction in my life, I wanted to read many different studies to see if there is still no known
Abortion is a very controversial topic in the world today, and many people have very strong opinions about it. Because of that, I am not going to give my personal opinion on the matter in this paper. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the many different side effects than can occur after an abortion. Those side effects can be both physical and psychological, and they can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years. The severity of the side effects can depend on a number of different things. The type of abortion that the woman has can decide what symptoms she has, and also the woman herself can determine