This blog is the third in a series about abortion facts. Find the first blog about abortion procedures here, and the second blog about abortion statistics here.
“There’s no risk to your future pregnancies or to your overall health. Having an abortion doesn’t increase your risk for breast cancer or affect your fertility. It doesn’t cause problems for future pregnancies like birth defects, premature birth or low birth weight, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or infant death. Serious, long-term emotional problems after an abortion are rare, and about as uncommon as they are after giving birth.”
These statements, featured prominently on Planned Parenthood’s website, could not be further from the truth. Studies clearly show that there are known risks associated with abortion that commonly lead to infertility and pregnancy complications in the future. Below is a glimpse into the multitude of health issues that can be caused by abortions that Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers often fail to mention to their patients, violating the principle of informed consent.
- Surgical risks include: hemorrhaging, infection, cervix laceration, and uterus perforation, according to Liberty Council. If any of these complications occur, it can expose women to additional risks associated with the procedures used to mitigate damage, such as blood transfusions needed after hemorrhaging, which risks hepatitis. Additionally, complications like cervix laceration and perforation cause increased risk of miscarriage in future pregnancies, as well as peritonitis (a condition “similar to having a ruptured appendix” in which a woman’s abdominal lining becomes inflamed and infected).
- Studies indicate abortions may increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
- Ectopic pregnancies, also known as “tubal pregnancies,” are extremely dangerous and occur when a fertilized egg attaches outside the uterus and begins development. This condition can cause the pregnant woman to bleed to death if a rupture occurs and is not treated properly. Abortion substantially increases a woman’s risk of ectopic pregnancies – one abortion increases the risk by 30% and two or more abortions increase the risk by 160%.
- After a woman has an abortion, she is more prone to needing a C-section delivery in subsequent pregnancies, and there is an increased chance of bleeding in the first trimester.
- Two or more abortions substantially increase a woman’s risk of miscarrying future babies, or delivering them prematurely.
- A small but concerning percentage of women (2-5%) are diagnosed as sterile after undergoing an abortion, either due to their body’s natural response to the procedure or a mistake made by the abortionist. Liberty Council cites that secondary infertility is 3-4 times more likely after an abortion.
- There are also an extraordinary amount of complications that arise from the use of abortion pill regimens such as Mifepristone and Misoprostol – which account for 60% of the abortions that take place in Washington state alone. 1 in 100 women require hospitalization due to heavy bleeding caused by Misoprostol. Between 2000 and 2018, 24 women died from taking the abortion pills, 97 had ectopic pregnancies, 4,195 experienced adverse events, 1,042 were hospitalized, 599 required blood transfusions from heavy bleeding, and 418 developed infections.
“In medical practice, there are few surgical procedures given so little attention and so underrated in its potential hazards as abortion. It is a commonly held view that complications are inevitable.” – Dr. Warren Hern, Abortionist
Abortions also make women more susceptible to developing serious mental health issues after the procedure, such as Post Abortion Syndrome (PAS), which psychiatrists and counselors have likened to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Symptoms of PAS include: “intense fear, anxiety, sense of helplessness, feeling of loss of control, emotional numbing, difficulty recalling event, guilt, pain, grief, depression, irritability, angry outbursts, aggressive behavior, sleep difficulties, sexual dysfunction, flashbacks, nightmares, anniversary reactions, withdrawal from relationships, avoidance of children, pessimism regarding future, drug and/or alcohol abuse, and suicidal thoughts.”
Women are at risk of developing PAS not only after surgical abortions, but also after medicated abortions, which can be equally traumatic both mentally and physically. An independent study showed that “there are negative consequences such as depression, anxiety, loss of appetite and decreased self care after terminating a viable pregnancy using mifepristone and misoprostol.” Another study showed that women are 81% more likely to experience mental health issues, either short term or long term, after an abortion.
Image Courtesy of Liberty Council
These statistics unfortunately only scratch the surface of risks associated with abortion procedures. Planned Parenthood takes advantage of confused, desperate women and convinces them abortions are a safe alternative to pregnancy – an outright lie. We know the truth: there is no such thing as a safe abortion. We hope this information equips you to have educated discussions with friends, family members or acquaintances who consider themselves “pro-choice.”
This blog is the third in a series about abortion facts. Find the first blog about abortion procedures here, and the second blog about abortion statistics here.
