Abortion Facts

Abortion seems like a quick and easy fix for an unplanned pregnancy. Just terminate the baby and forget all about it. However, abortion is much more complex and complicated with lasting impacts far beyond the day of the procedure. Abortion affects your mental health, your physical health, and your ability to successfully carry future pregnancies to term.

1. Abortion & Mental Health

An abortion procedure affects women both physically and psychologically. Over the last 20 years, studies show a significantly increased risk exposure for negative mental health outcomes in women who choose abortion. There is no such thing as forgetting an abortion. The largest study to date (incorporating data from 22 studies) indicates the following increased risks associated with abortion:

• 34% increase in Anxiety Disorders
• 37% increase in Depression
• 110% increase in Alcohol Use/Abuse
• 155% increase in Suicidal Behaviors
• 220% increase in Marijuana Use/Abuse

This means that when a woman has an abortion procedure, it is that much more likely she will deal with one or more of the above risks. Overall, there will be an increased risk of 81% for mental health issues.

Abortion & Suicide

A 1997 study reviewed the deaths of 9,192 women that were age 15-49 years old between 1987 and 1994. They found that the risk of suicide following an abortion was 600% greater than after following a woman who gave birth to their baby. The risk of suicide after giving birth was 50% less than the general population (those who have not had abortion procedures). In those that had an abortion and committed suicide, the study found that the timing of the suicide often occurred on an anniversary that was painful, such as the abortion date or the child’s due date.

Our brains are wired to be happy following the birth and in bonding with our baby. It is normal to feel grief when you are interrupted from bonding with your child, whether that occurs due to a miscarriage or abortion. Choosing to have an abortion places you at a higher risk for complicated grief that is difficult to heal from. You might think that your pregnancy is not timed well and that you don’t want to be pregnant or give birth right now. But circumstances can change. Even for unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, studies have shown that women who give birth have less depression and suicide than women who abort. The most beautiful gift you can give your child is life and protection whether you choose to parent or place for adoption.

Statistical and study sources can be found here: https://aaplog.org/resources/patient-brochures/

2. Abortion and Breast Cancer

It can be hard to think of the future at this time of uncertainty. However, your choices now can drastically increase your likelihood of developing breast cancer later. Consider the following statistics:

• Teenagers under age 18 and women over 29 years old who had an abortion increase their risk of breast cancer of breast cancer by more than 100% by age 45.
• Among women who had been pregnant at least once, the risk of breast cancer in those who had experienced an induced abortion was 50% higher than among other women by age 45.
• Teenagers with a family history of breast cancer who procure an abortion face the risk of breast cancer that is extremely high. In the study, 12 women who had a family history of breast cancer were diagnosed with breast cancer by age 45.

Why is this?

Over the course of the women’s life, her breast tissue will continue to develop into up to four different types of lobules. Lobules are the milk-producing glands of the breast. All women are born with Type 1 lobules that mature into Type 2 lobules at puberty.

During the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, a woman will see a big increase in Type 2 lobules. At 20 weeks, the Type 2 lobules will begin to mature into Type 4 lobules. As the pregnancy continues beyond 32 weeks, the risk of future breast cancer is reduced. There is a 90% reduction of risk for breast cancer when a woman carries a pregnancy to full-term compared to remaining childless. At week 40, 70-90% of the Type 2 lobules will be developed into Type 4 lobules.

After lactation ceases (the process of making human milk), the breast forms Type 3 lobules. After menopause, these Type 3 lobules go back to Type 1 lobules, but will retain the lifelong protection they gained during the final weeks of pregnancy.

You might be wondering what all this talk of types of lobules means, and here it is.

99 percent of all breast cancers arise in Type 1 and Type 2 lobules. Type 3 and Type 4 lobules are resistant to breast cancer. Ending a pregnancy before 32 weeks stops the Type 2 lobules from developing into Type 4 lobules. That is, ending a pregnancy early stops breast development at a time when there is an increased amount of cancer-vulnerable Type 2 lobules. The longer a woman maintains Type 1 or Type 2 lobules, the higher her risk of breast cancer.

There are three primary factors that cause a higher risk for breast cancer:

• Loss of a pregnancy by abortion before 32 weeks and loss of pregnancy by spontaneous miscarriage in the second trimester. A miscarriage in the first trimester does not increase risk of breast cancer.
• Increased estrogen from long-term use of oral contraceptive pills, especially during teenage years.
• Never becoming pregnant.

There are also three primary factors that cause cancer-resistant Type 4 lobules to develop:

• Full-term pregnancy, especially before age 30.
• Breast feeding for at least 6 months
• No loss of pregnancy due to an abortion before 32 weeks or due to miscarriage before second trimester.

Your future health is at stake – mentally and physically. Protect your health by choosing an alternative to abortion that can lead to better outcomes for both you and your baby.

Statistical and study sources can be found here: https://aaplog.org/resources/patient-brochures/

3. Abortion and Preterm Birth

Facing an unplanned pregnancy is a stressful time. And, the last thing on your mind is future pregnancies. However, there will likely be a time in your life when your circumstances are different that you will want a family of your own. It is important for you to know that having an abortion now can place your future, planned pregnancies in jeopardy.

Over the last 40-plus years, more than 140 different studies have demonstrated a significant increase in risk for future preterm births in women who have had a surgical abortion.

• A first trimester induced abortion is one of the top three risk factors for future preterm birth.
• Just one abortion increases a women’s risk of future preterm birth by at least 30%.
• Two or more abortions increase a women’s risk of future preterm birth by up to 93%.
• In addition, two or more abortions increase a women’s risk of VERY preterm birth by more than 200%. This means it is a very likely risk that the baby will be born less than 28 weeks gestation.

There are dozens of health risks that can be associated with preterm births. A preterm birth can have both short-term and long-term effects on the baby. For example, vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain, as well as the immune system and digestive system, won’t have time to be fully developed. A baby can have difficulties with one or all these risks. Long-term, the baby could have cerebral palsy, impaired vision and/or hearing, behavioral and/or psychological difficulties, and impaired cognitive development.

It is important to protect your and your future babies. A women’s womb can hold over 30 additional pounds during the course of a 9-month, full term pregnancy. During a surgical abortion, the doctor uses an instrument that forcibly pushes the cervix open, which is the opening of the womb. Doing this can cause tissue damage and weaken the tissue in the cervix, which makes it harder to carry another child to full-term, especially if the woman has had two or more abortions. Each time this procedure is performed, the cervix tissue will become weaker and more damaged. This is why women who have had two or more abortions face such a dramatically increased risk (by 200%) of very preterm birth.

In addition, during a surgical abortion, the doctor will scrape out the rest of the unborn child in your uterus as well as the placenta. This can cause a long-lasting, chronic infection in the womb and lead to future premature deliveries.

The choices you make today will impact your life far into the future. Make the choice that offers protection for both you and your unborn baby. Whether you explore parenting or placing for adoption, you are not alone. We are here to help and love you through it all connecting you to the needed resources to set you up for a better and more stable life. You are precious and valuable, and so is the amazing little human being growing inside your womb.

Statistical and study sources can be found here: https://aaplog.org/resources/patient-brochures/