Abortion Risks or Dangers to the Woman
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We all know the definition of abortion. To rid the mother of an unwanted baby by surgical means. We also know that abortion is a major political and social controversy. I could turn blue in the face trying to argue my side of this debate, but I am not going to. What I am going to do is concentrate on the mother.
This woman is a person who is going through a hard time trying to make a life and death decision. She may be trying to hide what she has done because she is afraid of being criticized by pro-life people, religious people and maybe even friends and family who are only thinking of the baby instead of her. She may feel alone and troubled and not know where to turn. So, she goes to an abortion counselor. What she doesn't know is that she may not be getting the whole truth.
Abortion is being performed on women so often that it is ranked as the number one surgery being done on them. That means that 1 in 4 babies conceived are aborted. This was shocking news to me! Then I found out, that most abortion counseling is not completely telling women the whole story on the type of risks that are associated with this type of surgery.
Physical Risks
These risks are things that can happen to a woman's body during surgery, immediately after, or even years later.
During surgery while scrapping the uterine lining the physician can cause a uterine perforation. This is a tear in the uterus. When this happens hemorrhaging or heavy bleeding can happen. If the bleeding can not be controlled a hysterectomy may need to be done causing a women to become sterile. An even worse scenario is that the physician cannot control the bleeding and death of the mother occurs.
Other complications during surgery are: general anesthesia complications, embolisms, cardiomyopathy, and pain.
Complications immediately after surgery can be: pain, bleeding, and sepsis. Some women have to have a D&C to rid the uterus of leftover fetal or placenta tissues and bones (endostrial ossification). This can also cause a pelvic infection, PID, as well as cervical damage.
In my opinion, the worst danger is a failed abortion. This is where the baby continues to live or is not fully expelled. This will not only cause more grief for the woman, but the baby can have physical abnormalities like loss of a leg or arm, etc. If the baby is still alive, there is a great chance of it having cognitive problems like retardation.
The long term risks are things like, infertility. Because there are risks of damaging the uterus, it can cause the likelihood of having more miscarriages and maybe eventually a hysterectomy.
The risk of menstrual difficulties, endometriosis, etopic pregnancies, premature babies, and placenta previa are all increased from having an abortion.
A newer study has been done to see if women that have had an abortion are at increased risk of getting cancer. Cancers of the uterus, cervix, colorectal, ovarian, endometrial, are all higher. The most surprising is that breast cancer is increased by 30% in women who have had one abortion. It is even higher for women who have had more than one.
Psychological Risks
The mental risks to a woman who is considering an abortion are almost never talked about. These emotional disturbances can even begin before surgery or years later when the women realizes for the first time that she killed a living human being.
Guilt is probably one of the first emotional responses. It can start before, during and after surgery. Next is sadness, anger, anxiety, denial, and repression to suppress unpleasant thoughts which can eventually lead to depression.
These emotional feelings can lead to isolation, self mutilation, drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunctions.
Relationships can be stressed or ruined. A woman can have trouble bonding with any future children, which can also lead to child abuse. Lastly, these things can lead to a woman committing suicide.
For more in depth information on the studies of the physical and mental risks of abortions, read the study from the DeVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research.
What Now?
After seeing the many risks that are associated with abortion, what is a troubled women to do if she doesn't want to take the chance of putting herself through traumatic, life changing circumstances?
According to the National Council for Adoption, there are 1.3 million couples waiting to adopt a baby/child, but there are only 50,000 children available. This only gives 1 out of 40 couples a baby! For every child that can be adopted there are 30 being killed. This is such a shame when there are loving couples "wanting" a baby, families to love, provide and care for a baby. Yes, it is hard to give up a child, but wouldn't it be better to give it up knowing you are helping someone else and giving your child a chance to live?
If you are pregnant and want to find help, go to Eternal Perspectives Ministries to find some resources that will help you begin your journey.
If you have already gone through an abortion and are needing help because you are suffering from some of the above mentioned risks, don't suffer alone! There is help out there for you. A website that has a lot of information about many good support groups can be found at AfterAbortion.org
- AfterAbortion.org. Your Most Complete Source for Information on Post-Abortion News, Research, Recove
Research on abortion, post-abortion issues, abortion information, First hand accounts of abortion experiences
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The book, "Why Pro-Life? by Randy Alcorn" is the book that inspired me to write this hub. I recommend everyone to read it, even those who are pro-choice. The pro-choice people will see the pro-life position through medical science and psychological studies. Pro-life people will be able to defend what they believe and those who are not sure what they believe will find a good book written for the pro-life side.
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hubber-2009 - Thank you! That is the reason I have written this hub. I am praying that someone is helped.
This is something that really needs to be discussed. I don't think that many who take this route educate themselves enough as to all the risks involved.
Veronica Allen - That is so true! I didn't realize all the risks till I started reading about it and realized that those who do choose an abortion are not given the "whole" truth. Thanks for the comment!
Excellent hub-I will share this.Women are being duped for decades into believing abortion is a positive option,and this information was kept from the public for a long time.Thank you.
I think the focus on the mother in this will speak to a lot of people. Much of the pro-life stance is focused on the child (understandably), but I like how this takes a loving approach toward the woman. I have a friend who had an abortion in high school and you are correct- the counseling she received didn't prepare her for the emotional impact it would have on her for the rest of her life.
Itakins and Wendlynn1980, thank you for reading my hub and feel to share it where you feel necessary. Wendy, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. This is so sad!
Itakins and Wendlynn1980, thank you for reading my hub and feel to share it where you feel necessary. Wendy, I am so sorry to hear about your friend. This is so sad!
Even as one who argued for Pro-Choice (many years ago-before I got saved and recognized the true miracle of conception) I never knew about the physical dangers. The emotion and psychological dangers were NEVER discussed. It was all about a woman's rights. I think it would be great if more people thought about the long term affects abortions have on mothers, potential mothers and society in general. I think in so many ways it has devalued life and that is a tragedy that is mirrored in other parts of our society.
This is some real help for women. You've provided truthful facts that can help women make a knowledgeable response. Keep writing! I think you've got it 100%!
GojiJuiceGoodnes, thank you for reading and for giving me the encouragement!
GojiJuiceGoodnes, thank you for reading and for giving me the encouragement!
One thing I did forget to mention was that some business owners in our community put up little crosses for each baby that was aborted in our county. These 150+ plus crosses arranged in a cross shape are along our busiest highway here. It's quiet, but it's powerful.
Although neither I nor anyone I know has had an abortion, for me these crosses hurt dreadfully because I hear the sound of little voices cooing & gurgling when I drive by. I think of the lives that could have been so purposeful, but were snuffed out prematurely.
But, it's good because it's an encouragement to fight for the rights of those who are powerless to do so--the unborn.
GojiJuiceGoodness - Thanks for returning and letting me know about the memorial your community does. I think that is great! Like you said, it speaks...quietly but powerfully.
Like you, I do not know of anyone personally that has had an abortion. I can relate to the hurt you feel. I had a premature baby that was only 1 week older than the legal abortion gestation. I sat there holding her, while we were fighting for her life, and wondering "why" anyone would want to kill something so precious or "why" they would think this was NOT a baby! It makes me wish I could go to every mother who wants to abort and let her know I would take that baby myself if she would have it. But, in reality I can't do that with all babies. If God gives me the opportunity some day, maybe I can be of help to these mothers and adopt a baby.
Thanks for a good discussion!
Great work. For several years, my wife and I took in newborns that were being adopted. I think we had about 12 in 3 years. The mothers giving the child up were allowed to go through a list and profile of prospective parents and choose the couple that would adopt the child. They got to meet these people even before the child was born. Once the child is born, there was a 6 weeks grace period. This is where we came in. We got the baby right from the hospital. The adoptive parents had regular appointments to come to the house and visit with the child while the birth mother contemplated her decision. After six weeks there was a hearing, the papers were signed, and the child was turned over to the adoptive parents. I believe only two of the children went back to the birth mother, and one of those cases, the birth mother was not even allowed to have custody of the child and it went into regular foster care. That was truly a special time for us but also emotional. We kept in contact with several of the familys, but as time goes on they drift away. Only two of the adoptive familys still update us once or twice a year. There is a lot of good to be said for that part of the system. Peace.
A M Werner, what a great service you and your wife have done for those mothers and babies! I can see where this would help both the adoptive parents as well as the birth mother. I bet it was hard on you and your wife to have to give up those babies after six months! Thank you for reading and commenting!
A truly outstanding and needful article. I learned a lot from you today. Your focus on the mother is refreshing and good. Thank you for this illuminating piece.
Thanks for reading and commenting James!
benazirfaris - I'm glad I could help. Thanks for reading!
You do realize that there is absolutely no conclusive evidence from any studies conducted using a proper methodology for any of your claims regarding psychological effects from abortion, right? Placing those alongside actual physical risks weakens your entire argument.
Sunny2o0o - Ask any woman who has had an abortion and if they are honest, they will tell you there are real psychological effects from abortion!
Really, Special3749? Upon what do you base that assessment?
Sunny2oOo - Friends, family, and other women who have given their "plea" to not do what they have done. There are consequences to this legalized murder!
Anecdotes, as powerful as they may be on a person level, are not evidence. Some women regret their abortions, others do not. Apart from the fact that one set of reactions fits comfortably within your pre-conceived worldview, I see no reason why one set of reactions should be considered any more valid or meaningful than the other. If you wish to demonstrate that a majority of women suffer from adverse psychological reactions due to their past abortions, please provide a reputable, and methodically-sound source in order to prove your assertion.
Sunny2o0o - I could provide several studies (other than the ones already sited), but I am sure, because of the controversy, you would come up with "some" other type of argument against them. It is the whole prochoice vs. prolife thing! In this article I did not want to get into that. This article was meant to let women know that there are true psycological as well as physical risks to this type of surgery. If you want to view studies that have been done, just search for them. They are there! This does not mean that every woman will experience all the effects, but it does not mean they will be excluded either. They are taking risks! That is the main point in my article.
That's the thing--there isn't any conclusive proof that abortion causes significant negative psychological effects long-term. Even if certain women who have had abortions are more likely to display self-destructive behaviors, that doesn't mean that having had an abortion actually caused these behaviors. A third factor could explain both variables--for instance, women who have pre-existing psychological conditions or substance abuse problems may be more likely to end up in a situation in which they would seek an abortion than women without these conditions or abuse problems. In this instance, women who have had abortions may appear to be at higher risk for self-destructive behaviors even though the underlying cause is not abortion.
Some women do regret their abortions. Realistically, any action that anyone ever takes is accompanied by the risk that he or she may someday regret it. That's part of life. We aren't omnipotent, which means that life will always carry certain risks. Furthermore, just because some people who perform a certain action come to regret it does not mean that all people should henceforth be prohibited from performing said action. Many women, for instance, regret getting married. Sometimes they give up all of their dreams, thinking that this is what they want, only to end up bitter and deeply unhappy people because of it. Sometimes they end up with abusive husbands. Yet I have yet to see anyone suggest that women should be banned from getting married because they might someday regret it.
Why not talk about the women who regret having children? It isn't usually publicized, but I guarantee that there are people--both male and female--who do. Ann Landers had a column about it. http://www.happilychildfree.com/ann.htm That's a risk that people should be talking about in relation to unwanted pregnancies, as well as the risks of giving birth. A first-trimester abortion is far safer than childbirth.
Sunny - In that case, there is NO proof that there are NOT pshycological long term effects!
I do not believe comparing a bad marriage with abortion is the same. Murder of an innocent child is not involved!
Yes, I am sure there are people who reget having children, but they do not go around "legally" killing them. Who knows, the way our country is going, it just might be legalized in the future.
I'm sorry, you have taken my article that I meant to be a plea for women who need help, who need a friend and not someone to judge them but someone who cares enough to give them the whole truth so that they can make an informed decision, and turned it into a pro-life/pro-choice argument.
You will not change my mind, and I am not trying to change yours! So please, drop it.
I didn't make this a pro-choice vs. pro-life thing--you did, by presented an exaggerated and partially inaccurate account of the risks of a undergoing an abortion procedure. All surgery carries risk. Such risks typically occur, however, only in a tiny fraction of the people that undergo the procedure. While this may not be a comfort to those who fit into this category, presenting the risks without also presenting the percentage of people who typically experience them is disingenuous. In order to get an accurate representation of how risky an abortion is, you'd also need to compare the risks to the available alternative--ie. carrying to term and giving birth. Those aren't risk-free endeavors, either.
While it is difficult to prove anything using correlation statistical data, particularly given the difficult to controlling potentially confounding variables, if a researcher performs an accurately structured experimental study it can be done. This occurs most frequently with medical trials when doctors and researchers test new medicines. They amass a large group of people who are all suffering from the same condition (Alzheimer's, a particular form of cancer, ect.) and enter their information into a computer system. The computer system then breaks the group of people down into a series of matched pairs in order to balance out other potentially relevant variables (things like race, age, socioeconomic class, ect. although precisely what must be balanced depends upon the nature of what it being studied.) 1/2 of the matched pair set is them randomly assigned to either the control or the experimental group, with that person's partner being assigned to the other group. This experimental structure allows researchers to prove the efficacy of a particular treatment regime.
A few studies have been conducted on the long-term psychological impact of abortion to those or other similarly rigorous standards, and these have consistnely found that abortion does not put women at a higher risk of developing mental health problems. http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/gpr/09/3/gpr090308. "[T]he Royal Colleges of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and of General Practitioners in the United Kingdom sponsored a major study that did address that fundamental question. The study followed more than 13,000 women in England and Wales over an 11-year period ending in the early 1990s. Importantly, it considered two groups: women facing an unintended pregnancy who had an abortion and women facing an unintended pregnancy who gave birth. The study's authors concluded that those women who had an abortion following an unintended pregnancy were not at any higher risk of subsequent mental health problems than were women whose unintended pregnancy was carried to term."
Just because someone has thrown together a shoddily-constructed study and some statistics doesn't mean that the statistics themselves have meaning. A proper methodology must be applied.
I'm currently doing a persuasive essay on why abortions should be illegal, and this site has really helped me understand the genuine highlights and difficulties caused by this highly debatable, and life changing topic. I am now even more educated about this subject, and to be honest, at first I disagreed and was for abortions (considering they are done for the correct reasons eg. rape)but now, NO WAY will I ever be affirmitive.
FANTASTIC WEBSITE!!
The statistics definitely won me over.
Hadishak,
I am so glad that my hub could be of help to you! It is means even more that you have completly changed your mind about all abortions! Maybe a life has been saved? Thank ou for your comment!
hubber-2009 24 months ago
Really helpful page for a preganant woman..