How abortion harms women and why concerns for women’s health must be part of abortion-related policy and media debate.

Abortion and Women’s Health: A Summary of Reported Risks

Americans United for Life’s Summary of Known Health-Risks of Abortion presents an overview of medical and psychological risks associated with abortion, drawing from peer-reviewed studies, government reports, and published analyses. These risks should be part of informed consent discussions and public policy considerations. Read the full summary by clicking here.

Common Medical Complications After Abortion

The report identifies several immediate complications that can occur following abortion procedures. These include:

  • Hemorrhage (severe bleeding)
  • Blood clots
  • Infection
  • Incomplete abortion
  • Injury to the cervix or other reproductive organs

Rare but serious outcomes such as cardiac or respiratory arrest, renal failure, metabolic disorders, shock, and missed ectopic pregnancy.

Approximately 10% of women experience immediate complications following abortion, and about 20% of those complications are considered life-threatening.

Long-Term Obstetric and Reproductive Risks

Preterm Birth

A central focus of our report is the association between induced abortion and preterm birth (PTB) in subsequent pregnancies. More than 100 peer-reviewed studies have identified prior abortion as a risk factor for preterm delivery.

Possible mechanisms for this association include:

  • Cervical trauma
  • Infection
  • Endometrial scarring

Estimates suggest that a significant portion of preterm births may be attributable to prior induced abortion.

Additional background on premature birth is referenced from the Mayo Clinic.

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Placenta Previa and Hemorrhage

Induced abortion is a risk factor for placenta previa in later pregnancies. Placenta previa occurs when the placenta partially or completely covers the cervix and can result in severe hemorrhage and emergency cesarean delivery.

There may be increased odds of placenta previa following abortion, particularly dilation and curettage (D&C) procedures, as well as higher risks when post-abortion infection occurs.

Psychological and Mental Health Concerns After Abortion

Decades of research link abortion to elevated risks of psychological and mental health issues. These include:

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Suicidal ideation
  • Suicide

Studies report higher rates of clinically significant depression among women whose first pregnancy ended in abortion compared to childbirth. Mentalhealth disorders have been linked to abortion, as well as associations with eating disorders and sleep disturbances.

Adolescents who experience abortion are especially identified as a population at increased risk for negative psychological outcomes.

Breast Cancer Risk

The relationship between abortion and breast cancer is important because a woman’s first full-term pregnancy is associated with reduced breast-cancer risk. Ending a pregnancy prior to full term eliminates this protective effect.

Approximately 70 epidemiological studies have examined the abortion–breast cancer association, with a subset reporting a positive correlation. The report cites clinical overviews and fact sheets discussing this relationship.

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Chemical (Medication) Abortion and Adverse Events

The summary highlights safety concerns related to chemical (medication) abortion, particularly involving mifepristone and misoprostol. It references FDA post-marketing adverse-event reports documenting serious complications, including:

  • Hemorrhage requiring transfusion
  • Severe infection
  • Death

The document notes that the FDA has acknowledged receiving reports of serious adverse events since approval of mifepristone and cites concerns that such events may be underreported.

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Increasing Risk with Gestational Age

The report emphasizes that abortion risks increase significantly with gestational age. It cites analyses showing that mortality and serious complication rates rise sharply as pregnancy advances, with later abortions carrying substantially higher relative risks than early procedures.

Source: Summary of Known Health-Risks of Abortion, Americans United for Life

Original Source Document

Summary of Known Health-Risks of Abortion
Americans United for Life
https://aul.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Summary-of-Known-Health-Risks-of-Abortion.pdf

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