Getting an abortion has been known to cause physical and emotional trauma to many women that affects their long-term physical and mental health. While pro-abortion sources will always claim that both surgical and chemical abortions are “safe” and that they will not affect future pregnancies, it is essential to read their claims carefully.
Data Reveals the Reality; Planned Parenthood Does Not
In most cases, organizations and people that deny there are any permanent adverse effects of abortion add qualifying language to these claims, such as that the abortion should not cause problems “so long as it is performed under medical supervision” or, as Planned Parenthood claims, an abortion will not affect your future fertility “unless there are significant complications.”
In other words, claims that abortion will not affect any future pregnancies are always predicated on the assumption that everything will work perfectly in your abortion procedure: you will be one of the women who does not experience a cut or torn cervix, a pelvic bacterial infection, perforation of your uterus, retained blood clots in your uterus, an incomplete abortion, acute bleeding, septic shock, perforated bladder or bowel, or any other problems.
Of course, these claims never mention how common complications are. According to one study of over 50,000 women who obtained an abortion, some type of complication arises in about 2.3% of all abortions. That does not sound very high, but translated into real cases, that means that more than one in 50 women undergoing an abortion will experience a complication that requires medical intervention. In addition, nearly one in 16 women who get an abortion will report to a hospital ER within six weeks of the abortion with some complaint, even if most of those cases do not require admission to the hospital.
Not all complications due to an abortion result in affecting a woman’s fertility (ability to get pregnant) or in being able to carry a future pregnancy to term, but some do. According to the same study on abortion complications, “major” complications occur in 0.23% of cases, or to more than 2 out of every 1000 women who get an abortion. These major complications may lead to infertility and, in some cases, even death. But even complications that are not life-threatening can lead to problems in future pregnancies, such as miscarriages, premature births, and low birth-weight babies.
So when Planned Parenthood or other abortion advocates tell you that claims that you will have problems with future pregnancies as a result of your abortion are “myths,” read their claims carefully. You will find that they always qualify them with vague language.
Surgical Abortion Versus Chemical Abortion
Whether you have a surgical abortion or chemical abortion (use of the abortion pill, also called a medical abortion), abortion will affect your body. Surgical abortions are just that: surgery. Every surgery carries risk, and abortion is no exception.
And while some people think that chemical abortions are safe relative to surgical abortions, they present very different medical challenges. In particular, complications associated with a chemical abortion include incomplete or failed abortion, heavy bleeding that will not stop, infection, fever, diarrhea, digestive pain, or an allergic reaction to the medications. As the use of the abortion pill has increased, data indicate that ER visits following the use of the abortion pill are even more frequent than those following a surgical abortion. Many of these problems are likely due to the lack of medical supervision for chemical abortions.
One of the most significant risks of taking the abortion pill without a physical examination is the possibility that you may have an ectopic pregnancy, which occurs in about 1% of all pregnancies. If you have an ectopic pregnancy, your pregnancy test will be positive. However, the pregnancy is not viable because the egg has implanted outside the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. If you take the abortion pill, you are told to expect pain, cramps, and bleeding. The problem is that these are also the symptoms of a ruptured fallopian tube caused by an ectopic pregnancy. This is life-threatening, but it may be confused with the “normal” symptoms experienced when taking the abortion pill.
Regarding future fertility, pro-abortion activists will claim that chemical pregnancies do not affect future fertility. However, no studies have been performed supporting or disproving this claim. The concern, especially, is for girls in their teens whose reproductive systems are still developing. The abortion pill disrupts the normal functioning of the endocrine system, blocking the body’s natural production of the hormone progesterone. There is significant concern that the abortion pill can create permanent hormonal problems that could affect fertility.
The More Informed You Are, the More Likely You Are to Choose Life
At Open Arms Real Choices Clinic in Hayden, Idaho, we know that young women who find out they are pregnant do not always welcome the news. For these young women, the possibility of getting an abortion will often come to mind. But it is crucial that young women know what that choice truly means. In our experience, the more women learn about the babies they carry and about the long-term effects an abortion can have on their physical and mental health, the more they turn away from it.
At the same time, we know that women are not always prepared for the changes that having a baby will bring. Our goal is to provide support, assistance, guidance, and practical help to women and their partners when faced with an unwanted pregnancy. We can provide education and resources that will help them raise their children if that is what they choose. We also provide help and information if they decide to place their baby with an adoptive family.
If you have an unplanned pregnancy, we know this is a difficult time. It is important not to let outside pressures lead you to a decision you will regret, particularly if people pushing you toward abortion are not telling you the whole truth. There are better alternatives that can save the life of your baby and protect your long-term health and well-being.
If you think you may be pregnant, contact us at Open Arms Real Choices Clinic to book your pregnancy test, limited ultrasound, or consultation with a counselor. Our counselors and medical professionals at Open Arms Real Choices Clinic are not here to judge you; we are only here to help you along the right path.
