What Are the Risks of Abortion?

Abortion could seem like a simple fix to your unplanned pregnancy – but it comes with many risks including infection, incomplete abortion, damage to the cervix, and many mental effects. Keep reading to learn about all the potential risks of abortion – and become better informed about how abortion works. 

Confirm you’re actually pregnant with lab-quality pregnancy testing and ultrasound at our center today. 

Medical vs. Surgical Abortion Risks: What’s the Difference?

The Risks of Medical Abortion

Medical abortion, often called the abortion pill, involves taking two abortion drugs: Mifepristone and Misoprostol. These drugs work together (within 24-48 hours) to terminate an existing pregnancy and cause the uterus to contract and expel the pregnancy through the vagina. The physical risks of medical abortion are…

• Incomplete abortion – may need to be followed by surgical abortion
• An ongoing unwanted pregnancy (if the procedure doesn’t work)
• Heavy and prolonged bleeding
• Infection
• Fever

The Risks of Surgical Abortion

Surgical abortion is a procedure that terminates an existing pregnancy by removing the fetus from the uterus. This type of abortion involves dilating the opening to the uterus and inserting a small suction tube. The suction works to remove all parts of the pregnancy from the uterus. The physical risks of surgical abortion are…

• Damage to the womb or cervix
• Uterine perforation 
• Scarring of the inside of the uterus
• Reaction to the medicines or anesthesia (such as problems breathing)
• Infection of the uterus or fallopian tubes
• Incomplete abortion (requiring another procedure)
• Excessive bleeding

Mental Health Effects of Abortion

Psychotherapist Vincent Rue’s study, “Induced Abortion and Traumatic Stress” shares that
65% of U.S. women experienced multiple symptoms of PTSD, which they attributed to their abortions. 

According to a study done by Professor David Fergusson, many women experienced mental health effects after abortion. Two major findings include:

• Abortion was linked to higher rates of depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicidal behaviors.
• At age 25, 42% of the women experienced major depression during the previous four years, twice that of other women.

Free Pregnancy Confirmation Services

Whether you’re still going back and forth between pregnancy options or not, pregnancy confirmation is necessary to know how far along you are in your pregnancy (as medical abortion is only available to women up to 10 weeks pregnant). An ultrasound will reveal if you have a healthy and growing pregnancy.

Contact us today to set up your free and confidential pregnancy confirmation appointment. Our compassionate team is here to inform you about all your pregnancy options. Same-day appointments are available!