Many abortion proponents will argue that abortion is safe for all but the most delicate and unstable of women, but research clearly shows otherwise. The psychological risks of undergoing an abortion are so high that if abortion were a pharmaceutical on the American market, the FDA would have it pulled from the shelves.

Keep these conditions in mind before you have an abortion. Are you willing to risk it?

(All the studies mentioned below were carefully documented to exclude high-risk women with previous history of mental, sleep, and eating disorders and substance abuse problems. This provides an accurate view of the general female population who have undergone at least one abortion.)

Suicide:

The risk for all age groups of aborting women is 6-7 times higher than the average population of women who go on to have their babies. The risk increases exponentially with teenagers: A teenage girl who has aborted is 10 times more likely to kill herself than the average population of teenage girls, and 2-4 times more likely to commit suicide than adult women. Nearly 70% of post-abortive women (all ages) reported suicidal thoughts. A full 28% of those women attempted it once, with half of them making repeated attempts at suicide. The risk of suicidal behavior remains in place for a decade after the abortion takes place.

Clinical Depression:

A full 65% of post-abortive women present with clinical depression, regardless of age, race, socio-economic status, marriage status, education, history of divorce or past mental health problems. The depression is usually long-term and not easily resolved.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

A full 65% of all post-abortive women present with multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. 15% of post-abortive women meet all the criteria to be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Women who have abortions are two times as likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric symptoms after the procedure, and have a greater occurrence of requiring outpatient mental health treatment and medications.

Sleep Disorders:

36% of post-abortive women have sleep disorder within the first two months after the procedure. A high number of those women continue to have sleep disorders for at least four months after that.

Eating Disorders:
39% of post-abortive women have eating disorders.

Substance Abuse:

A woman is five times more likely to abuse drugs or alcohol after she has an abortion.

As you read over these statistics, please keep in mind that these studies involved only willing, lower-risk participants. There are many women out there who do not seek help after having an abortion and may have a much higher risk of these problems due to personal or family medical histories and personal situations.

Don’t be afraid to call a trusted doctor, clergy person, or social services for help if you or someone you know if suffering the effects of an abortion. Call 911 or the Girls and Boys Town National Hotline at 1-800-448-3000 (24 hr/7d) for immediate assistance if you or a loved one is considering suicide.