Who is Most At Risk of Post-Abortion Problems

Some people seem to come through an abortion unchanged. Others struggle for years with feelings of grief, guilt, shame, anxiety, low self-esteem, anger, or depression. Still others have problems with nightmares, eating disorders, broken or abusive relationships, substance abuse, and even suicide.

It is possible for any woman to unexpectedly have a bad emotional reaction to an abortion. But researchers have identified several factors that predict which women are most likely to suffer the most severe reactions.

The best-established risk factors include: feeling pressured to have an abortion; strong maternal tendencies; a desired pregnancy; feelings of attachment to the unborn child; a history of prior psychological illness or emotional instability; lack of support from her parents or her male partner; adolescence; prior beliefs that abortion is immoral; a history of prior abortion(s); or abortion in the second or third trimester.

A woman who has one or more of these factors is likely to have strong negative reactions to an abortion. The best estimates indicate that at least four out of every five women undergoing abortion today fall into one or more of these high-risk categories. How many of these women will actually have post-abortion emotional problems is still unknown.

Click here for a more complete outline and discussion of known risk factors.