Effects of Abortion on Women's Mental Health: A Comprehensive Study, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Psychology

Download Effects of Abortion on Women's Mental Health: A Comprehensive Study and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! 1 Effects of Abortion on Women’s Mental Health Billy Bob Calhoun Community College Human Growth and Development : Psychology 210 Marsha Blankenship Due: Oct 30, 2023 2 Abstract My intention in pursuing this topic is to enlighten the public about the risks of a procedure that is often glamourized by the media. The current culture says that women are not strong enough to have a family and get an education or have a job. Society says that death is the best option for kids that might struggle throughout their life without even mentioning the fact that abortions don’t just affect the child, but the mother too. The mental health risks associated with abortions are huge. Post-abortive women are 23% more likely to have PTSS/PTSD, 5 times more likely to develop anxiety/depression, and 5.9 times more likely to commit suicide. They also have decreased their fertility and increased their chance of getting breast cancer later in life. Very few women are actually getting informed consent when it comes to abortions because Planned Parenthood just cares about women’s money, not their mental health. 5 Lastly, abortion can cause infertility and breast cancer which could cause distress in young women. Although future infertility and breast cancer are not specifically mental disorders, they can cause mental anguish and regret. According to some studies, one abortion decreases a woman's chance of getting pregnant by 6% (admin, 2017). This is significant because many women have abortions because they feel like it is not the right time for them to have a child, but many would happily welcome a child in the right circumstances and if they have an abortion, that could affect them getting pregnant with a wanted child. This infertility could cause the woman to blame herself and she could become very depressed because her decision caused her to lose the ability to have a family. Abortions can also contribute to breast cancer, which is not good for the woman. One study states that it is possible that abortion could cause a woman to have a greater chance of getting breast cancer later in life (Parkins 1993). This could be due to the abrupt hormone shift that happens post-abortion. The increase varies from 1.9 to 2.4 % increase depending on the age of the mother at the time of the abortion (Parkins 1993). This is significant because women who develop cancer have a 22% higher chance of developing depression or anxiety (Fortin, 2021). This world is suffering from an epidemic of people who are suffering from serious mental disorders. A cause of this epidemic could be the dramatic increase in numbers of abortions. Abortion is not natural and can cause some very serious physical mental health issues that increase a woman’s stress and mental health problems. Abortion has detrimental effects to a women’s mental health such as an onset of PTSS/PTSD, suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, and devestating effects to a women’s physical health, such as decreased fertility and an increased risk of breast cancer later on in life. This issue is not being talked about nearly enough and it is contributing to the epidemic of 6 mental disorders that are plaguing modern society. To conclude, if the main goal of a procedure is to kill an innocent human being, that procedure probably isn’t very good for you either. 7 References admin. (2017). Women’s Health After Abortion. DeVeber Institute. https://www.deveber.org/womens-health-after-abortion/ Fortin J, Leblanc M, Elgbeili G, Cordova MJ, Marin MF, Brunet A. The mental health impacts of receiving a breast cancer diagnosis: A meta-analysis. Br J Cancer. 2021 Nov;125(11):1582-1592. doi: 10.1038/s41416-021-01542-3. Epub 2021 Sep 4. PMID: 34482373; PMCID: PMC8608836. Management of Side Effects and Complications in Medical Abortion: A Guide for Triage and On-Call Staff. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2023, from https://www.prochoice.org/pubs_research/publications/downloads/professional_education /medical_abortion/phone_triage_guide.pdf Parkins T. Does abortion increase breast cancer risk? J Natl Cancer Inst. 1993 Dec 15;85(24):1987-8. doi: 10.1093/jnci/85.24.1987. PMID: 8246284. Shuping, M. (2016). Counterpoint: Long-lasting distress after abortion. (pp. 153-177). In R. MacNair (Ed.) Peace psychology perspectives on abortion. Kansas City, MO: Feminism and Nonviolence Studies Association. Wallin Lundell, I., Sundström Poromaa, I., Frans, O., Helström, L., Högberg, U., Moby, L., Nyberg, S., Sydsjö, G., Georgsson Öhman, S., Östlund, I., & Skoog Svanberg, A. (2013).