How Safe is abortion?
Beverly McMillan, M.D.
Dr. Beverly McMillan is an ob/gyn. In 1975, she became the first woman to open an abortion clinic in
Mississippi. She ceased doing abortions in 1978 when she became convinced that the abortions she was
performing were causing everyone involved far more harm than good:
What are the physical complications
of abortion?
The most common, immediate, and
short-term complications include exces
sive bleeding, chronic and acute infec
tions, intense pain, high fever, convul
sions, shock, coma, incomplete removal of
the baby or placenta (which can cause life
threatening infections and sterility), pelvic
inflammatory disease, punctured or tom
uteruses, and even death.
Abortion can also result in uterine
scarring, a weakened cervix, blocked fal
lopian tubes, and other damage to repro
ductive organs that can make it difficult to
conceive or carry a child to term in the
future. This latent morbidity of abortion
results in long-term and sometimes perma
nent damage.
Women who have had abortions also
experience more ectopic (tubal) pregnan
cies, infertility, hysterectomies, stillbirths,
miscarriages, and premature births (the
leading cause of birth defects) than
women who have not had abortions.
Abortion has also been linked to increased
risks of developing breast, cervical, and
uterine cancer.
I'll admit that abortion is not a good thing. And it
may have physical and psychological risks. But
don't you have to admit that legal abortion is
safer than illegal abortion?
No. More than 90 percent of illegal
abortions were already performed by
doctors.
When abortion was illegal, abortionists
had to be very careful to avoid infection,
laceration, and puncturing of the uterus,
since a visit to the emergency room was
an invitation for a police investigation.
Not anymore.
Today, abortionists are free to operate
on an assembly-line basis. The faster they
work, the more money they make. When
women get hurt...well, that’s just the risk
that goes with any surgery.
I still think that legal abortions must be at least
marginally safer than illegal abortions. Certainly
women who suffer physical complications can get
emergency medical treatment faster now without
being afraid of becoming involved in a criminal
investigation.
That’s true. But that is the only health
benefit of legalized abortion.
The overall impact is still very nega
tive because the total number of women
having abortions has increased dramatical
ly
Why? Because legalizing abortion has
made it easier to pressure reluctant women
into having abortions. Before 1973,
women could resist an unwanted abortion
on the grounds that it was illegal and
unsafe.
But now people assume that since
abortion is legal, it must be safe. That
makes it harder for women to resist
unwanted abortions for health or safety
reasons.
As a result, the number of abortions
has increased ten- to fifteen-fold with only
a minimal improvement, if any, in safety.
So, while the percentage of deaths
from hemorrhage and infections may have
gone down, the actual number of women
suffering these complications has gone up
far more.
In addition, since psychological com
plications are even more common than
physical complications, the number of
women experiencing complications of one
type or another has increased dramatically.
92%
86%
86%
82%
75%
73%
Emotional deadening
(Reported either feeling less in touch with their emotions or feeling a “need to stifle their
emotions”)
Increased tendency toward anger or rage
(48% reported they became more violent when angered)
Had a fear of others learning of the abortion ora greater sense of fear for
unknown reasons
Greater feelings of loneliness or isolation
Had less self-confidence
Sexual dysfunctions
(Increased pain during intercourse, promiscuity, frigidity, or loss
of pleasure)
63% Denial
(Respondents were asked, “Was there a period of time when you would have denied the exis
tence of any doubts or negative feelings about your abortion?’ Of those responding yes, the
average period of denial that they reported was 5.25 years.)
58% Suffered from insomnia or nightmares
57% Greater difficulty in maintaining or developing relationships
56% Suicidal feelings
53% Increased or began use of drugs or alcohol
39% Eating disorders which began after the abortion
(binge eating, anorexia, or bulimia)
28% Attempted suicide
These statistics were drawn from a survey of 260 women who, on average, had their first abortion 10.6 years prior to being
surveyed. These women were volunteers who either were seeking post-abortion counseling, had participated in post-abortion coun
seling in the past, or had a history of prior abortion and were seeking help at a crisis pregnancy center to carry a subsequent preg
nancy to term.
These findings appear to be representative of the reactions of the group of women who experience negative emotional reac
tions to abortion. These figures may not be representative of the entire population of women who have had abortions, of whom
very little is known.
For more information on this study and other research, visit our web site at www.afterabortion.org.
Do people have to believe in
God to benefit from post
abortion counseling?
Post-abortion therapists are prepared to help people of every
religious background, or no religious background. Most are
very respectful of the religious beliefs (or non-beliefs) of the
women and men they serve.
Because abortion involves issues of death and moral
responsibility, however, it is natural and necessary for the reli
gious and spiritual beliefs of the client to be explored.
Another major issue, for many, is letting go of the anger
and resentment that are keeping them trapped in the past. For
these women and men, the ability to draw on their religious
beliefs can become an aid in dealing with issues of forgive
ness.
Many others are in great distress over the question, “If
my baby had a soul, where is it now?” If this is a stumbling
block toward healing, it will be important to address this spir
itual issue from a religious perspective.
In short, post-abortion counseling can benefit everyone,
even those who don’t believe in God.
But many counselors report that they have been able to
help atheistic patients cope with a past abortion only up to a
point. These patients often appear to “stall out” short of the
more complete healing that counselors witness in women and
men who can draw on a “higher power.”
afterabortion.org
Elliot Institute
Paid Advertisement