Long Term Effects Of Abortion Essay
What are the Long Term Effects of Abortions?
Research Paper
11/8/2013
Introduction to Sociology
Maya Tucker -239119
Abortions have been around for thousands of years, and have been legal in the United States since the time of the earliest settlers. In the 1800’s laws were passed to make abortions illegal. The practice of abortions had been found to be very risky due to the lack of proper materials, education and even hospitals to perform the procedures. Without today’s technology the death rate during childbirth was extremely high. Although illegal the demand for abortion still existed. Women wanting abortions had to turn to receiving “back alley” abortions. Just as the name states, back alley abortions …show more content…
were make shift abortions carried out by untrained folks in insanitary conditions. Unfortunately, these unsafe proceedings resulting in many women dying or suffering serious medical problems. Privately some females received abortions from private doctors which were relatively safer. In 1973 a Supreme Court ruling in the Roe v.
Wade case made it possible for women to receive safer and legal abortions from well-trained medical practitioners in all states. The Roe v. Wade case arose out of a Texas law that prohibited legal abortion to save a women’s life. After hearing the case, the Supreme Court ruled that Americans’ right to privacy included a women’s choice on whether or not to have children, and the right for a women and her doctor to make that decision without the state interfering. Abortions remain legal in the United States but in some countries such as Bermuda are still illegal. Therefore, women may travel to America to have this procedure done. Ed Edelson, reporter for Health Day states, “Survey estimated 41.6 million abortions a year are carried out globally” (“Abortion Number Fall Worldwide”). Today in the United States alone 1,300,000 abortions happen annually. According to Post Abortion Healing and Help, “By the age of forty- five, two out of every five women has had an abortion” (Post Abortion Healing, 1). With that being said it is likely that everyone knows someone that has one. This research paper will cover the long term effects that women face after having an abortion. There are many effects that women may have but this paper will strictly concentrate on four common
effects.
Post-abortion Syndrome Post-abortion syndrome (PAS) is a post-traumatic syndrome that can affect a woman after an abortion. It effects women different and vary depending on the individual. Common side effects include thoughts of self-harm and suicide, guilt, depression, anxiety and the list goes on. Some women choose abortion because their pregnancy occurred at an unwanted time. But, as an effect of PAS women may feel the need to get pregnant again to replace the child that’s been aborted. This is an attempt to alleviate the pain and regret she may be feeling from her abortion.
A woman may feel a lot of guilt after receiving an abortion, it is only right. It is not easy to forget and be comfortable with terminating a pregnancy. She may feel as if she has violated her own moral code and taken the life of her unborn child. They may feel as if any unhappy event that occurs is something they deserve for aborting a child. The guilt caused by this procedure may even cause a woman to go into depression and consider suicide. Women may constantly be in a sad mood and have uncontrollable crying episodes. She may feel hopeless, worthless and unable to function normally. A lack of motivation will prevent women from carrying out activities that they may have been previously interested in. The PAS symptoms may increase in women when the time of the aborted child’s due date occurs or even when the anniversary date of the abortion reoccurs. They may have flashbacks of the abortion process or nightmares about babies or pregnancy. Situations that resemble abortion, such a gynecological exams even the sound of a vacuum cleaner suction. Many women suffering from PAS are left with no one to turn to and judged by pro-lifers, due to the great debate that occurs about abortion.
Substance Abuse Dr. David Reardon, a post-abortion expert and director of the Elliot Institute research organization, said that “There are at least 21 published studies have found a link between induced abortion and substance abuse” (“Abortion and Substance Abuse Link Often Overlooked, Women’s Health Review Reports”). Therefore, women who have undergone abortions are more likely to have substance abuse problems than women or are not pregnant or carried out their pregnancy. Women find alcohol and drug as a form of self-medication, a way to cope with the pain and memories of abortion. Unfortunately, women that resort to alcohol and drug abuse end up having more problems and fewer resources to solve these problems. The consequences of substance abuse only add to symptoms a woman is already experiencing.
Sexual Dysfunction Another long term effect to abortions is sexual dysfunction. In a 1990 study of 68 women in a religiously-based post abortion recovery group in Minnesota, 37% of the women said they had fear of sexual intercourse following their abortion (Vought, 1991). The stress abortion can place on a woman can have a dramatic effect on their personal relationships. Couples are sometimes unable to express their feeling about the abortion to one another which can make a man or woman feel as if their all alone. This can be very difficult on a relationship, especially if one partner wanted to keep the unborn child. The resentment one can have for the other can become too much and bring the relationship to an end. In some instances it is not the female that sufferers from the sexual dysfunction. Males may not want to have intercourse with their female partner for the fear of something going wrong. In an excerpt from Linda Bird Francke’s book she describes:
Fred 's girlfriend had an abortion. Afterwards, the couple thought, "Let 's cheer up and let the whole thing slide by". But it didn 't. Fred recalled: " Since then our sex life has slowed down. We haven 't slept together much lately. The first couple of times I can remember thinking: We 've got to be careful… We 'd get all turned on and start to do it, and then quit… She doesn 't turn me on physically as much anymore. Right now I haven 't been sleeping with her lately, or really with anyone. With one lady friend I find myself turned off right in the middle of it… I 've been impotent a couple of times, too. I just couldn 't get it on." (Francke, 1978) Women on the other hand may feel pain when having sex and there for they stray away from sexual activity. It is not they are no longer interest but the discomfort makes it impossible to part take in. Many women unhappy with their sex life it is because at some point in their life they’ve had an abortion.
Infertility and Complications Unbeknown to many females, they might not have the opportunity to reproduce again after having an abortion. A risk of abortion is secondary infertility. Secondary infertility is when a couple is unable to conceive again, even though they have once achieved pregnancy. Infertility can directly or indirectly affect a woman. Surgical abortions can cause scaring on the uterine lining which may bring on future infertility. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which is an inflamed uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes that can be caused by the instruments used during abortion. Some complications that come along with abortion are failure to terminate, retained tissue, infection, hemorrhage and many more. Failure to terminate is when the abortion is not successful. This is something that does not happen very often. Infection is caused by germs from the vagina and cervix getting into the uterus. If a woman has Gonorrhea, Syphilis, or Chlamydia, a serious tubal infection can occur. In extreme cases of infection surgery may be needed. The thickened lining of the uterus is never completely removed during a surgical abortion, so, it is normal for the uterus to naturally shed excess blood and tissue while healing. If fetal tissue remains it can be very risky and result in a repeated surgical abortion. A woman may suffer from hemorrhage, excessive bleeding from the uterus and occasionally it may result in a blood transfusion. In conclusion, abortion have a lot of effects they may follow the procedure. Some severe and some that can be corrected by treatment or medication. Abortion may strain relationships and even end them. There are many reasons why women get abortions but there is a lot to think about as the side effects can be life changing.
References
Post Abortion Healing And Help. 2008. 20th Feb 2009. Web. 6th Nov 2013.
Edelson, Ed. “Abortion Numbers Fall Worldwide.” HealthDay. HealthDay.com 12th Oct 2007. Web. 6th Nov 2013.
Elliot Institute. “Abortion and Substance Abuse Link Often Overlooked, Women’s Health Review Reports.” Afterabortion.org. 20th Jan 2005. Web. 7th Nov 2013
Vought, Jeanette. “Post-Abortion Trauma.” Nine Steps to Recovery. Zondervan Publishing House, 1991. p.109 Print
Francke, Linda Bird. The Ambivalence of Abortion. Random House 1978. p. 113 – 147 Print
Research Paper
11/8/2013
Introduction to Sociology
Maya Tucker -239119
Abortions have been around for thousands of years, and have been legal in the United States since the time of the earliest settlers. In the 1800’s laws were passed to make abortions illegal. The practice of abortions had been found to be very risky due to the lack of proper materials, education and even hospitals to perform the procedures. Without today’s technology the death rate during childbirth was extremely high. Although illegal the demand for abortion still existed. Women wanting abortions had to turn to receiving “back alley” abortions. Just as the name states, back alley abortions …show more content…
were make shift abortions carried out by untrained folks in insanitary conditions. Unfortunately, these unsafe proceedings resulting in many women dying or suffering serious medical problems. Privately some females received abortions from private doctors which were relatively safer. In 1973 a Supreme Court ruling in the Roe v.
Wade case made it possible for women to receive safer and legal abortions from well-trained medical practitioners in all states. The Roe v. Wade case arose out of a Texas law that prohibited legal abortion to save a women’s life. After hearing the case, the Supreme Court ruled that Americans’ right to privacy included a women’s choice on whether or not to have children, and the right for a women and her doctor to make that decision without the state interfering. Abortions remain legal in the United States but in some countries such as Bermuda are still illegal. Therefore, women may travel to America to have this procedure done. Ed Edelson, reporter for Health Day states, “Survey estimated 41.6 million abortions a year are carried out globally” (“Abortion Number Fall Worldwide”). Today in the United States alone 1,300,000 abortions happen annually. According to Post Abortion Healing and Help, “By the age of forty- five, two out of every five women has had an abortion” (Post Abortion Healing, 1). With that being said it is likely that everyone knows someone that has one. This research paper will cover the long term effects that women face after having an abortion. There are many effects that women may have but this paper will strictly concentrate on four common
effects.
Post-abortion Syndrome Post-abortion syndrome (PAS) is a post-traumatic syndrome that can affect a woman after an abortion. It effects women different and vary depending on the individual. Common side effects include thoughts of self-harm and suicide, guilt, depression, anxiety and the list goes on. Some women choose abortion because their pregnancy occurred at an unwanted time. But, as an effect of PAS women may feel the need to get pregnant again to replace the child that’s been aborted. This is an attempt to alleviate the pain and regret she may be feeling from her abortion.
A woman may feel a lot of guilt after receiving an abortion, it is only right. It is not easy to forget and be comfortable with terminating a pregnancy. She may feel as if she has violated her own moral code and taken the life of her unborn child. They may feel as if any unhappy event that occurs is something they deserve for aborting a child. The guilt caused by this procedure may even cause a woman to go into depression and consider suicide. Women may constantly be in a sad mood and have uncontrollable crying episodes. She may feel hopeless, worthless and unable to function normally. A lack of motivation will prevent women from carrying out activities that they may have been previously interested in. The PAS symptoms may increase in women when the time of the aborted child’s due date occurs or even when the anniversary date of the abortion reoccurs. They may have flashbacks of the abortion process or nightmares about babies or pregnancy. Situations that resemble abortion, such a gynecological exams even the sound of a vacuum cleaner suction. Many women suffering from PAS are left with no one to turn to and judged by pro-lifers, due to the great debate that occurs about abortion.
Substance Abuse Dr. David Reardon, a post-abortion expert and director of the Elliot Institute research organization, said that “There are at least 21 published studies have found a link between induced abortion and substance abuse” (“Abortion and Substance Abuse Link Often Overlooked, Women’s Health Review Reports”). Therefore, women who have undergone abortions are more likely to have substance abuse problems than women or are not pregnant or carried out their pregnancy. Women find alcohol and drug as a form of self-medication, a way to cope with the pain and memories of abortion. Unfortunately, women that resort to alcohol and drug abuse end up having more problems and fewer resources to solve these problems. The consequences of substance abuse only add to symptoms a woman is already experiencing.
Sexual Dysfunction Another long term effect to abortions is sexual dysfunction. In a 1990 study of 68 women in a religiously-based post abortion recovery group in Minnesota, 37% of the women said they had fear of sexual intercourse following their abortion (Vought, 1991). The stress abortion can place on a woman can have a dramatic effect on their personal relationships. Couples are sometimes unable to express their feeling about the abortion to one another which can make a man or woman feel as if their all alone. This can be very difficult on a relationship, especially if one partner wanted to keep the unborn child. The resentment one can have for the other can become too much and bring the relationship to an end. In some instances it is not the female that sufferers from the sexual dysfunction. Males may not want to have intercourse with their female partner for the fear of something going wrong. In an excerpt from Linda Bird Francke’s book she describes:
Fred 's girlfriend had an abortion. Afterwards, the couple thought, "Let 's cheer up and let the whole thing slide by". But it didn 't. Fred recalled: " Since then our sex life has slowed down. We haven 't slept together much lately. The first couple of times I can remember thinking: We 've got to be careful… We 'd get all turned on and start to do it, and then quit… She doesn 't turn me on physically as much anymore. Right now I haven 't been sleeping with her lately, or really with anyone. With one lady friend I find myself turned off right in the middle of it… I 've been impotent a couple of times, too. I just couldn 't get it on." (Francke, 1978) Women on the other hand may feel pain when having sex and there for they stray away from sexual activity. It is not they are no longer interest but the discomfort makes it impossible to part take in. Many women unhappy with their sex life it is because at some point in their life they’ve had an abortion.
Infertility and Complications Unbeknown to many females, they might not have the opportunity to reproduce again after having an abortion. A risk of abortion is secondary infertility. Secondary infertility is when a couple is unable to conceive again, even though they have once achieved pregnancy. Infertility can directly or indirectly affect a woman. Surgical abortions can cause scaring on the uterine lining which may bring on future infertility. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), which is an inflamed uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes that can be caused by the instruments used during abortion. Some complications that come along with abortion are failure to terminate, retained tissue, infection, hemorrhage and many more. Failure to terminate is when the abortion is not successful. This is something that does not happen very often. Infection is caused by germs from the vagina and cervix getting into the uterus. If a woman has Gonorrhea, Syphilis, or Chlamydia, a serious tubal infection can occur. In extreme cases of infection surgery may be needed. The thickened lining of the uterus is never completely removed during a surgical abortion, so, it is normal for the uterus to naturally shed excess blood and tissue while healing. If fetal tissue remains it can be very risky and result in a repeated surgical abortion. A woman may suffer from hemorrhage, excessive bleeding from the uterus and occasionally it may result in a blood transfusion. In conclusion, abortion have a lot of effects they may follow the procedure. Some severe and some that can be corrected by treatment or medication. Abortion may strain relationships and even end them. There are many reasons why women get abortions but there is a lot to think about as the side effects can be life changing.
References
Post Abortion Healing And Help. 2008. 20th Feb 2009. Web. 6th Nov 2013.
Edelson, Ed. “Abortion Numbers Fall Worldwide.” HealthDay. HealthDay.com 12th Oct 2007. Web. 6th Nov 2013.
Elliot Institute. “Abortion and Substance Abuse Link Often Overlooked, Women’s Health Review Reports.” Afterabortion.org. 20th Jan 2005. Web. 7th Nov 2013
Vought, Jeanette. “Post-Abortion Trauma.” Nine Steps to Recovery. Zondervan Publishing House, 1991. p.109 Print
Francke, Linda Bird. The Ambivalence of Abortion. Random House 1978. p. 113 – 147 Print