You’re already carrying a lot. Managing your mental health on a normal day takes real effort. Now you’re facing a pregnancy, and one of the first questions on your mind is whether abortion could make things harder for you specifically.
That’s a fair question, and you deserve a straight answer. Oasis Women’s Services is here to help you take it one step at a time.
What the Research Shows
A review of multiple studies found the following:
- Women who have had abortions show higher rates of mental illness compared to women who have not.
- The abortion experience directly contributes to mental health problems for at least some women.
- Women with a pre-existing mental health condition are at the greatest risk of struggling after an abortion.
Overall, the research highlights pre-existing mental health conditions as an important factor in understanding potential emotional outcomes.
Other Factors That Can Raise the Risk
The same research identified additional circumstances that made mental health outcomes worse after abortion:
- Feeling pressured by others to terminate the pregnancy
- Lack of support from people close to you
- Needing to keep the abortion secret
- Low self-esteem or other personality factors
What Some Women Have Experienced
Emotional responses after abortion vary. Many women feel relief initially. For others, difficult feelings emerged weeks, months, or years later. Those experiences have included:
- Grief and a sense of loss
- Worsening anxiety or depression
- Guilt or anger
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Start With One Step
You don’t need to have everything figured out today. The most important first step is knowing the details of your pregnancy. A free, confidential ultrasound at Oasis Women’s Services confirms how far along you are, whether the pregnancy is in a safe location, and whether the pregnancy is progressing as expected with a detectable heartbeat. That information can help you understand your options and next steps.
The Oasis team can also provide factual information about abortion procedures and potential risks, including mental health risks, so you have what you need to make a fully informed decision.
Schedule your free, confidential appointment today. Call or text (575) 736-6400.
Oasis Women’s Services does not provide or refer for abortion.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.