The number of words in this book is 4700+｜Estimated reading time is 12 minutes
html When she was 125 years old, Xiao Qiao found that her breasts began to become soft, and she learned that she was pregnant. However, her career was in its infancy and she was not happy with her boyfriend. Xiao Qiao made a decision immediately."Without hesitation, I knew I was going to have an abortion."
Xiao Qiao used medical abortion, the most common type of abortion in the United States. Now that she has a successful career and is in a committed, healthy relationship at age 31, she knows she will want children one day and has "zero regrets" about her past abortion experience.
Although there are reports people who terminate pregnancies end up feeling guilty, regretful and even depressed, research shows that stories like Xiao Qiao's are more common: In fact, most people who terminate pregnancies feel no regrets - They felt relieved.
Overturning Roe v. Wade may eventually ban abortion in half of the states in the United States. In addition to causing physical harm and economic burden to women, it is more likely to affect their mental health.
Picture source: Roe v. Wade case
What harm does banning abortion have on women?
The American Psychological Association (APA) has used decades of research to prove that abortion would be harmful to women’s mental health if it were banned. APA President Frank C. Worrell said: "Rigorous, long-term psychological research clearly shows that people who are denied abortions are more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety and lower life satisfaction than those who are able to obtain abortions. and lower self-esteem. ”
Women whose reproductive rights are restricted may internalize a loss of agency in their lives, thereby weakening psychological stability. Dr. Amy Adante, an ob-gyn and reproductive health physician researcher, said forcing women to give birth will severely damage their mental health. "As a former rape and sexual assault prosecutor and a clinician who has worked with multiple victims, I have seen firsthand how important a sense of control over one's own body is to recovery after an assault. "
Turnaway Research Shows that women can be seriously harmed by being denied abortions. The findings have far-reaching implications for lawmakers, judges, health agencies and others considering policies that restrict abortion, including:
Denying women access to abortions can create years of continued financial hardship and insecurity for women
Women whose abortions are restricted More likely to be in a relationship with a violent partner and more likely to face raising a child alone
When mothers are denied an abortion, the child's financial well-being and development are negatively affected
Childbirth can cause more serious health problems than abortion, For example, eclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage
Picture/Sex Study Room
Will abortion affect women's mental health?
A common misconception is that people who have abortions end up feeling intense regret or negative mental health consequences after making the decision. In a previous decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Kennedy even brazenly wrote: " Although we have found no reliable data to measure this phenomenon, it seems conclusive that some women regret choosing to give up the babies they once conceived."
Researchers used data to clarify this misunderstanding. "Most studies show that the primary emotion women subsequently express is relief—not Sad,”
The Turnaway Study is a landmark abortion analysis from UCSF’s New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH). In the study, researchers followed nearly 1,000 women in 21 states for 5 years, examining similarities and differences between women who wanted an abortion and received one and women who wanted an abortion but were denied one.
Source: pexels
Research results show that women who have abortions have no increased risk of depression , anxiety, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder . Five years after the procedure, women who had abortions were less likely to report negative emotions or suicidal thoughts than women who were denied abortions, and more than 97% of study participants said abortion was the right decision (Rocca, C. H., et al., Social Science Medicine, Vol. 248, 2020).
In a review of the scientific literature on abortion published 10 years ago, the American Psychological Association's APA Task Force came to similar conclusions, especially in cases of unintended pregnancy. The task force reported that women who had an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy did not face a higher risk of mental health problems than women who went on to have an unintended pregnancy (Report of the APA Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion, 2008) .
"In fact, the best predictor of a woman's mental health after a miscarriage is her mental health before the miscarriage," says Nancy Felipe Russo, professor emeritus of psychology and women's studies at Arizona State University .
Another group of women - those who planned and wanted to become pregnant but had their pregnancy terminated in the second or third trimester due to life-threatening birth defects - face some psychological problems after surgery. But these problems are comparable to the mental health problems experienced by women who miscarry or lose their newborn babies, and are less painful than those who give birth to babies with severe defects.
"The bottom line is that abortion itself does not cause mental health problems," said Dr. M. Antonia Biggs, a psychologist and researcher at ANSIRH and one of the leaders of the Turnaway study.
Picture/Sex Study Room
The impact of anti-abortion laws on women with schizophrenia
A study in the United States found that 47.6% of schizophrenic women aged 18-45 had been raped, while the control group had One proportion is 22% (Barker Vigod, 2020). Another study of women with schizophrenia in Ontario, Canada, found that they had higher miscarriage rates than women without schizophrenia, especially among younger age groups of 15–19 and 20–24 years (Simoila et al., 2018).
These figures indicate that there appear to be health differences between people without mental illness and women with schizophrenia. Given that women with schizophrenia are more likely to have non-consensual sex (Barker Vigod, 2020), they are at a higher risk of unintended pregnancy and are more likely to seek abortion.
Additionally, antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia. Studies have found that antipsychotics can cross the placental barrier and may cause birth defects, but discontinuation during pregnancy may have more serious consequences (Edinoff et al., 2022). Therefore, an unintended pregnancy in a woman recovering from schizophrenia may require termination.
A new U.S. Supreme Court ruling could affect how women with schizophrenia care for and give birth to children.
Source: pexels
Freedom of abortion is very important to women
Opponents of abortion often criticize people who have unwanted pregnancies, saying they are irresponsible and should use contraception. But the fact is, unintended pregnancy can still happen despite birth control.
Most decisions to terminate a pregnancy are complex and difficult and depend on a variety of reasons.
Poor mental health after pregnancy
"Pregnancy and postpartum are high-risk times for mental health conditions, with one in seven moms at risk for postpartum depression." Marta Perez, ob-gyn and Washington University School of Medicine Assistant Professor said the doctor.
Unable to afford child care/No paid maternity leave
Only a quarter of American workers have access to paid family leave. Meanwhile, child support costs can exceed $13,000 in the first year alone. Research shows that "I can't afford the baby right now" is the leading reason for abortion (Biggs, M.A., Gould, H. Foster, 2013)
Fetal abnormalities
Fetal abnormalities may be a major factor in people's decision to have an abortion.When a baby tests positive for a genetic disorder, expectant parents worry about their child's quality of life and physical suffering after birth.
Risking Maternal Life
Pregnancy itself is risky, and carrying a baby to term can be especially challenging for those with diabetes or pre-existing conditions such as heart disease. Risk conditions requiring abortion care include: preeclampsia ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.
Source: pexels
Contraceptive failure
Contraceptive measures cannot be 100% effective. In a survey by the abortion rights research group Guttmacher, half of U.S. abortion providers reported using birth control during pregnancy.
Not ready to be a mother
According to the Guttmacher Institute, more than 50 percent of abortion patients consider abortion because of scheduling and family size. Surveys show that "educational goals" are one of the reasons women delay having children, as they want to achieve a better income level before becoming mothers. A 21-year-old girl said: "The main thing is that I don't feel ready, financially and emotionally. It will be difficult to enter the job market with a newborn."
Already a mother
According to Guttmacher According to the study, more than half of those who had abortions had had at least one previous birth. Banning a woman from having an abortion could have negative consequences for her existing children, the study found.
Lack of support
"Not wanting to be a single mother" is the reason why many women choose to have an abortion. Raising a child alone can cause even more stress.
Rape or incest
According to Guttmacher's survey, about 1% of women who have abortions are conceived through rape, and less than half of those who have abortions are conceived through incest. Now, however, a growing number of bills banning abortion ignore these exceptions.
Source: pexels
The decision to have an abortion should be left to women
Criminalizing abortion will not prevent abortion, it will only make it less safe. When governments restrict abortion, people have to turn to clandestine, unsafe abortion facilities.
Research by the World Health Organization shows that women may suffer a variety of injuries after unsafe abortion, affecting their quality of life and physical and mental health. Some of these women may also develop life-threatening complications. Life-threatening complications resulting from the most unsafe abortions include major bleeding, infection, and damage to the reproductive tract and internal organs.
The World Health Organization points out that the first step to avoid maternal death and injury is to ensure that people can receive sex education , use effective contraceptive measures, have safe and legal abortions, and deal with complications in a timely manner.
Picture/Female Justice Ginsburg RBG
Everyone should be free to exercise their bodily autonomy. When the government controls a woman’s abortion decision, she is not regarded as a capable person who is fully responsible for her life choices. Treat it as an adult. Laws related to abortion need to respect, protect and fulfill the human rights of pregnant women. No one can stay out of this matter.
Compiler: Yangyang Proofreading: Cindy
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Biggs, M.A., Gould, H. Foster, D.G. Understanding why women seek abortions in the US. BMC Women's Health 13, 29 (2013). https:/ /doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-13-29
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