Make an Informed Decision Knowing the Pros and Cons of Abortion

Abortion, also referred to as induced abortion, is a medical procedure to terminate pregnancy. Ending a pregnancy is always a difficult decision but it may have to be done keeping the best interests of the mother and child.

Abortion may sound like an easy birth control method to prevent unwanted pregnancy, though there are some medical, physical and emotional reasons against getting an abortion done.

Pros

• Abortion is a safe medical procedure, particularly when it is done in the first trimester. There is minimal risk of serious complications because of it. Moreover, it doesn’t have any influence on woman's health or future ability to become pregnant.
• Abortion may be considered if the foetus is diagnosed with genetic disorder such as Down’s syndrome.
• Pregnancy can occur even with responsible contraceptive use, though it should never be treated as a form of contraception. It is only in the case of individual carelessness that abortion can be used as a method for birth control for unwanted pregnancy.
• Teenage girls who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. In most cases, they do not receive adequate prenatal care along with developing health problems. For them, abortion early in the pregnancy is the best option rather than becoming a mother.

Cons

• Abortions do have physical side-effects to the extent that it can leave women infertile. There have been studies in the past to suggest that women who have had an abortion, were more likely to have miscarriage, premature birth and pregnancy/birthing complications in later pregnancies.
• If an abortion is done after first trimester, a woman could face medical complications such as heavy blood loss, infection, and moderate to severe pain. Abortion in later stages could be even more critical, causing medical conditions such as sepsis or even death. The long-term complications of delayed abortion include cervical complications and abnormal placenta development.
• The side-effects of abortion can be psychological in nature as a woman could go into serious mental distress, depression or guilt. After abortion, a woman may later struggle with feelings of regret, shame and depression about the decision. A study at the Bowling Green State University in Ohio suggested that abortion increases a woman’s chance of developing psychological problems.

The decision on whether to continue your pregnancy or end it is a personal one. However, counselling can help decide what is best for you.

 
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