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| Unsafe Abortion endangers women before, during & after "We were maiming at least one woman a month."
–Carol Everett, former abortion clinic operator “Get in touch with my dad; tell him ... I love him.”  At the abortion clinic, they gave Susanne a barbiturate that sent her into cardiac arrest.
Without oxygen, she lapsed into a coma. Four months later, she awoke in a nursing home, unable to talk and paralyzed from the neck down.
Three years later, Susanne died of pneumonia. She tapped out her last words on a special plastic synthesizer: “Get in touch with my dad. Tell him I love him.” State law did not permit Maryland officials to prosecute the uncertified abortionist or the unregulated clinic, which grossed an estimated $10 million in 5 years. When asked what she would tell a girl about to have an abortion, Susanne shook her head, “no,” and tapped out: “They would be taking a chance.” | 
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Unwanted abortions / over 100 risks / maternal death rates nearly 4 times higher |
| Before abortion ... | After abortion ... | > Unwanted or coerced abortion is common1 > 64% felt pressured by others, majority felt rushed or uncertain, 79% not told of alternatives, 84% said they were not given enough information to make an informed choice, 67% received no counseling.1 > Abusers, molesters and others who would discriminate, abuse or threaten women at risk are empowered.2 > Employment, housing and other discrimination forces pregnant women into no-win ultimatums. > Forced abortion is rampant in America and elsewhere2 > Pregnancy-related abuse, discrimination , violence2 > Homicide is the #1 killer of pregnant women3 > Inadequate or negligent counseling from guides and gatekeepers in many sectors is common1 | > Women are 3.5 times more likely to die over the next year after an abortion4
> 31% suffer health complications1 Immediate, potentially life-threatening complications include hemorrhage, shock, infection, anesthesia complications and more5
> 65% report symptoms of post-traumatic stress1
>Higher risk of future infertility, stillbirths, miscarriages and premature births6
> 65% higher risk of clinical depression after abortion. > Higher rates of substance abuse, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, eating disorders and hospitalization. > Many incidences of unsafe medical practices, botched abortion, medical negligence and malpractice go unreported7 > Suicide rates are 6 times higher after abortion8 |
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Physical Complications Excessive bleeding Chronic and acute infections Intense pain Convulsions Shock Coma Life-threatening infections Sterility Pelvic inflammatory disease Punctured uterus Infertility Higher risk of future miscarriages Higher risk of breast, cervical and uterine cancer Higher risk of ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, hysterectomies, stillbirths, premature birth (leading cause of birth defects) Death
| Psychological complications |
Find more information about these risks here. top
 "Many many girls and women have wound up in the emergency room, bleeding uncontrollably or deathly sick from infection. Many have had to undergo hysterectomies. Quite a number of women and girls have died from abortion on demand." –Kevin Sherlock, The Scarlet Survey
"A young woman about 20 years old came to the ER because she was feeling very sick. She'd become increasingly ill ever since the abortion she'd had about a week earlier. I had her admitted to the hospital from the ER with a severe pneumonia. The following days revealed that the pneumonia was just a part of the problem—she had overwhelming sepsis, which is infection throughout her entire body which had, at its source, the abortion. ... "This woman died. The admitting physician never reported the incident as abortion-related, nor did she inform the abortion provider of the results of his 'care.' He was still practicing, without the slightest idea that his intervention had led to his patient's death.
"The medical diagnosis reads 'severe pain'—the real cause is abortion. The record reads 'vaginal bleeding”—the real cause is abortion. The operative note says 'ruptured ectopic pregnancy and internal hemorrhage'—the real cause is abortion. The autopsy states 'cause of death—overwhelming sepsis'—the real cause is abortion." –Emergency room physician Lenora Berning, M.D., Abortionists Not Held Accountable for Mistakes "After the inspectors left, it was business as usual. The very next abortion patient ended up in the emergency room ..." –Mark Crutcher, Lime 5: Exploited by Choice "Legal abortion is the most destructive manifestation of discrimination against women today." –Nancyjo Mann, founder, Women Exploited by Abortion “Teens are suffering adult-sized pain with a child's coping skills. [Abortion providers] tell them to ‘get over it’… My dream is to get this pain out in the open ... to help give women the freedom to acknowledge that abortion hurts." –Terri, who had an abortion as a teenager "As the host of eight documentaries on the subject of abortion, I have met many other women who carry these deep psychological scars. In fact, I have met so many that I now believe that there are only two kinds of women who have had abortions: those who have hit the emotional wall and those who will." –Jane Chastain, columnist and radio host "You cannot deny that something is being created … a psychological price is paid. … Something happens on the deeper levels of a woman’s consciousness... I know that as a psychiatrist." –Dr. Julius Fogel, psychiatrist and obstetrician who has personally performed over 20,000 abortions more quotes from experts top Quotes from individuals and families who've been there |
"She was crying as she entered the clinic, she cried throughout the procedure, and was sobbing as she left. No one at the clinic asked her any questions ... Had they inquired about her health history they may have seen her as the high-risk patient that she was ... Her three children are growing up without their mom because no one wanted to ask questions." –Julie "Our mom made my sister have an abortion. At age 14 my sister became a completely different person. She got into very hard drugs and would use them every day. She had attempted suicide at least 3 times that I know of and has horrible huge scars on her arms from one of the attempts." –Anonymous "The thought of abortion in our family is a terrible thing. Our granddaughter, age 21, had an abortion. Three months later her father found her hanging from the cross beams in the basement. We did not know ... about the abortion until a week before her death when she tried suicide by cutting her wrist. ... she told her mother what she had done. They took her to the hospital ... kept her five days, released her ... three days later she killed herself. She said her boyfriend made her do it [the abortion] ... She dearly loved children ... She was always taking care of some friend's children. ... If someone could have talked with her, she might be alive today." –A Grandmother read more personal stories
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Higher maternal death rates |
 Higher risk of death. Compared to women who give birth, women who abort have an elevated risk of death from all causes, which persists for at least eight years. Higher risk of death from suicide and accidents were most prominent. - Southern Medical Journal, 2002
Deaths Associated with Abortion A review of published studies on death rates after abortion - Dr. David C. Reardon, et. al.
Abortion Is Nearly Four Times Deadlier Than Childbirth
New studies unmask high maternal death rates - Acta Obsetricia et Gynecolgica Scandinavica, 1997 Why U.S. abortion mortality statistics don't tell the whole story, and some women's deaths are overlooked. Death Rate of Abortion Three Times Higher than Childbirth: 13-year Population Study in Published in Top OB/Gyn Journal
Abortion Linked to Elevated Mortality Rate Among Women
Off-site articles about death rates The Cover Up: Why U.S. Abortion Mortality Statistics Are Meaningless Abortion Four Times Deadlier Than Childbirth: New Studies Unmask High Maternal Death Rates from Abortion Abortion May Increase Women's Mortality Rate:
New Study Shows Women's Death Rate from Abortion Much Higher Than Previously Known Informed Consent Booklets Hide True Risks of Abortion Two Senseless Deaths: The Long Road to Recovery Abortionists Are Not Held Accountable for Mistakes top Other published post-abortion research |
Substance Abuse Women who abort are five times more likely to subsequently abuse drugs or alcohol than women who deliver. - American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 2000 Clinical Depression Compared to women who carry their first unintended pregnancies to term, women who abort their first pregnancies are at significantly higher risk of clinical depression as measured an average of eight years after their first pregnancies. - British Medical Journal, 2002 Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 65 percent of American women studied experienced multiple symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which they attributed to their abortions. - Medical Science Monitor, 2004 National Cancer Institute Admits Abortion Raises Breast Cancer Link, But Why Aren't Women Being Told? 1/22/10 Legal Abortion Doesn't Save Women's Lives, Report Shows 12/16/09 New Studies Continue to Document Physical Risks of Abortion to Women 12/10/09 New Review Links Abortion to Higher Risk of Preterm Birth: Dozens of Studies Show Women Who Had Abortions More Likely to Have a Later Premature Birth 10/28/08 more research top Fact sheets and research summaries |
Psychological Risks page Psychological Risks fact sheet shorter version longer version Physical Risks page - more fact sheets, resources, news, articles, links to studies & more Physical Risks fact sheet shorter version longer version
Physicians' List of Medical Complications from Abortion (off-site link) more fact sheets and resources top
How Safe Is Abortion? by Beverly McMillan, M.D. Study Shows Abortion Death Rates Much Higher than Previously Known (Subscribe to the Elliot Institute Post-Abortion Review)
New York Abortionist Investigated for Abortion Death
New Zealand Study Finds Violence Increases Risk of Abortion 8/29/08 Pregnant College Students Aren't Made Aware of Available Resources, Survey Finds 5/16/08
News Abortion Clinic Anesthetist Accused of Infecting 12 Women with Hepatitis C 4/12/10 (off-site)
Report Reveals Filthy Conditions, Health Violations at N.J. Abortion Center 3/20/07 (off-site)
New Jersey Woman Suffers Coma after Abortion
Clinic shut down because of “immediate and serious” health risks
After Comatose Victim, Two More Women Injured At New Jersey Abortion Clinic Come Forward Abortion Clinic Attempt to Hide Botched Abortion Emergency
National Cancer Institute Admits Abortion Raises Breast Cancer Risk - But Why Aren't Women Being Told?
More articles, links & resources on abortion's harm and risk
top See also: AbortionRisks.org - a clearinghouse of information and resources AfterAbortion.org - the Elliot Institute's home site, from the nation's leading provider of post-abortion research, education and outreach
Citations 1. Rue et. al., "Induced abortion and traumatic stress: A preliminary comparison of American and Russian women," Medical Science Monitor 10(10): SR5-16, 2004. See also the special report, Forced Abortion in America. 2. For citations, see Forced Abortion in America. 3. JAMA 285(11): 1455:1459 (2001); J. Mcfarlane et. al., "Abuse During Pregnancy and Femicide: Urgent Implications for Women's Health." Obstetrics & Gynecology 100: 27-36 (2002). 4. Gissler M., et. al., “Pregnancy Associated Deaths in Finland 1987-1994 -- definition problems and benefits of record linkage,” Acta Obsetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 76:651-657 (1997). 5. Kaunitz, "Causes of Maternal Mortality in the United States, Obstetrics and Gynecology 65 (5), May 1985; Frank, et.al., "Induced Abortion Operations and Their Early Sequelae," Journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners 35(73):175-180, April 1985; Grimes and Cates, "Abortion: Methods and Complications", in Human Reproduction, 2nd ed., 796-813; M.A. Freedman, "Comparison of complication rates in first trimester abortions performed by physician assistants and physicians," Am. J. Public Health 76(5):550-554, 1986). 6. See Strahan, T. Detrimental Effects of Abortion: An Annotated Bibliography with Commentary (Springfield, IL: Acorn Books, 2002) 168-206. Or visit the Thomas W. Strahan Memorial Library at www.abortionrisks.orgg for a bibliography of studies. 7. Dr. Lenora Berning, "Abortionists Not Held Accountable for Mistakes," The Post-Abortion Revieww, 8(2) April-June 2000. See also How Safe Is Abortion?? 8. Gissler, Hemminki & Lonnqvist, "Suicides after pregnancy in Finland, 1987-94: register linkage study," British Journal of Medicine 313:1431-4, 1996, and M. Gissler, “Injury deaths, suicides and homicides associated with pregnancy, Finland 1987-2000,” European J. Public Healthh 15(5):459-63, 2005. See also DC Reardon et. al., “Deaths Associated With Pregnancy Outcome: A Record Linkage Study of Low Income Women,” Women,” #8221; #8221; #8221; #8221; Southern Medical Journal 95(8):834-41, Aug. 2002. 9. For more information, see the article The Aftereffects of Abortion. Also, visit the Thomas W. Strahan Memorial Library at www.abortionrisks.orggg. For more information on abortion and breast cancer, including information on new studies, visit the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer. 10. DC Reardon et. al., “Deaths Associated With Pregnancy Outcome: A Record Linkage Study of Low Income Women,” Southern Medical Journal 95(8):834-41, Aug. 2002. 11. DC Reardon, et. al., "Psychiatric admissions of low-income women following abortions and childbirth," Canadian Medical Association Journal 168 (10): May 13, 2003. |
