Introduction
The process of pregnancy and the subsequent birth of a child is the main natural feature of a person that allows him to reproduce and give life to new people. However, there is a medical and officially legalized procedure in many countries for terminating an unwanted pregnancy at certain times. The abortion procedure is a medical and physiological phenomenon that must occur in a quality and professional environment. It is possible to state that abortion can cause women to experience extreme depression, cannot generate long-term psychological damage in a substantial number of cases, and can lead to future medical issues.
Pregnancy, also commonly defined as gestation, is the period during which a woman’s body creates one or more children. Pregnancy is most frequently caused via sexual activity; however, it can be generated by assisted reproduction methods and procedures (Yogi et al. 2). A normal birth, an accidental miscarriage, an induced abortion, or a stillbirth are all possible outcomes of pregnancy. Abortion is defined as the removal or ejection of an embryo or unborn fetus from a pregnant woman (Yogi et al. 2). A miscarriage, also referred to as a “pregnancy loss,” is an abortion that happens spontaneously at the conclusion of a pregnancy (Yogi et al. 2). An induced abortion, or less often called an “induced miscarriage,” occurs when deliberate efforts are taken to stop a pregnancy (Yogi et al. 5). In its original form, the term “abortion” refers to an induced abortion procedure. People have tried abortions in the past using herbal remedies, sharp instruments, strong massage, and other conventional means (Yogi et al. 5). Around the world, abortion legislation and religious and cultural perspectives on abortion vary. Abortion is only authorized in some regions if there is sexual abuse, fetal deformities, poverty, a threat to a mother’s health, or incest. The social, ethical, and legal concerns surrounding abortion are heavily debated (Yogi et al. 2). Opponents of abortion frequently claim that an embryo or fetus has a right to life and hence compare abortion to killing (Yogi et al. 7). Although abortion is a medical and biological process, it can subsequently lead to physical issues, emotional complications, and depression. Depression is described by a depressed mood and reluctance to act. Depression influences a person’s emotions, behavior, desire, sensations, and perception of well-being and is categorized medically as a psychological and cognitive condition. The issue of abortion is considered diverse since its consequences can have a strong negative impact on women who were supposed to give birth, including the state of depression.
Can abortion cause women to experience extreme depression
Concerning depression and high anxiety levels, abortion and its psychological consequences can lead to this type of complication in women. Abortion as a social and biological phenomenon is a common process, which varies depending on many factors (Moafi et al. 329). Abortion, as a serious stressor, may have such a negative impact on physical and mental wellness that women that have had abortions suffer from grieving, which can become a significant issue (Moafi et al. 327). Post-abortion sadness often lasts three-four months, but it can continue for a year and lead to severe depression, which requires treatment (Moafi et al. 327). Post-abortion depression is characterized by a depressed mood, anxiety, irritability, decreased appetite, a loss of enthusiasm in life, and insomnia, and hence requires immediate prevention and treatment (Moafi et al. 327). From this information, it is possible to conclude that depression that occurs after abortion can have various manifestations and can result in irritations and disorders that negatively affect the psychological health of an individual. Even though women of all ethnicities and moral traits have nearly identical responses to abortion, their coping techniques differ (Moafi et al. 327). After all types of abortion, elaborating and adopting spiritual intelligence methods can assist with depression, anxiety, and nervousness and manage complicated pregnancies (Moafi et al. 331). In this situation, it is necessary to emphasize the presence of extreme depression in women after abortion and the need for serious medical intervention to solve the problem. Despite the proven fact that the consequences of an abortion can lead to serious depression in women, there are developed methodologies to combat these disorders that have a positive effect on consciousness.
Can abortion cause long-term psychological damage
The psychological and mental consequences of the abortion process and its possible complications can be both short-term and long-term. If, in the short term, women experience severe psychological consequences that can reach a state of depression, then the influence of these diseases may tend to change after a while. According to the studies, researchers aimed to enhance conclusions from short-term potential abortion outcomes with longer-term evidence, up to five-six years after the abortion (van Ditzhuijzen et al. 132). The scholars used the Composite International Diagnostic Interview procedure to determine post-abortion prevalence and recurrence of severe mental illnesses (depression, anxiety, and drug use disorders) utilizing one-to-one pairing on background influencing factors (van Ditzhuijzen et al. 132). The researchers used short surveys to evaluate the prevalence of clinical indications of a restricted number of mental disease categories or community-based record data to quantify psychiatric interactions, which may underestimate true psychiatric illness (van Ditzhuijzen et al. 132). Abortion did not raise the probability of women having incident or recurring psychiatric illnesses 5–6 years after the abortion (any initial mental illness) after controlling for confounding factors (van Ditzhuijzen et al. 132). According to the academics, there is no indication that having an abortion raises the chance of developing new or recurring mental illnesses in the long term (van Ditzhuijzen et al. 132). The evidence and results vary in the analysis of the impact of mental problems on women after an abortion in the long and short term. Considering the comparison of time intervals, it can be concluded that in the long term, mental and psychological disorders were not detected in women who had an abortion more than five years ago.
Since, based on research findings, abortion does not induce mental distress and trauma over the long term, it is possible to investigate the likelihood of regret among women after abortion. In addition, it is necessary to emphasize a sense of relaxation and calmness among women in the long term against the background of abortion as a medical phenomenon. In general, there is a lack of theoretical background and sufficient study denoting that women experience elevated amounts of choice rightness and relief following an abortion (Rocca et al. 2). Despite the shortage of knowledge, claims that abortion is extremely risky and provokes evolving negative feelings and regret underpin government-level abortion legislation in America (Rocca et al. 7). Despite this, research has identified characteristics that put a woman at danger for short-term unfavorable post-abortion feelings, such as difficulties making a choice and experiencing abortion prejudice in her society (Rocca et al. 7). The findings contribute to the growing amount of evidence indicating that emotional and mental disorders related to abortion are caused by personal and societal factors rather than the abortion process itself (Rocca et al. 8). Hence, it is worth highlighting that any psychological consequences of abortion result from personal perception and emotional context rather than the influence of the medical process. Researchers found no indication of developing negative feelings or regret about abortion decisions; positive and negative emotions decreased during the first two years and then stagnated, whereas choice rightness remained high and constant (Rocca et al. 8). Relief and comfort were the most prevalent feelings among all women five years after an abortion (Rocca et al. 8). It can be concluded that in the long-term, a woman experiences a greater number of cases of relief and a sense of the correct choice of abortion rather than mental problems.
Can abortion lead to future medical issues
Despite the presence of potential psychological distress as a result of a previous abortion, the possibility of physical complications should also be considered. Since abortion is associated with interference with the reproductive organs and systems, potential infertility can be considered one of its likely consequences. However, induced and medical abortion is not considered a reliable predictor of future infertility (Lin et al. 2). Therefore, despite the widespread belief that there is a close relationship between different types of abortion and potential infertility, there are no reliable conditions for this kind of assumption. Considering studies, the abortion groupings for examining potential physical problems and consequences of abortion were classified into four subgroups (Lin et al. 2). These sets include accidental abortion, induced abortion, unspecified abortion, and mixed-type abortion sections, which comprised patients who had at least two previous abortions (Lin et al. 8). The relative risk ratio for pelvic inflammatory illness, urinary tract disease, pregnancy complications, and infertility with no recurrent conception was considerably higher in the spontaneous abortion subgroup (Lin et al. 2). Therefore, it can be noted that women who have an abortion have a risk of developing diseases of a physiological nature in the future. The influence of the consequences of abortion on the physical health of a woman can be associated with the consequences of the mental and psychological plan. It is possible since serious psychological disorders in extreme stages can lead to physiological complications and diseases. It should be emphasized that the issue of potential medical complications for women lies in the paradigm of mainly urological and venereal diseases. Based on the above study results, it can be concluded that physiological and physical diseases, which are possible in the long term after an abortion, have a wide variety and different negative effects.
With regard to possible future medical complications after undergoing the abortion process, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of the quality of the procedure itself. Unsafe abortion is believed to be a huge public health issue worldwide (Lin et al. 8). Practitioners who encounter patients considering an accidental or induced abortion should inform them clearly and without bias about the consequences or impact of abortion on their physical well-being, including significant and non-significant concerns (Lin et al. 8). It should be noted that a safe and qualified abortion procedure should occur in an atmosphere of establishing contact between the patient and the specialist to discuss all consequences and potential complications. Medical abortion or accidental abortion did not enhance the risk of obstetrics and reproduction-related morbidity, except for infection, which can be a result of a low-quality procedure (Lin et al. 8). Referring to the collection of statistics regarding the medical or psychological consequences of abortion in women, there is a risk of erroneous measurement and evaluation of the information collected. It is worth noting that when asked about their reproductive history, shame, guilt, or humiliation may drive women to hide the fact that they had taken such a decision (abortion) (Lin et al. 2). In this situation, there is a probability that a woman who has experienced an abortion will not want to disclose the details of the phenomenon that happened to her due to internal reasons and circumstances. Despite the possible lack of information, it has been found that medical abortion can increase the risk of physical illness in women, including most complications associated with the reproductive system.
Conclusion
To summarize, abortion is defined as the removal or ejection of an embryo or unborn fetus from a pregnant woman. Even though abortion is a medical and biological process, it can lead to physical issues, emotional complications, and depression. Despite the proven fact that the consequences of any abortion can lead to serious depression in women, there are developed methodologies to combat these disorders that have a positive effect on consciousness. Considering the comparison of time intervals, it can be concluded that in the long term, mental and psychological disorders were not detected in women who had an abortion more than five years ago. It can be concluded that, in the long-term, a woman experiences a greater number of cases of relief and a sense of having made the right decision in choosing abortion over mental issues. Physiological and physical disorders that may develop in the long run due to abortion have a wide range of unfavorable consequences. Despite the apparent lack of knowledge, medical abortion has raised the risk of physical sickness in women, including most reproductive system issues.
Work Cited
Lin, Tsai-Bei, et al. “Long-Term physical health consequences of abortion in Taiwan, 2000 to 2013: a nationwide retrospective cohort study.” Medicine, vol. 97, no. 31, 2018, pp. 1-9.
Moafi, Farnoosh, et al. “Spiritual intelligence and post-abortion depression: A coping strategy.” Journal of religion and health, vol. 60, no. 1, 2021, pp. 326-334.
Rocca, Corinne, et al. “Emotions and decision rightness over five years following an abortion: An examination of decision difficulty and abortion stigma.” Social science & medicine, vol. 248, 2020, pp. 1-8.
van Ditzhuijzen, Jenneke, et al. “Long-term incidence and recurrence of common mental disorders after abortion. A Dutch prospective cohort study.” Journal of psychiatric research, vol. 102, 2018, pp. 132-135.
Yogi, Abinath, Prakash, K. C., and Subas Neupane. “Prevalence and factors associated with abortion and unsafe abortion in Nepal: a nationwide cross-sectional study.” BMC pregnancy and childbirth, vol. 18, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-10.