Risks of Abortion
Some side effects may occur with induced abortion. Complications may happen in as many as 1 out of every 100 early abortions and in about 1 out of every 50 late abortions. Such complications may include:
Abortion and Breast Cancer
A 1994 study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that "among women who had been pregnant at least once, the risk of breast cancer in those who had experienced an induced abortion was 50% higher than among other women."
Allergic Reaction to Drugs
An allergic reaction to anesthesia used during abortion surgery may result in convulsions, heart attack and, in extreme cases, death.
Damage to Internal Organs
If the uterus is punctured or torn, there is a risk that damage will occur to nearby organs, such as the bowel and bladder. This may cause peritonitis, which is an inflamed and infected lining of the abdomen. Peritonitis causes nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and blood in the stool.
Death
In extreme cases, other physical complications from abortion including excessive bleeding, infection, organ damage from a perforated uterus, and adverse reactions to anesthesia may lead to death. This complication is very rare and occurs in less than 20 cases per year.
Ectopic Pregnancies
An ectopic pregnancy is any pregnancy that occurs outside the uterus. After an abortion, you are 8 to 20 more likely to have an ectopic pregnancy. If it is not discovered soon enough, the pregnancy ruptures, and you can bleed to death if you do not have emergency surgery. Statistics show a 30 percent increased risk with one abortion and a 160 percent increased risk after two or more abortions.
Effects on Future Pregnancies
If you have an abortion:
1. you will be more likely to bleed in the first three months of future pregnancies.
2. you will be less likely to have a normal delivery in future pregnancies.
3. you will need more manual removal of placenta more often and there will be more complications expelling the baby and its placenta.
4. your next baby will be three to four times as likely to die in the last months of his first year of life.
5. your next baby will be twice as likely to die in the first few months of life.
6. your next baby may have a low birth weight.
7. your next baby is more likely to be born prematurely.
Failed or Incomplete Abortion
Some fetal parts may not be removed by the abortion. Bleeding and infection may occur. Sometimes, the doctor fails to evacuate the placenta from the uterus. Failure to successfully abort the fetus younger than 6 weeks is relatively common.
Heavy Bleeding or Hemorrhage
Some bleeding after abortion is normal. There is, however, a risk of hemorrhage, especially if the uterine artery is torn. When this happens, a blood transfusion may be required. This occurs in 1 to 14 percent of the time.
Hepatitis
This can occur if you have to have a blood transfusion after an abortion.
Infection
Bacteria may get into the uterus from an incomplete abortion, resulting in infection. A serious infection may lead to persistent fever over several days and extended hospitalization.
Laceration or Tearing of the Cervix
The cervix may be cut or torn by abortion instruments. 1 in 20 suffer tears or lacerations. This creates a 50 percent chance of miscarrying in your next pregnancy if not treated properly.
More Miscarriages Later
Women who have had two or more abortions have twice as many first trimester miscarriages in later pregnancies. There is a ten-fold increase in the number of second trimester miscarriages in pregnancies that follow a vaginal abortion.
Perforation of the Uterus
The uterus may be punctured or torn by abortion instruments. The risk of this complication increases with the length of the pregnancy. If this occurs, major surgery, including a hysterectomy, may be required. It may also lead to peritonitis.
Placenta Previa
Placenta previa occurs 6 to 15 times more often in later pregnancies after a woman has had an abortion. In this condition, the placenta lies over the exit from the uterus so that the placenta has to be delivered before the baby can get out. This causes the mother to bleed severely while the baby almost always dies, unless your doctor recognizes this condition and removes the baby by Caesarean section at just the right time in the pregnancy.
Frequently after an abortion, women suffer a range of mental and psychological problems. These may include recurrent dreams of the abortion experience, avoidance of emotional attachment, relationship problems, sleep disturbances, guilt about surviving, memory impairment, hostile outbursts, suicidal thoughts or actions, depression, anxiety, anniversary grief, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders, and substance abuse. These problems may occur days to years later.
Retained Products of Conception
If your doctor leaves pieces of the baby, placenta, umbilical cord, or amniotic sac in your body, you may develop pain, bleeding, and a low grade fever. Besides antibiotics and possible hospitalization, you may require additional surgery to remove those remaining pieces.
Scarring of the Uterine Lining
Suction tubing, curettes, and other abortion instruments may cause permanent scarring of the uterine lining.
Sterility
After an abortion, you may become sterile. This happens anywhere between 1-out-of-20 and 1-out-of-50 women. The risk of secondary infertility among women with at least one induced abortion is 3 to 4 times greater than that among women who have not aborted.
Complication rates of abortion increase with younger, teen-age women.
Resources: Care Net and Heritage House '76, Inc. |
