The issue of abortion has been greatly debated recently, but the problem is not new. Many women have received abortions throughout all of history. Nearly one in three women in the U.S. will have an abortion by the age of 45. Abortions ultimately lead to physical damage and psychological issues. We can better understand the negative effects of receiving an abortion by looking back at the history of the issue. By 1880, most abortions were illegal in the United States. History shows us that even when the government makes something illegal, people will still find a way to engage in the activity. In the 1950’s about a million illegal abortions were performed in the U.S. per year. Out of those women, over a thousand of them died. Some of the ways
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Women claim to have a short lived feeling of relief right after the procedure is finished. But within the first few weeks after, between 40% and 60% of women report negative reactions. These reactions include the feelings of numbness and regret. 11% of the women have to be prescribed psychotropic medicine by their doctor. After an abortion occurs, women may try to avoid people, situations, or events that she associates with her ordeal. One woman that previously worked at an abortion clinic decided to interview and write about five women’s struggles during and after abortion. She wrote about a young lady named Jewels Green. Jewels said that she had extremely difficult psychiatric problems after aborting her baby. In the article she said “Within days I was consumed by overwhelming grief and intractable guilt and attempted suicide. After spending a month in a psychiatric unit to recover, I worked in an abortion center for five years in an attempt to assuage my guilt, normalize my trauma, and rationalize away my pain”(Hallowell). Many other women in the world have gone through similar situations. Another psychological effect of abortion is post-traumatic stress disorder, which sometimes does not show up until years later. Over 600,000 cases of abortion result in PTSD. Although the actual act of abortion can lead to PTSD, other aspects of the situation also increase the risks. Some of the women are forced into the abortion by their spouse or family members or as a result of being sexual
Women claim to have a short lived feeling of relief right after the procedure is finished. But within the first few weeks after, between 40% and 60% of women report negative reactions. These reactions include the feelings of numbness and regret. 11% of the women have to be prescribed psychotropic medicine by their doctor. After an abortion occurs, women may try to avoid people, situations, or events that she associates with her ordeal. One woman that previously worked at an abortion clinic decided to interview and write about five women’s struggles during and after abortion. She wrote about a young lady named Jewels Green. Jewels said that she had extremely difficult psychiatric problems after aborting her baby. In the article she said “Within days I was consumed by overwhelming grief and intractable guilt and attempted suicide. After spending a month in a psychiatric unit to recover, I worked in an abortion center for five years in an attempt to assuage my guilt, normalize my trauma, and rationalize away my pain”(Hallowell). Many other women in the world have gone through similar situations. Another psychological effect of abortion is post-traumatic stress disorder, which sometimes does not show up until years later. Over 600,000 cases of abortion result in PTSD. Although the actual act of abortion can lead to PTSD, other aspects of the situation also increase the risks. Some of the women are forced into the abortion by their spouse or family members or as a result of being sexual