MYTHS ABOUT ABORTION

Deciding whether or not to choose an abortion can be a difficult decision. There is a lot of misinformation—some of it spread by anti-choice groups—that can make the decision even harder. Here are some of the most common misconceptions about abortion and the real facts behind them.

MYTH: Abortion is more dangerous than natural child birth.
FACT: Abortion is one of the most common medical procedures performed in the United States, and one of the safest. The risk of complications such as heavy bleeding or infection is less than 1 percent. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 88 percent of women who seek an abortion do so before 13 weeks of gestation. Of these women, 97 percent have no complications, 2.5 percent have minor complications that can be easily treated in the office, and less than 0.5 percent experience serious complications that require surgery or hospitalization. The risk of death is very small: one death per 500,000 legal abortions before 8 weeks. The risk of death associated with childbirth is actually eleven times as high as that associated with abortion.

MYTH: Abortion causes breast cancer.
FACT: In 2003, the National Cancer Institute brought together a panel of 100 of the world’s experts on women’s health to evaluate the alleged link between abortion and breast cancer. They looked at dozens of studies on the subject that have been conducted since 1981 and found that the scientific evidence clearly demonstrated that there is no association between abortion and increased breast cancer risk. Unfortunately, anti-choice activists have tried to scare women into thinking there is a link in order to prevent them from choosing abortion.

MYTH: Abortion risks a woman’s future fertility.
FACT: There is no scientific evidence that having an abortion will affect your ability to have a baby in the future. Only when a woman experiences serious but rare complications, such as a very bad infection or damage to the cervix, is future fertility affected. Medical studies show that having an abortion will not make it more difficult to become pregnant. It will not increase the risk of having a miscarriage or an ectopic (or tubal) pregnancy. It will not cause birth defects, premature labor and birth, or low birth weight.

MYTH: Abortion is very painful.
FACT: Pain management is used in all abortions. Most women experience cramping similar to menstrual cramps during the abortion, especially during a medical abortion. For surgical abortions, you will be offered some type of anesthesia to minimize pain during the procedure.
For medication abortions, you will be offered pain-relievers that reduce cramping. Women who have had an abortion report very different levels of discomfort: some say it is quite uncomfortable, some say it is moderate, and some experience very little discomfort.

MYTH: Abortion is expensive.
FACT: The average first-trimester abortion costs around $415. If you have insurance, your health plan may cover some or all of the costs. If you do not have insurance, you may be eligible for Medicaid. In New York State, Medicaid pays for abortion for low-income women. Many clinics also offer a sliding scale fee system, based on your income, so that the procedure will be more affordable. They may also allow you to use credit cards or work out a payment plan. For more information on payment, see “Paying for Your Care,” click here.

MYTH: Women who have abortions suffer from Post Abortion Syndrome.
FACT: It is rare for women to suffer long-term emotional problems after having an abortion—in fact, studies show that the rate of post-partum depression (depression after childbirth) is higher than the rate of serious depression after abortion. However, anti-choice activists have invented “post abortion syndrome”, and claim women who have had an abortion suffer from a set of emotional symptoms such as severe depression, anxiety, and guilt, in order to scare women and prevent them from choosing abortion. In 1989, the American Psychological Association convened a panel that found no evidence that such a condition exists. Instead, they found most women experience the most stress before choosing abortion. Every woman and every situation is different. You might experience a range of emotions after the procedure. Some women feel relief or a sense that they did the right thing after having an abortion. Others may feel anger, guilt, or sadness for a short time after having an abortion. See “An Unplanned Pregnancy: Your Choices” (click here) for questions that will help you explore your feelings and make the best decision. Anti-choice activists have also sought to attack women’s rights to choose by offering so-called “post-abortion counseling” that promotes anger against the healthcare provider, rather than helping women explore their feelings about their situation in an unbiased, supportive atmosphere. The Oakland-based group Exhale offers unbiased post-abortion counseling to women nationwide. They can be reached at 1-866-4-EXHALE or at www.4exhale.org.

BEWARE OF FAKE ABORTION CLINICS! (“CRISIS PREGNANCY CENTERS”)

Over the past two decades, the anti-choice movement has set up thousands of fake abortion clinics across the country, referring to them as “crisis pregnancy centers.” These fake clinics are often listed in the Yellow Pages under headings such as Abortion Alternatives, Birth Control Information, Pregnancy Help, or Crisis Pregnancy Centers. They try to lure women into their facilities under the guise of providing abortions and counseling. Once inside, women are given a store-bought pregnancy test or a sonogram and bombarded with anti-choice propaganda, including unrealistic horror stories about abortion, medically inaccurate videos, and intrusive, hostile questions. There are often NO trained healthcare professionals on the premises, and these fake clinics usually do not provide healthcare services for women.

Here are some warning signs that a clinic might be fake:

If you are seeking counseling to decide whether or not to continue your pregnancy, you have a right to compassionate, professional, and honest advice about all the options that are available to you. Your local Planned Parenthood is a good place to start (call 800-230-PLAN). The Portland, OR-based organization Backline runs a free talk line that provides unbiased counseling to women about their pregnancy options. They can be reached at 1-888-493-0092 or www.yourbackline.org. Or, talk to your doctor, friends, and family so that you can find a reputable, trusted place to get help.

There are also websites, run by people opposed to abortion rights, which are designed to trick you into believing you are receiving pro-choice information. A few examples of anti-choice websites using deceptive names are prochoice.com, birthcontrol.org, and pregnancycenters.org. If you are unsure about the information you receive from a website or any other source, please call NARAL Pro-Choice New York at 212-343-0114 and we will provide you with clear, honest information about the choices available to you.