One of the most prevalent outcomes of abortion is shame and guilt that the mother suffers, sometimes for years. This is the most common postabortion syndrome symptom. A study in 2004 showed that just over 50% of American women who have had an abortion felt it was wrong to do so (Coleman, 4). This indicates that they probably did not want to have an abortion in the first place. Because they believe they are doing something wrong, they will have difficulty talking about it. Many women hide this secret. This self-protective measure is self-defeating, women need support and help if they are going to heal from the devastating effects of an abortion, yet many of them are too ashamed to talk about it.
This leads us to the fact that many women suffer psychological disorders after having an abortion. One study of women who have terminated their pregnancies shows that 42% have major depression, 39% have anxiety disorder, and 27% have suicidal ideation due to post abortion stress (Coleman, 10).
Adolescents are more vulnerable to emotional and psychological issues after an abortion than older women are (Daly, 50). This study said they need more extensive counseling in order to be able to move on with their lives. Most women who have an abortion will never get counseling for it. Adolescents are least likely to get help, because they are usually the ones who want to hide it the most.
One study followed sixteen woman fifteen years after their abortion. All of them felt their past abortion played a big part of their present life (686). While some of them said they regretted their decisions, others did not. However, they all had thoughts and strong emotions about it. Most of them had thoughts and flashbacks that were triggered by everyday things, such as hearing news about abortions, friends who have children, seeing children play, etc. (689). Some of the women thought they would get an abortion and then forget about it, but they never did. The abortions continue to play a significant part in these women’s minds. The inconvenience on a woman of having an unwanted child or adopting it out may be small in comparison to being haunted by her conscience for possibly the rest of her life.