You’re asking a great question. So often, you hear about the physical risks of abortion, but rarely does anyone talk about the mental health effects. It’s important to know that every woman’s abortion experience is as unique as she is.
Many women feel relief immediately following their abortions. However, within weeks, months, or even years, they also experience feelings of anxiety and guilt beginning to well up.
If you’re considering an abortion, take time to evaluate your current mental health and how you might feel emotionally afterward. The caring team at Care Net Pregnancy Center understands both the physical and emotional consequences of abortion.
Schedule a free and confidential appointment with a team member today before moving forward.
What Does the Research Say?
Studying the emotional responses to abortion is difficult. So many unique factors come into play. What type of procedure did a woman have? How far along was she in her pregnancy? How old was she? Did someone force her to have an abortion? How long ago was the abortion?
As you can see, it’s a complicated topic. But studies do suggest that abortion can affect a woman’s mental health. In fact, this particular study found the following:
- Abortion is consistently associated with elevated rates of mental illness compared to women without a history of abortion.
- The abortion experience directly contributes to mental health problems for at least some women.
- There are risk factors, such as pre-existing mental illness, that identify women at greatest risk of mental health problems after an abortion.
Another study published in 2025 in Canada discovered the following:
- Mental health hospitalizations are higher after abortions than after deliveries.
- Risk is elevated for psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and suicide attempts.
- Patients with preexisting mental illness or age <25 years are more at risk.
What Do Women Say?
It’s important to remember that not every woman experiences emotional trauma or mental health complications, but many do. Random, anonymous women on Reddit make these comments:
At what point do you forget? Do you ever forget?
“Randomly every now and again it hits me that I actually did something like this, and it occurs to me that I have “3 children” not just the 2 who are alive and with me, and then my heart hurts even more…”
Triggered, does it get better?
“But I am still triggered. When a female character gets pregnant and cries, I am also in tears. When she has an abortion, and her partner holds her, I am sobbing as my man holds me. I keep thinking back to it.”
Had an abortion, and I am struggling mentally
“After all of that, a part of me does regret my decision. I mourn my baby. I am so depressed about everything.”
How Can Care Net Help?
Care Net Pregnancy Center does not perform or refer for abortion, but that doesn’t mean we won’t talk about it. We’ll provide factual, medically based information about the potential physical and emotional consequences of an abortion.
If you are considering an abortion, please read our Abortion Safety Checklist first. We also offer a wide variety of abortion information online. However, don’t stop there. Talk to a Care Net advocate about your situation and how you feel emotionally.
If you have had an abortion and are struggling, we offer a confidential, non-judgmental environment in which you can talk one-on-one with someone about your abortion(s). Call 505-880-8373 to discuss your needs confidentially and learn more about how our After-Abortion Care program could help you.
Schedule your free and confidential appointment today. We’re here for you.
Care Net PCA does not perform or refer for abortion.
All abortion information sourced in this blog is based on accurate information at the time of writing.