[Misty0506]

Is it true that after you have an abortion, some women suffer from severe emotional problems? Is there anyone who regrets a past abortion?

[bEaUtIfUlbRuNeTtE]

Yes it is true that some women will completely melt after having an abortion. But not all.

[this8384]

Some do and some don't. Some women have multiple abortions without blinking an eye; others have one and end up collapsing emotionally. I haven't had one personally, but I know a few people who have had them. Some stand next to their decision and say there's nothing wrong, while others say they can't forgive themselves for it. There's not really a standard reaction.

[Alty]

I've never had and abortion, but I did miscarry my last child. I carried allot of guilt thinking that something I did might have caused it, in the end it just wasn't meant to be.

I too know women who've had an abortion and think nothing of it, others are greatly disturbed by it. I don't judge people who go that route, but I know that I would never, ever have an abortion, to me it's life.

[jillianleab]

Many times the reaction of the woman who had the abortion depends on her feelings about abortion; a woman who is against abortion, but has one any way, or was pressured into one, will be more likely to feel guilty. A woman who feels she made the right decision for the right reasons, without pressure, is more likely to accept her decision and be okay emotionally. Support before and after the abortion can also be a contributing factor. Time also has an effect - someone might feel good about their decision at first, and regret it years later, or vice-versa. From what I have read, a majority of women do NOT regret their abortions, but I'm not sure when the women were polled.

So to answer your question, yes, some women do regret their abortions. Some might have extreme emotional distress, others might feel a little blue from time to time. A friend of mine had an abortion almost 10 years ago; from time to time, she gets a little sad (she has two kids now). But, she says she knows she made the right choice.

Are you asking out of curiosity, or because you are considering an abortion, or have had one?

[Misty0506]

Many times the reaction of the woman who had the abortion depends on her feelings about abortion; a woman who is against abortion, but has one any way, or was pressured into one, will be more likely to feel guilty. A woman who feels she made the right decision for the right reasons, without pressure, is more likely to accept her decision and be okay emotionally. Support before and after the abortion can also be a contributing factor. Time also has an effect - someone might feel good about their decision at first, and regret it years later, or vice-versa. From what I have read, a majority of women do NOT regret their abortions, but I'm not sure when the women were polled.

So to answer your question, yes, some women do regret their abortions. Some might have extreme emotional distress, others might feel a little blue from time to time. A friend of mine had an abortion almost 10 years ago; from time to time, she gets a little sad (she has two kids now). But, she says she knows she made the right choice.

Are you asking out of curiosity, or because you are considering an abortion, or have had one?

Well Im 17 & think I may be pregnant & don't know 2 do. But I just wanted 2 get an inside look before I made any decisions I might regret

[jillianleab]

Well, the first thing you need to do is find out for sure if you are pregnant. Pick up a home pregnancy test, or better than that, make an appointment with your doctor to have a blood test done. Have you missed your period yet?

Once you find out for sure, you can consider your options. You have three choices - adoption, abortion, or keeping the child. At 17, none of those options are "easy", and all deserve careful consideration. Confide in your parents and the father of the child, and use them to help you make your decision. You can talk to your doctor, or the people at planned parenthood to get more information about all the options. Whatever you do, make sure it is what YOU want, not what someone else wants. If you do NOT want an abortion, don't have one. If you DO, that is your right.

But maybe you aren't pregnant, and if you aren't, please take this as a "lesson learned" sort of thing. Get on the pill and use condoms if you plan on continuing to have sex. Give careful consideration to not having sex anymore as well; no form of birth control is 100% effective (even when used together) except abstinence. The thing to remember is that sex can ALWAYS lead to pregnancy, and if you really, really don't want to be pregnant... it might be best to not have sex! :)

Good luck to you, you're in a tough spot. Take things one step at a time - find out if you are pregnant, and go from there.

[svatnsdal]

Abortion affects all woman differently. Woman I have met that have gotten an abortion have all mentioned physical and emotional pain after, but only a day or two. They have all said the same thing, how grateful they were to have the abortion!
No matter what you do, please always use protection after!

[KalFour]

Search this site for questions about abortion. You'll see a lot of people who've had severe problems.

Kal

[Alty]

Well, the first thing you need to do is find out for sure if you are pregnant. Pick up a home pregnancy test, or better than that, make an appointment with your doctor to have a blood test done. Have you missed your period yet?

Once you find out for sure, you can consider your options. You have three choices - adoption, abortion, or keeping the child. At 17, none of those options are "easy", and all deserve careful consideration. Confide in your parents and the father of the child, and use them to help you make your decision. You can talk to your doctor, or the people at planned parenthood to get more information about all the options. Whatever you do, make sure it is what YOU want, not what someone else wants. If you do NOT want an abortion, don't have one. If you DO, that is your right.

But maybe you aren't pregnant, and if you aren't, please take this as a "lesson learned" sort of thing. Get on the pill and use condoms if you plan on continuing to have sex. Give careful consideration to not having sex anymore as well; no form of birth control is 100% effective (even when used together) except abstinence. The thing to remember is that sex can ALWAYS lead to pregnancy, and if you really, really don't want to be pregnant... it might be best to not have sex! :)

Good luck to you, you're in a tough spot. Take things one step at a time - find out if you are pregnant, and go from there.

Had to spread the rep. This answer is wonderful, and to the point.

OP - get the pregnancy test and let us know how it goes, then we can help you further.

[Fr_Chuck]

I think all will at some point stop and wonder "what if" then on the other hand we all stop and wonder "what if" with any major choice in life.
I have my own personal views that can be found on this site, but this is not the question here. All people deal with major events in their life differently, I have one niece who was shattered for years, just gave up on life because of it. I have another one that as for as I know has never had a major issue about it ( maybe some private) but nothing that caused any life changing events. We each come to deal with events in our life.
Those that chose adoption are also latter bothered and sometimes wish to find the child, so in all of the choices, there is always issues that can happen.

But yes, I know many personally that have had major problems, causing them divorce, relationships and even suicide attempts. I am not saying this would happen to you, but it does at time happen.

[JoeCanada76]

There is also the possibility of having problems with future pregnancy after an abortion. Harder to carry a baby to full term, more chanches of miscarriage. There is a lot to think about and It is commandable that your seeking out advice from others before doing anything. Good for you.

As everybody has said no matter what decision is made there will be emotional scars that would be there. Take one step at a time and find out first if you really are pregnant like the others have said.

[jillianleab]

JH, you have raised a point about abortion which is hotly debated, and I don't want to debate it here, but want to give the OP the info she needs to make her decision. So please, no offence intended! And to prove I'm being friendly - you're right, no matter what choice is made (adoption, abortion, or parenting) there are emotional scars! :)

Most abortions done in the US now do not pose a risk to future pregnancies. This is because of the method by which they are performed. A majority of abortions are performed very early (under 6 weeks, I believe) and are done non-surgically. Since the procedure is non-invasive, the risk of doing damage to the reproductive organs is very low. When abortions are done later in the pregnancy, the risk goes up, getting higher and higher the later you wait (such as 3rd trimester, which is RARELY done in the US). I'm not saying this is not something to consider when making your decision, but you should know the chances of it happening are quite low, especially if the procedure is done in the first trimester non-surgically.

Here's a site I found that might be helpful to you: Choice to Live With - Pregnancy, Parenting, Abortion, & Adoption Information. I only looked at it briefly, but it appears to be unbiased and factual.

[this8384]

Well Im 17 & think I may b pregnant & dont know 2 do. But I just wanted 2 get an inside look b4 I made any decisions I might regret

I have to commend you for looking for advice, rather than panicking and making a rash decision that you may regret later. I know how scary it can be; I unexpectedly became pregnant. Personally, abortion never once crossed my mind; however, I understand that you're young and probably scared to death right now.
These days, money doesn't come the easiest these days and stress comes plenty *lol* But I can tell you that from my personal experience, my daughter was the best mistake I ever made and I haven't regretted her once. Sure, it would be nice to drop everything and go out on a Friday night without having to worry about getting a hold of my babysitter and praying she's not busy that night.
There are pros and cons to having a baby, just like everything else in life. I just want to make sure you're making the right decision for everyone involved.

[AD2012]

I had an abortion at 20 yrs old. I'm 26 and feel like it's the worst decision I ever made in my life. I want to have a baby so bad, after the initial pregnancy all my hormones changed... I feel like everything would've been fine if I just had the baby then... in terms of my body (not my relationship)... but now the thought of having a baby scares me even though I really want one... the older I get the harder it will become. The abortion itself was so hard for me I will still randomly burst into tears 6 years later just thinking about it. I'm not trying to scare you out of doing it... everybody is different. It was just one of the hardest things I ever had to do... and probably my ONLY regret in life.