Possible Physical Complications of Abortion

Statistically, most abortions do not cause physical injury. But, statistically, the chances of you getting pregnant might not have been great either.

[The following discussion of physical complications is summarized from David C. Reardon, Abortion Malpractice, Life Dynamics Inc., 1993, P.O. Box 185, Lewisville, TX 75067, (214)436-3885, pp. 2-5]

About ten percent of women suffer immediate complications, one-fifth of which are considered life threatening: infections, excessive bleeding, embolism, ripping or perforation of the uterus, anesthesia complications, convulsions, hemorrhage, cervical injury, and endotoxic shock.

"Minor" immediate complications include: infection, bleeding, fever, second degree burns, chronic abdominal pain, vomiting, gastrointestinal disturbances, and RH sensitization.)

Some long-term physical complications can include the following:

• Risk of breast cancer almost doubles after one abortion and is even greater with two or more abortions, or if the abortion is done on the first pregnancy; and cancer risks for cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer also increase; these are apparently linked to the unnatural disruption in the hormone changes of pregnancy when a woman has an abortion. www.abortionbreastcancer.com or hometown.aol.com/dfjoseph/brind.html
• Abnormal development of the placenta can occur in later pregnancies, which can lead to the malformation or death of the baby.
• Cervical and uterine damage from abortion can cause problems in later pregnancies such as premature delivery and labor complications, leading causes of handicaps among newborns.
• Risk of ectopic pregnancies increase; ectopic pregnancies can be life-threatening and reduce fertility (or ability to become pregnant).
• Endometriosis, the condition of endometrial tissue outside of the uterus, is painful and also reduces fertility. (The endometrium is the membrane that lines the uterus.)

Teenagers are at a much higher risk of suffering many abortion-related complications, both immediate complications and long-term ones such as damage to fertility (or ability to get pregnant and have healthy babies in the future). And, women who have more than one abortion face a much higher risk of both immediate and long-term complications.

Click here to see a list of secondary consequences related to abortion.