Late-Term Elective Abortion and Susceptibility to Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms

Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to compare the experience of an early abortion (1st trimester) to a late abortion (2nd and 3rd trimester) relative to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms after controlling for socio-demographic and personal history variables. Online surveys were completed by 374 women who experienced either a 1st trimester abortion (up to 12 weeks gestation) or a 2nd or 3rd trimester abortion (13 weeks gestation or beyond). Most respondents (81%) were U.S. citizens. Later abortions were associated with higher Intrusion subscale scores and with a greater likelihood of reporting disturbing dreams, reliving of the abortion, and trouble falling asleep. Reporting the pregnancy was desired by one's partner, experiencing pressure to abort, having left the partner prior to the abortion, not disclosing the abortion to the partner, and physical health concerns were more common among women who received later abortions. Social reasons for the abortion were linked with significantly higher PTSD total and subscale scores for the full sample. Women who postpone their abortions may need more active professional intervention before securing an abortion based on the increased risks identified herein. More research with diverse samples employing additional measures of mental illness is needed.

Does abortion increase women's risk for post-traumatic stress? Findings from a prospective longitudinal cohort study

“…Earlier studies have suggested that having an abortion at later gestational ages is more traumatic than having an abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy. 32 37 Our findings did not support this notion. The lack of statistically significant baseline differences between the Near-limit and First-trimester abortion groups, the less steep decline in symptoms experienced by women in the First-trimester group than women in the Near-limit group, and the greater proportion of First-trimester than Near-limit women with symptoms and at risk of PTSD at year 4, suggests that having an abortion later in pregnancy does not place women at greater risk of adverse mental health outcomes than having an abortion earlier in pregnancy.…”

Women’s Mental Health and Well-being 5 Years After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion

“…Earlier studies have suggested that having an abortion later in the pregnancy can result in more adverse mental health outcomes for women than having a first-trimester abortion 27 or that the evidence is too scarce to draw conclusions. 2 In our study, for all but 1 outcome, women in the near-limit and first-trimester groups exhibited similar levels and trajectories of mental health and well-being.…”

Women and men’s psychological adjustment after abortion: a six months prospective pilot study

“…We hypothesize that these inconsistent findings can be explained in part by the findings of Coleman, Coyle, and Rue (2010), who determined that trauma symptoms' incidence is greater when abortion occurs during the 2nd or 3rd pregnancy trimester. Based on these findings, our results may be explained by the fact that our participants had abortions mainly during the 1st pregnancy trimester, more specifically around the 9th week of pregnancy.…”