If you are facing an unexpected pregnancy, you may have narrowed down your options to abortion and adoption. Read the rest of the article to learn the implications and possible side effects of each.
Potential Side-Effects of Abortion
It’s important to remember that you are in the driver’s seat. No one else can make a pregnancy decision for you, so it’s important to understand all sides of abortion as much as possible.
Psychological Impact of Abortion
Mental health is a vague term that can cover a lot of different symptoms; however, its scope can range from depression to anxiety and substance abuse or even symptoms of PTSD.
Other symptoms can include:
- Suicidal behavior
- Decreased self-esteem
- Feelings of grief or loss
Women have a range of different experiences after an abortion procedure, so there is not a one-size-fits-all predictor of how you could be affected, but it’s important to understand just how much abortion can impact a woman’s mental health.
Physical Risks of Abortion
According to the Mayo Clinic, possible risks of getting a surgical abortion include:
- Perforation of the uterus
- Damage to the cervix
- Infection
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion (if getting a medical abortion)
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
Abortion Expense
Finances may play an important role in your decision, and if your insurance doesn’t cover abortion, it’s important to have the hard figures upfront. It can cost up to $500 for a medication abortion (in the first trimester), while a surgical abortion can cost $1500 or more.
If you are traveling from out of state, this does not include the transportation or lodging costs of the procedure.
What Do I Need to Know About Adoption?
Both adoption and abortion can be presented as a silver bullet to “fix” the dilemma of an unexpected pregnancy, but the reality is that your decision is complicated, whether it’s a medical procedure that you choose or a legal choice.
The details will look different for each type of adoption plan, but here are some of the possible options and terms to be familiar with as you learn:
- Open Adoption– Open adoption is where you and the adoptive family have in-person visits and possibly build a long-term relationship with them.
- Closed Adoption- This means that any details about you, the biological parent, cannot be disclosed.
- Semi-Open- You can use the adoption agency to share non-identifying information and communicate with the adoptive family.
Depending on what is best for your situation, you would have complete control of your adoption scenario’s details.
Psychological Considerations
Just as many women experience negative mental health after an abortion, some hard emotions can also come up after adoption.
Some women experience loss or grief, while others experience postpartum depression.
In most situations, you will have the support of an adoption counselor as you navigate the process, which can alleviate some feelings of loneliness. If you are interested in an open adoption, having a relationship with the child could potentially have a positive impact, but that is for each woman to decide for herself.
Adoption Expense
There is no cost to the biological mother for making an adoption plan. In fact, as a prospective birth mother, adoption is 100% free for you. Because of adoption financial assistance, all pregnancy-related costs are covered.
Schedule an Appointment
This does not cover all the ins and outs of each choice, but it should give you a working foundation as you dive deeper into your pregnancy choices.
We also offer no-cost consultations where you can schedule a complimentary ultrasound or ask more questions about your pregnancy options. We are here to support you and make sure you don’t feel alone.
Contact us today!