Abortion advocates often describe abortion as the “right decision” when a woman faces an unintended pregnancy. But if abortion is the right choice, why do so many women struggle with grief, mental health challenges, and post-abortive regret for years afterward? The research below paints a sobering picture of what many post-abortive women experience.
Post-Abortive Outcomes
Abortion is often framed as an empowering “reproductive right” — a way for women to take control of their bodies and their futures. Yet if abortion is so empowering, why do so many women say they felt pressured into it?
In a 2023 peer-reviewed study by researchers with the Charlotte Lozier Institute and the Elliot Institute, published in the medical journal Cureus, 61% of women with a history of abortion reported high levels of pressure to abort from at least one source — a partner, family members, other people, financial concerns, or their circumstances. The more pressure women felt, the more likely they were to report negative outcomes afterward, including grief and sadness, intrusive thoughts and flashbacks, disruption to their work and relationships, and a decline in their overall mental health that they attributed to the abortion.
Similar themes appear in “Women Who Suffered Emotionally from Abortion: A Qualitative Synthesis of Their Experiences,” a 2017 study by Priscilla K. Coleman, Ph.D., and colleagues published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons (Vol. 22, No. 4). The study surveyed 987 women who had sought post-abortion support from a pregnancy center:
“58.3% of the women reported aborting to make others happy, 73.8% disagreed that their decision to abort was entirely free from even subtle pressure from others to abort, and 28.4% aborted out of fear of losing their partner if they did not abort.”
Britney Spears’ account in her 2023 memoir of the pressure she felt to have an abortion reflects an experience that is sadly common for many women.
Coercion in the Medical Field
Pressure often comes from the people closest to a woman. Partners, family members, and friends may encourage abortion for financial reasons or convenience. But why would doctors and other medical professionals encourage abortion when so few abortions are medically necessary? Let’s look at the numbers.
According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute’s fact sheet on reasons for abortion, which compiles data from the states that report why women choose abortion, the reasons most often cited as exceptions — rape or incest, a risk to the mother’s life or health, and fetal abnormality — together account for fewer than 5% of abortions. The remaining 95.9% are performed for elective or unspecified reasons.
Under the AMA Code of Medical Ethics, every patient has the right to informed consent. Medical professionals are responsible for making sure patients understand all of their options, along with the benefits and risks of each. Informed consent is a cornerstone of patient advocacy.
Knowing what we know about post-abortive outcomes and a patient’s right to informed consent, is it responsible for a medical professional to encourage abortion when it isn’t medically necessary?
What Can We Do to Help?
In abortion, no one wins. Abortion takes the life of an innocent human being, and research shows it can have lasting negative effects on women. So what can we do? We can raise awareness, offer loving alternatives to abortion, and connect women and couples with real resources and support.
Prenatal care is available through the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid for pregnant women, and many state programs. Many employers offer maternity leave, and a growing number also offer parental leave so fathers can share in caring for a new baby. Click here for more financial resources for pregnant women.
Beyond government programs, churches and community organizations offer help as well. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute’s 2025 National Pregnancy Center Report, there are about 2,775 pregnancy centers across the country providing free pregnancy and after-birth support. We are a compassionate nation, and we can give women and babies the support they need.
Learn more about the stages of fetal development (conception, first, second, and third trimester), and don’t forget to follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok).