12 Myths About Abortion Debunked

Disinformation is one of the most widely used weapons wielded by people who want to prevent access to safe abortion. They use misleading statements and distorted facts to create narratives meant to scare women never to seek safe abortions when they need one. Abortion is a medical procedure where a foetus is removed to prevent pregnancy. If you have an unplanned pregnancy, it’s important to understand the facts about safe abortion before deciding if it’s the best plan for you. The following are the common myths that are misleading you about abortion.

1. Myth: Abortion leads to infertility

Safe abortion doesn’t cause infertility. When the foetus is removed, the body resets and you can ovulate again. This can happen before your next period. If you still want to prevent a pregnancy, make sure to use contraception the next time you have sex.

2. Myth: Abortion causes breast cancer

There is no link between safe abortion and breast cancer. Breast cancer can develop due to fluctuations in sex hormones. Some people think abortion can affect hormone levels. However, research collated by the American Cancer Society found that there is no link between breast cancer and abortion.

3. Myth: Abortion means people won’t bother with contraceptives

When women need a safe abortion, it’s because of the circumstances they find themselves in. Contraceptives are easier to access than abortions. Nobody can assume what people will do when safe abortion access is available. But it’s a fact that abortion access will save women’s lives.

4. Myth: Women who need abortions are promiscuous

Sometimes people need an abortion because the contraception they used didn’t work. Other times it can be because of sexual assault, incest, it’s dangerous to carry the pregnancy to full term or the foetus isn’t viable.

People also need access to safe abortions because of:

poverty,
lack of comprehensive sexual education,
depression and anxiety around carrying a pregnancy,
wanting to remain child-free,
health complications like pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure from pregnancy), ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus), kidney disease, foetal abnormalities, cancer

When people demand that women carry a pregnancy to term as “payment” for their bad behaviour, they don’t take into account what is best for the woman. If a woman isn’t ready to be a mother, she should be allowed to choose a safe abortion if that’s what’s best for her.

5. Myth: Abortions happen all through the pregnancy

Most abortions happen within 21 weeks of the pregnancy. At this stage, the embryo is a clump of cells. Some countries allow access up to 21-28 weeks when it’s still safe for the patient.

6. Myth: Abortion destroys families

Many women need to have abortions for their family’s well-being. They can already be parents or not ready to be parents. In addition, parents who decide to get abortions already know what it takes to be a great parent. When they have access to safe abortions, they can make better and healthier decisions for their family.

7. Myth: Abortions are unnecessary when there are contraceptives

Contraceptives are used to prevent pregnancy while abortion is used to terminate one. While they may have some overlap, they aren’t the same thing. In addition, contraceptives can fail. In events of rape or incest, assaulters don’t use contraceptives. Even if contraceptives are available, having access to safe abortion is still necessary.

8. Myth: Instead of abortion people should consider adoption

Not all abortions are because women don’t want a pregnancy. Safe abortion is a necessary part of healthcare when the health of the mother is at risk. This also includes mental health. A woman shouldn’t have to be distressed by a pregnancy and have also to endure the stress of adoption. Not all women have such resources available. What society needs to ensure is access to safe abortion and simpler adoption practices for women to make the best choice for themselves.

9. Myth: Telling people about abortions increases promiscuity

Knowledge is power, not a weapon. Having comprehensive sexual and reproductive education lets people make smarter choices. Knowing about access to safe abortion doesn’t mean women will put themselves in situations that increase the risk of unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. This just means it is a healthcare option available to any woman who needs one.

10. Myth: Abortions cause post-abortion syndrome

Every patient has a different reaction to abortions. Sometimes a woman needs a safe abortion for health reasons because the foetus isn’t viable, that is, it can’t be carried to full term. Other times, a woman may need access to a safe abortion because of her health. When it’s discovered that a patient has conditions like cancer or hypertension, a doctor may recommend an abortion for her health. In such a case, a woman may feel sad because they wanted the pregnancy but couldn’t complete it.

Women can also experience a range of emotions after a safe abortion including relief, tearfulness, or worry about getting pregnant again. These feelings don’t have a lasting impact on mental health. Post-abortion syndrome isn’t recognised in the International Classification of Diseases. Studies show that safe abortion doesn’t cause lingering mental health issues. But this doesn’t negate that women may need support when getting the procedure, just like with other medical procedures.

11. Myth: Abortion is dangerous

Safe abortion carries less risk than childbirth. Anti-choice activists often claim that safe abortion damages the uterus, and cervix and abortion medications affect your health. This is untrue. Safe abortion doesn’t harm the uterus or cervix and abortion medications don’t leave permanent damage. The only dangerous practice is unsafe abortion. When a woman decides she doesn’t want to carry a pregnancy to term, it’s important that she have access to safe abortion to save her life.

12. Myth: Criminalising abortion stops abortion

Criminalising abortion increases the risk of mortality. When qualified doctors can’t provide safe abortions as needed, women are forced to seek unsafe abortions.

In Kenya, Article 26(4) of the constitution states, “Abortion is not permitted unless, in the opinion of a trained health professional, there is need for emergency treatment, or the life or health of the mother is in danger, or if permitted by any other written law.” This means that abortion is allowed under certain circumstances. However, Article 228 states, “Any person who unlawfully supplies to or procures for any person any thing whatever, knowing that it is intended to be unlawfully used to procure the miscarriage of a woman whether she is or is not with child, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.”

This prevents medical practitioners from providing safe abortions even when it can save a woman’s life. As a result, women go to backwater clinics to procure an abortion. In Kenya, this leads to the death of seven women each day from unsafe abortions.

17% of women die each year because they can’t get access to safe abortions. And there is no guarantee that their lives would be better if they’d carried the pregnancy to full term. Unsafe abortions are provided by unregulated practitioners. They can also be quack surgeons, people who offer homeopathies—such as herbs that can cause damage or do nothing, people who prescribe dangerous levels of medications, or untrained doctors. Women can also resort to unsafe abortions by drinking bleach, inserting sharp objects into the cervix, or injuring the abdomen. This can lead to lasting effects on the body like injury to internal organs, internal bleeding, infection, or sepsis.

Safe abortions are the best way to ensure these women remain safe, healthy, and alive until they’re ready to carry a pregnancy to full term. Regardless of their reasons, it’s important to ensure that women can get access to safe abortions at all times. The government must also safeguard access to safe abortion to ensure that we save women’s lives.