From Our Blog
Is Adoption or Abortion Right for Me?
If you’re facing an unplanned pregnancy, you may feel like your life is a bit out of control as you navigate how to make the best out of your situation.
You are in the driver’s seat. No one else knows better than you what is best for you and your pregnancy.
However, it’s important to do your research so that you can make the decision with confidence. If you’ve decided that parenting is not in the cards for you right now, then the two remaining options are abortion and adoption. This article will give a high-level overview of how each decision could impact your future health and wellbeing, so keep reading to learn more about each option.
Potential After-Effects of Abortion
Psychological
Abortion may seem like the quickest fix to an unplanned pregnancy. However, recent studies show a darker side to abortion: it poses an increased chance of mental health struggles for women. Some women experience this immediately while other women may not struggle with this until years after the procedure.
Some potential side-effects after an abortion include:
According to a study conducted over the course of 25 years by medical researcher David Fergusson, women who have undergone an abortion are also likely to experience higher rates of anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and suicidal behaviors. Additionally, there was a subset of women who experienced heightened degrees of depression.
If you already struggle with mental health, these are factors to seriously take into consideration.
If you choose to have an abortion and are experiencing some of these symptoms, please contact our counselors for post-abortive care.
Surgical Abortion
While the psychological aspects are important, there are some potential risks to be aware of.
The Mayo Clinic lists the following as potential risks of surgical abortion:
- Perforation of the uterus
- Damage to the cervix
- Infection
- Scar tissue on the uterine wall
Medical Abortion
If you are early enough in your pregnancy for a medical abortion, there are some other potential risks to be aware of as well. The Mayo Clinic lists the following:
- Incomplete abortion, which may need to be followed by surgical abortion
- An ongoing unwanted pregnancy if the procedure doesn’t work
- Heavy and prolonged bleeding
- Infection
- Fever
Expense
A more immediate and practical effect of abortion to also consider is the expense. It can cost up to $500 for medication abortion (this occurs in the first trimester) while a surgical abortion can be $1500 or more.
What Do I Need to Know About Adoption?
Abortion is a medical decision and adoption is more of a legal choice, so the implications will look a little different. If you are not familiar with what the adoption process looks like, the good news is that you, as the mother, have complete control over the adoption plan.
The details will look different in each unique situation, but here are some of the possible options and terms to look over:
- 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 exchange non-identifying information and communication with the adoptive parents.
Depending on what is best for you, you can have as much or as little contact with the adoptive family as you like.
Psychological
Just as there are possible mental health effects of abortion such as loss or grief, the same is possible with adoption, although birth mothers may also demonstrate signs of postpartum depression as well.
In many cases, you will have the support of an adoption counselor to walk you through the process. If you are interested in an open adoption, having a relationship with the child could be a positive influence on your mental health, but that is for you to decide.
Expense
There is no cost to the biological mother for making an adoption plan. Additionally, in the state of Louisiana, some expenses of the birth mother can be covered by the adoptive family as long as they are considered necessary and reasonable.
Schedule an Appointment
This article is not an exhaustive list, but it should give you a solid foundation for you to build on as you continue to think about your decision.
If you feel like talking to someone would be helpful, you can also schedule a no-cost consultation with our staff to help discuss your unique situation and know what available options and resources there are.