- Stigma and criminalization of abortion are factors that can have an emotional impact on those who decide to terminate their pregnancies.
- When abortion is performed under safe, legal conditions, with complete information and based on scientific evidence, and with the techniques recommended by the WHO, there are no negative consequences on integral health, including mental health.
According to data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), depression ranks first in mental illness in the region, and is twice as frequent in women as in men. As part of World Mental Health Day, this October 10, we address the importance of the link between the context in which voluntary abortions occur and the mental health of those who have abortions.
According to the Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean (Ipas LAC) publication, “Abortion and Mental Health,” there is no evidence of a causal relationship between induced abortion and any mental health effects. On the contrary, stigma and social prejudice for having an abortion have been found to be triggers for the emotional distress that some women who terminate their pregnancies may feel.
Voluntary abortion becomes a traumatic experience when there are no social and emotional support networks, according to the study “Emotional experiences of voluntary termination of pregnancy”. In regions where conditions are unsafe, where there is criminalization, stigma and strong gender stereotypes (as is the mandate of motherhood), abortion experiences become negative and can profoundly affect the mental health of women and others with gestational capacity.
Below, we share some recurring scenarios that may affect the mental health of those who decide to terminate their pregnancies, as well as solutions that imply a change in values and beliefs, but also in policies and social norms that protect their reproductive health and rights.
3 misconceptions we must change in favor of the mental health of those who have abortions
Barriers in access to abortion: the criminalization of abortion instills fear, a sense of loneliness and prevents pregnant women from seeking health services, exposing them to unsafe abortions. Access to abortion is not only limited to legislation and health services, but also to the social component that limits this right through myths, stigmas and gender stereotypes.
- The decision to terminate a pregnancy is the decision of the pregnant woman alone. Health personnel and society must respect her choice without generating blame, mistreatment or violence.
2. Negative beliefs: when personal beliefs about abortion are negative, people experience internalized stigma, guilt, shame and fear of rejection in their social contexts, especially family.
- Feeling in control of their bodies and perceiving support from their environment facilitates the emotional process.
3. Lack of information and mistreatment by health personnel: stress, anger, worry and fear of social judgment are generated by lack of information, poor care, violation of privacy or impersonal treatment (obstetric violence). This can lead to loneliness, sadness and even depression.
- Transparency, comprehensive accompaniment and empathetic attitudes of health personnel reduce stigma and improve the experience.
Breaking down these barriers has a positive impact on people’s experience of an empathetic abortion process, without stigma, with the necessary care and without criminalization.
In contexts where women and other people with gestational capacity have mental health consequences due to criminalization, stigmatizing discourse, lack of access to quality services or lack of trust, States must guarantee comprehensive care, access to mental health and measures to protect reproductive rights. Women’s networks have been doing this work for years. Ipas LAC has an interactive map where they can be identified by country: abortoenmipais.ipaslac.org.