7 Myths about Abortion that Need to Be Busted Promptly

7 Myths About Abortion That Need To Be
Busted Promptly

Let alone having an
abortion, even saying the word abortion is often associated with a lot of
stigma. We are busting 7 abortion myths with factual truths that you can
use the next time you hear someone spread a myth.

1

MYTH Making abortion
illegal will end abortion

TRUTH Criminalizing
abortion doesn’t stop abortions – it only makes them unsafe

Studies have found a link between higher abortion rates and
regions with more restrictive legislation, such as in Latin America and
Africa. 95 to 97 percent of abortions in those regions were unsafe. 

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(11)61786-8/abstract

2

MYTH Abortion is dangerous

TRUTH Research shows that women are actually 14 times more likely
to die during or after childbirth than as a result of complications from
safe abortion

The rate of complications, including deaths, caused by safe
abortion is extremely low—so low that abortion is a suitable option for
telemedicine, in which patients consult with a physician who works
remotely.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22270271

3

MYTH Abortions won’t happen if women knew what it was like to
have a child

TRUTH Majority of women who had abortions were already mothers

A study from the US showed that most women having abortions
(61%) already had at least one child. 34% of them had two or more children.

https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/US-Abortion-Patients.pdf

4

MYTH Only women need access to safe abortion

TRUTH Individuals of diverse gender identity also need access to
abortion services

People who may need access to safe abortion services are not
only cis-women. Trans-men, genderqueer and gender-nonconforming persons, as
well as others of diverse gender identity who do not identify as women, can
and do get pregnant.

https://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/03/18/cisgender-women-arent-people-seek-abortions-activists-language-reflect/

5

MYTH Abortion damages people psychologically or a psychological
traumatic experience

TRUTH There’s no such thing as Post-Abortion Trauma Syndrome

Abortion often occurs in the context of stressful, even
traumatic, circumstances: sexual coercion, domestic violence, economic and
educational disadvantage, overwhelming responsibilities. These situations
are highly correlated with depression and with anxiety disorders. The
scientific evidence from studies of large populations of women indicates
that having an abortion neither alleviates nor causes psychiatric
disorders. 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/nada-logan-stotland-md-mph/abortion-trauma-syndrome-_b_776342.html

6

MYTH Abortion causes breast cancer

TRUTH There is no link between abortion and breast cancer

In 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine published the
largest-scale study ever on this subject–with 1.5 million participants-
which concluded that there is no independent link between abortion and
breast cancer. 

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJM199701093360201

7

MYTH If abortion is legal in a country, then it is accessible to
those who need it

TRUTH Abortion being lawful doesn’t always mean women can access
the services or access the services without social stigma

“Establishing a liberal abortion law does not in itself
ensure that women are able to obtain safe procedures. Health providers,
legal bodies and the general public need to be made aware of the
circumstances under which abortion is allowed and providers need to be
trained and facilities equipped.”

https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/IB_AWW-Asia.pdf

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