Abortion can cause both short-term and long-term physical complications, and can significantly affect a woman’s ability to have healthy future pregnancies. Though there are no requirements for states report abortion data to any federal agency, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control have received reports of the deaths of 336 women from legal abortion between 1973, when abortion was legalized, and 2003. Physical complications included cervical lacerations and injury, uterine perforations, bleeding, hemorrhage, serious infection, pain, and incomplete abortion. Risks of complications increase with gestational age and are dependent upon the abortion procedure. Long-term physical consequence s of abortion include future preterm birth and placenta previa (improper implantation of the placenta) in future pregnancies. Premature delivery is associated with higher rates of cerebral palsy, as well as respiratory, brain and bowl abnormalities. Pregnancies complicated by placenta previa result in high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and perinatal death. A review of over 100 long-term international studies concluded that induced abortion increases risks for mood disorders enough to provoke attempts at self-harm. Researchers have also indentified a pattern of psychological problems, known collectively as Post-Abortion Syndrome, in which women may experience depression, anxiety, anger, flashbacks, guilt, grief, denial and relationship problems. Post-Abortion Syndome has been identified in research as a subset of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Further studies analyzing the effects of induced abortion in adolescents have show, when compared to adolescents who give birth, those who abort reported more frequent problems sleeping, more frequent marijuana use, and increased need for psychological counseling.
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