Physical Health Effects

Physical complications of abortion vary, depending on the age of the pregnancy and the type of abortion. In general, the risk of complications increases with gestational age past eight weeks(1). Some complications appear in the first hours following the abortion, while others may take days, weeks and even years to show up.

Reporting on abortion complications are inconsistent and incomplete. Today hospitals admitting patients with abortion related injuries will record the injury under "Internal Medicine" as opposed to reporting it as an abortion related incident. As a result, Statistics Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information significantly underreport abortion related complications. Late term effects on a woman's physical and psychological health are even further neglected.(2)

Quick Facts

At eight weeks after conception, every organ of the unborn baby is present, the liver is making blood, the kidneys are functioning and the heart has already been beating for five weeks.

An abortion before a first full-term pregnancy raises a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer by at least 50%.1

Studies have shown that women who choose abortion have rates of suicide that are six times higher than women who have given birth.2

The need for psychiatric help is five times greater.3

The rate of hospitalization for infection is four times greater.4

It is estimated that 13,000 Canadian women need surgical intervention every year following their abortions.5

Abortion, especially for younger women, can be quite painful. 6

Immediate complications may include excessive bleeding, puncturing or tearing of the uterus, infection, cervical laceration, and death.7

Longer term effects may include breast cancer, future miscarriages, premature birth, tubal pregnancies (which are increased eight to 20 fold by abortion) and infertility.8



1.   Daling et al. Journal of the National Cancer Inst 1994 Nov 2;86(21):1584-92; (www.abortionbreastcancer.com/abc.html)

2.   M. Gissler et. al., "Injury deaths, suicides and homicides associated with pregnancy, Finland 1987-2000," European J. Public Health 15(5):459-63 (2005).

3.   Women’s Health After Abortion: The Medical and Psychological Evidence, by Elizabeth Ring-Cassidy and Ian Gentles, deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research, 2002; p. 3.

4.   ibid

5.   The American Journal of Medical Quality, 2001

6.   Women’s Health After Abortion: The Medical and Psychological Evidence, by Elizabeth Ring-Cassidy and Ian Gentles, deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research, 2002.

7.   Ibid

8.   Ibid