Post-Abortion 

 

There are many reasons for making the decision to have an abortion and it is not always an easy or straight forward decision to make. The experience can be a very isolating one as many do not speak openly about their experience, or if they do, it may be to a select few people. 

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Personal stories or comfort derived in shared experience can be few and far between, despite the vast amount of people undergoing this procedure. As a result, fear of stigma and fear of how others may react may be overshadowing how you feel about your experience and may be a barrier to you receiving the support that you deserve. 

 

While some may feel confident in themselves and their decision, for others it can be hard to feel validated for a deeply personal choice you have made and for people to understand the complexity of your decision. You may be in a situation where you feel you cannot tell anyone about your decision because of how they might respond. You may be in shock and distress, never having expected to find yourself in such a situation. 

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It may also be that you had to have an abortion unexpectedly and were unable to see through the pregnancy of the baby you had hoped for, such as your medical or mental health circumstances or being told that your baby could not survive. 

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Challenges surrounding abortion can include:

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• Feelings of grief and loss

• Feeling torn about your decision

• Difficulty seeing children, prams and pregnant mothers

• Physical changes in your body after the procedure and hormonal fluctuations

• Circumstances or events leading up to your abortion

• The quality of care you received 

• Fears of becoming pregnant again

• Relationship and communication or lack of relationship and communication with the father of the child

• Feelings of shame

• Personal fears of stigma

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Abortion does not have to go by unspoken. Counselling can provide you with a confidential, safe and non-judgemental space to explore your experience and how you are feeling.