ABORTION MYTHS DEMYSTIFIED

Marie Stopes South Africa’s marketing and brand manager Whitney Chinogwenya helps us bust some popular abortion myths.

Having an abortion will hinder your chances of falling pregnant again.

When the procedure is done by a safe and trained medical professional, the termination does not cause infertility. In fact, you are very fertile right after an abortion (similar to when you’ve just had a baby). This is why Marie Stopes promotes post-abortion family planning to ensure that you don’t fall pregnant again.

An abortion can be used as a contraceptive.

Terminating a pregnancy is not easy on your body. This is not a process that you choose to go through on a regular basis. So, the narrative is not accurate.

Abortions are more dangerous than giving birth.

Studies have shown that a legal abortion is even safer than carrying the pregnancy full term. Over the last few years, there’s been a rise in medical abortion. You take a pill early in pregnancy instead of a surgical abortion. This has changed the landscape of abortion, and mortality rates associated with it.

An abortion can cause depression.

There is no direct link between the two. Deciding to terminate is not always an easy decision because of the circumstances leading to that decision, and stigma associated with the procedure. This means it is common to have mixed feelings. Regardless of the reason, the emotional response to a termination can range from relief, calm and happiness to sadness, grief, loss and regret, depending on your situation.