The word abortion can easily have an array of negative connotations. While abortions aren’t positive experiences to go through, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t valid and positive reasons to have them based on your own lifestyle and choices. Yet, the idea of an abortion can be a worrying one for those concerned about what others might think, the reputation of people who have abortions, or common myths and misconceptions that leave people in doubt.
Here are 4 myths about abortion you may have heard and a guide to tackling these myths so that you can better understand termination.
- People Who Want an Abortion are Irresponsible and Failed to Use Contraception
It can be a common assumption that those who fall pregnant but do not want a child — and then turn to an abortion as a solution — have been neglectful about contraception. The fact is that contraception is not 100% foolproof, so you may fall pregnant even despite using contraception. If this is the case, and you have used contraception because you do not want a child, abortion is a logical step. It doesn’t mean that you have been reckless, despite what others might think.
- Having an Abortion Can Harm You Mentally
With the misunderstandings and negative presumptions surrounding abortion, it’s also easy to view the whole experience as something damaging with long-term effects. This could be because of the whole idea of terminating a potential life and what it might do to a parent long-term.
However, dealing with an abortion mentally is down to the individual person, and there is no set rule about long-term effects. If you are 100% sure that abortion is the right choice for you, if you are happy to terminate a pregnancy, and if you will revel in the freedom it brings because you had different life plans, then it’s possible to naturally follow that you’ll have no negative mental consequences from making a decision which is right for you.
- Abortion Services are Readily Available
The unfortunate fact is that abortion is not a viable option for everyone, and this is due to abortion laws in some countries. If abortion is a legal option for you, it can also take planning, research, and referrals to find a termination option for you. Abortion clinics like gcaus.com.au do operate and are available for those who need services or advice, but these types of services are not easily available in every country.
- Abortion is Murder
This can be a statement that is one of the most common when it comes to termination discussions, but abortion in the early stages of pregnancy does not mean that you are killing an unborn child. Abortion in the early stages of pregnancy will terminate an embryo. Scientifically, this embryo has not yet developed into anything more, and a fetus at this stage is not a child with cognitive thought. Therefore early termination is aborting an embryo, which is not the same as murdering a thinking, feeling child.
How you feel about embryo termination, however, is completely down to your own morals. There’s nothing wrong with personally disagreeing with having an abortion if you would feel uncomfortable on a moral level with ending something which has the potential to later become a human life.
It’s always important to speak to professional healthcare services about your abortion options and debunk any myths around termination.