The psychological repercussions for those who have undergone an abortion bears highlighting (Steady decline in abortion numbers; Nov 15).
Doctors have termed the after-effects of abortion as post-abortion stress syndrome, some even link it with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Those who have experienced an abortion usually feel anxious over fertility issues and begin to doubt if they will be able to get pregnant again. In some cases, the PTSD that results from an abortion could lead to suicidal thoughts.
In 1973, the United States Supreme Court struck down every federal and local law regulating the practice of abortion. This was based on the premise that there was no longer a need to regulate abortion as the advances of modern medicine had made it "relatively safe".
The conclusion was that it was unconstitutional to prevent physicians from providing abortions as a health service to women.
In Singapore, there were 7,217 abortions last year, and every abortion is one too many.
The complications of abortion include excessive bleeding, embolism, perforation of the uterus, cervical injury and endotoxic shock. Another possible outcome is sterility.
Research has shown that following an abortion, there is a brief period when a woman feels relief that she "got it over with". This is then followed by a period of what psychiatrists identify as paralysis or numbness - the inability to express their emotions. They are out of touch with their feelings. Studies have also shown that about a third of aborters report experiencing sexual dysfunctions after their surgery. Other women reported entering into an emotional crisis decades later.
The downside of abortions should not be underestimated or glossed over. Just as every medicine has a side effect, every abortion, even under the hands of a competent doctor, is not without its inherent risks.
Heng Cho Choon