Teen Abortion Risks

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About this issue

unwanted

widespread coercion

unsafe
teens & moms at risk

unfair
injustice to all involved

hope & healing

you are not alone

On this page

Fact sheets & articles
Teen ad campaign

Learn more

More fact sheets & flyers
Coercion & forced abortion in America

Teens at Risk

Suicide
Teenage girls are 6 times more likely to attempt suicide if they have had an abortion in the last 6 months than are teens who have not had an abortion.¹⁰

Teens at Risk of Reproductive Damage and Other Complications — Compared to teens who give birth, teens who abort are generally at higher risk of immediate complications and long-term reproductive damage after abortion than are older women.¹¹

Teens at Risk of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and Life-Threatening Endometritis

2.5 times higher risk of endometritis (a major cause of maternal death in future pregnancies) Teens are at higher risk for dangerous infections such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and endometritis after abortion. These infections increase their risk of infertility, hysterectomy, ectopic pregnancy, and other serious complications.¹²

Unwanted, coerced or forced abortion, assault or abuse cover-up and other risks to teens:

See: Teens Page

Teenagers and abortion

Teens at risk for coercion and abortion trauma

“As a parent, I live in horror knowing that there are young girls going through this pain without their parents’ knowledge. Parents are faced with a shell of a person and have no idea where they lost their child.” —Terri, who had a secret abortion as a teen

“Every Tuesday, a scheduled bus picked up students and took them to the Planned Parenthood clinic. School counselors arranged the visits. …

Still today, I feel like I did not decide to have the abortion … I was only 14 … The nurse said this was not the time to be asking questions, that I should have asked them sooner.” —Gaylene

“Our mom made my sister have an abortion. At age 14 my sister became a completely different person. She got into very hard drugs and would use them every day. She attempted suicide at least three times that I know of and has horrible huge scars on her arms from one of the attempts.” —Anonymous

The UnChoice Ad Campaign - Teen Series

or: www.unchoice.info/RadioAds/page2_1.mp3

Click here for full text of "Stuffed Rabbit" radio ad.

more information on using these ads

Some facts about teen abortion risks

Teens are 6 times more likely to attempt suicide if they have had an abortion in the last six months than are teens who have not had an abortion.
Teens who abort are up to 4 times more likely to commit suicide than adults who abort, and a history of abortion is likely to be associated with adolescent suicidal thinking.
Teens who abort are more likely to develop psychological problems, and are nearly three times more likely to be admitted to mental health hospitals than teens in general.
Teens who abort are twice as likely as their peers to abuse alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine.
Teens are more likely to abort because of pressure from their parents or partner, more likely to report being misinformed in pre-abortion counseling, and more likely to have greater difficulty coping after abortion.