Myth: Women who have abortions are selfish and self-centered.
Fact: The decision to have an abortion never simple and easy. Most women are very aware of the demands of parenthood and want to have a family only when the time is right. They are concerned about their ability to provide a stable environment for themselves and their children.
Myth: Abortion is a very dangerous procedure.
Fact: Abortion is one of the safest procedures for women. The risk of death associated with abortion is low and the risk of major complications is less than 1 percent. In fact, according to different clinical studies, giving birth is more dangerous than doing an abortion.
Myth: Abortion providers are in it to make a lot of money.
Fact: Abortion providers generally charge less for their services than physicians in other specialties. In addition, many of them continue their day jobs in spite of having regular threats to their lives and safety by providing abortion option to women.
Myth: If a woman doesn’t want to have a child, she should use contraception or abstain.
Fact: Up to date, there is no contraceptive that has been made to have 100% effectivity. Over half (54 percent) of the women seeking abortions had tried to prevent the pregnancy during the month in which they became pregnant. Of the 46 percent who had not used contraceptives, many believed they were at a low risk for pregnancy or had concerns about contraceptive methods.
Myth: Doing abortion will make you infertile in the future.
Fact: Abortion will not make you infertile or affect fertility in the future. In fact, abortion starts a new menstrual cycle therefore, you can start ovulating in as early as two weeks after the abortion, and menses can resume in 4-8 weeks after the abortion.
Myth: Women who underwent abortion will experience “post-abortion syndrome”.
Fact: There has no scientific evidence to prove this claim. Post-abortion syndrome or depression after abortion has not been observed in women who undergo abortion.
Myth: Abortion causes breast cancer.
Fact: In 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine has published the largest-scale study done regarding this subject, and concluded that there is no independent link between abortion and breast cancer.
Myth: Fetus in the first-trimester can feel pain.
Fact: Pain reception needs a neocortex, which is formed only during the third trimester or late stages of pregnancy.
Myth: Emergency contraception causes abortion.
Fact: Emergency contraception prevents pregnancy by preventing the fertilization of the egg by a sperm and the subsequent implantation in the uterus. Therefore, it does not induce an abortion.
