Impact of Abortion on Physical and Mental Health of Women in

Urban Bengaluru.

Ms. Kalavathi.P and Ms. Sophia Sharon

Department of Sociology, Mount Carmel College

ABSTRACT

The effects of abortion or termination of pregnancy on the health of women are varied
and are of different levels in terms of severity. To determine the specific causes and
effects of post abortion have been very challenging.

The taboo on abortion in India makes it more difficult for women to deal with its
consequences.

The objective of the present study is to examine the mental and physical health
outcomes of abortion that women in urban Bengaluru go through.

Through this study Doctors and women’s perspectives on abortion and the
consequences.

Keywords: abortion, taboo ,mental health.

INTRODUCTION
Abortion is the intentional ending of pregnancy.  An early unintentional end of a
pregnancy when the baby is born too early and dies because it has not developed
enough is miscarriage. The word abortion is often used to mean only induced
abortions.
The World Health Organization recommends safe and legal abortions for women.
Abortion rates have declined during 2003 – 2008 due to access to contraceptives
and family planning measures. As of 2008, 40% of the world's women had access
to legal abortions.
There is no relationship between induced abortions and mental health issues
unless it is related to unwanted pregnancy. According to American Psychological
Association a woman's first abortion is not a threat to mental health when
carried out in the first trimester, such women are no more likely to have mental-
health problems than those carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term; the
mental-health outcome of a woman's second or more abortion is less certain.
Some studies show negative mental health outcome in women who abort after
first trimester due to fetal abnormalities.

TYPES OF ABORTION
There are mainly two types of methods for aborting the foetus:
A) Medical method
B) Surgical method

The selection of a method depends upon a number of factors:

 Availability of services
 Length of pregnancy
 Socio-economic status
 Risk involved
 Convenience

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Caitlin Shannon ,L.Perry Brothers, Neena.M.Philip and Beverly Winikoff in the
research paper“ Infection after Medical Abortion” have revealed that medical
methods for aborting the foetus have a safe and effective result with respect to
infections occurring post abortion.

Corinne.H.Rocca, Katrina Kimport, Sarah.C.M.Roberts, Heather Gould, John

Neuhaus, Diana.G.Foster in the research paper“Decision Rightness and Emotional
Responses to Abortion in the United States: A Longitudinal Study” have
examined whether any type of emotional issues have been by faced by women
post abortion and whether their decision to abort the foetus was right.. These
women revealed their positive and negative feelings about their abortion for the
three years following their termination. Through this research it was found out
that the emotional intensity was lowered within the three years among the
women and they felt that aborting the foetus was the right decision made by
them. These women also revealed that having a social support made a lot
difference in a positive way.

2
Abdhalah Kasiira Ziraba, Chimaraoke Izugbara, , Brooke A Levandowski,
Hailemichael Gebreselassie, Michael Mutua, Shukri F Mohamed,
Caroline Egesa and Elizabeth W Kimani-Murage in the research paper“Unsafe
abortion in Kenya: a cross-sectional study of abortion complication severity and
associated factors”have revealed that complications faced by women in kenya
are very common and severe.
A study was conducted by the department of Forensic Medicine in collaboration
with the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Rohilkhand Medical
College and Hospital, Major finding of the study is that a considerable portion of
women prefer to consult qualified Gynecologists for abortion and these women
are a part of the educated culture. While there is another sector of women which
belongs to the uneducated sector and hence consult unqualified personnel who
suggest techniques which can be a threat to the woman’s life.

David M. Fergusson, L. John Horwood, Elizabeth M. Ridder, in the research paper

“Abortion in young women and subsequent mental health” tried to understand
the linkages between having an abortion and emotional wellness results over the
interim from age 15–25 years. Information was assembled by a 25-year longitudinal
study of a birth cohort of New Zealand children. The analysis of the outcomes
demonstrated that those having an abortion had raised rates of resulting emotional
well-being issues including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviours and substance
use disorders.

OBJECTIVE
Through this study we have aimed to examine the mental and physical health
outcomes of abortion that women go through in urban Bengaluru.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Strategy:
The research strategy was mainly qualitative in approach

Method and Sampling:

The survey method was employed for collection of data.
Two separate questionnaires were prepared for:
a) Women who have gone through the procedure of abortion
b) Doctors conducting abortion

The questionnaires were administered through face to face interviews.

The first type of questionnaire (for the women) was administered on a total of 15
women who have undergone abortion.

3
The second type of questionnaire (for the doctors) was administered on a total of
30 doctors who have been conducting abortion.
WOMEN DOCTORS TOTAL
15 30 45

Results and Discussion

Age:

The total sample size of the participants who have undergone abortion is 15
women. The average age of the participants is 27.5 years, the youngest being 18
and the oldest being 35. This shows that the participants fall into the category of
young adults.

Education:

Education
7

0
High School Graduate Post Graduate PhD

Out of 15 participants, 3 women have a high school degree, 6 are graduates and 6
are postgraduates. It is fair to conclude that the same size is well educated.

4
Occupation:

Occupation
9

0
Homemaker Working Professional Student

In trying to understand the daily lives of the participants, knowing their

occupation was necessary. 1 participant of the 15, is a student, 5 women are
homemakers and 8 are working professionals.

Q1. Was the abortion consensual?

Whether the abortion was consensual or forced will have an effect on how the
woman will face the consequences of the abortion. If the abortion is agreed on by
the woman, she will face the consequences of the abortion more comfortably,
reducing their negative effects on her physical and mental health.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 15 100
No 0 0

5
 Was the abortion consensual?
16

14

12

10

0
Yes No

From the data collected, it can be seen that all the 15 participants underwent the
abortion on their own will.

Q2. Were you aware of the procedure of abortion?

There are various procedures of abortion available to choose from. Each

procedure differs in steps. Making the woman aware of the kind of procedure to
undergo for abortion and the steps it involves is necessary so that the woman
can prepare for it, both mentally and physically.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 15 100
No 0 0

Awareness of the Procedure

16

14

12

10

0
Yes No

6
From the data collected, the entire sample size was aware of the procedure of
abortion. This increases the probability that the women undergoing the
abortions were well aware of what to expect from it, and prepare accordingly.

Q3. What was your reaction to the idea of abortion?

Different people have different reactions to abortion. How people view the idea
of abortion affects how affected they will be by the abortion.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Unhappy 9 60
Casual 5 33.3
Mixed 1 6.6

Reaction to Abortion
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Unhappy Casual Mixed

Majority of the respondents were unhappy with the idea of undergoing an

abortion because of the emotions attached to it and the social stigma of ‘killing a
life’. On the other hand, 5 of the respondents viewed it as a rational decision and
were relatively casual about it.

Q4. Were you made aware of the consequences on health post abortion? If
yes, what all consequences were you informed about in advance?

Being aware of the consequences of abortion sees to it that the woman prepares
to deal with the termination of pregnancy. As there is a huge variety of
consequences that have been seen in women who undergo and abortion, women
have to be made aware of the most common ones so that they are prepared for it
and made their decision accordingly

7
 Number of Respondents Percentage
Yes 15 100
No 0 0

Awareness of Consequences
16

14

12

10

0
Yes No

All the respondents said they were made aware of the most common
consequences of abortion such as heavy bleeding, a possible infection, changes in
menstrual cycle and decrease in fertility.

Q5. Which procedure of abortion did you opt for and why?

There are two main types of procedures of abortion – surgical and non-surgical.
The doctor suggests the type of procedure the woman must undergo depending
on how far along she is in her pregnancy.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Surgical 7 46.6
Non-Surgical 8 53.3

Procedure of Abortion
8.2

7.8

7.6

7.4

7.2

6.8

6.6

6.4
Surgical Non-Surgical

8
Depending on the week of duration of pregnancy, those who opted for abortion
at an earlier stage underwent the non-surgical procedure, where they were
prescribed pills to terminate the pregnancy. 8 out of the 15 respondents
underwent non-surgical procedure whereas 7 of them underwent the surgical
procedure.

Q6. Did you undergo any physical changes post abortion? If yes, please
mention.

Abortions, medically have proven to produce a variety of physical effects on the

woman’s body.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 10 66.6
No 5 33.4

Physical Changes Post Abortion

12

10

0
Yes No

10 respondents have said that they did indeed undergo physical changes post
abortion. These included abdominal pain, fatigue, weakness, heavy blood flow for
a couple of days post abortion, irregular food habits.

9
Q7. Were you mentally affected by the abortion? If yes, please put into
words the effects.

Some mental effects of abortion which are very commonly seen among women
are anger, guilt, regret, insomnia and in some severe cases, the woman may
undergo depression.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 9 60
No 6 40

Psychological Changes Post Abortion

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Yes No

9 out of the 15 respondents, that is, 60 per cent of the sample size agreed that
they were mentally affected by the abortion. Some showed shorter lived regret,
stress and mild cases of depression, whereas some other women viewed it as a
crime and also felt that it might affect their next pregnancy.

Q8. How did you cope with the consequences of the abortion?

Different people use different methods to cope with stressful situations. Some
require support from family and closed ones, some distract themselves from the
situation, or some avoid the situation altogether.

10
 Number of Respondents Percentage
Social Support 9 60
Distraction 3 20
Religious Inclination 2 13.3
Avoidance 1 6.6

Coping with the Consequences

10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Social Support Distraction Religious Inclination Avoidance

Majority of the respondents sought social support in the form of

spouse/boyfriend, friends and family. The second most opted method was
distracting by engaging oneself in other activities. Two of the respondents
became inclined towards religion, and started praying more as they believed that
they had committed a sin by aborting.

Q9. Was there any kind of social support available for you throughout as
well as post the abortion?

Social support plays an important role in any person’s life in order to deal with
the difficult times such as times of stress and depression, the effects which are
usually associated with abortion.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 15 100
No 0 0

11
 Availability of Social Support
16

14

12

10

0
Yes No

All the respondents said that they received some sort of social support
throughout the decision making process, the time of abortion as well as the time
post abortion. This support came the form of spouse/boyfriend, family members,
and friends.

Q10. Was societal perception a part of your decision making process? If so,
how and why?

What society thinks about various issues plays a major role in influencing the
decisions we take. In case of unmarried women, abortion is the only option they
are left with, as society views it undesirable for unmarried women to get
pregnant.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 4 26.6
No 11 73.3

12
 Involvement of Society
12

10

0
Yes No

Since most of the respondents were married, the decision of aborting the child
was their own due to reasons such as not wanting a third child, not being
financially well off or having medical complications. Two out of those who made
this decision under the influence of society did so as they were too young and
also unmarried.

Q11. Was it trouble-free to get the abortion?

In a country like India, where abortion is a taboo, one may feel that getting an
abortion will be a difficult task.

Number of Respondents Percentage

Yes 12 80
No 3 20

Accessibility to Facility of Abortion

14

12

10

0
Yes No

13
80 per cent of the sample size on the contrary said that it was trouble-free for the
to get an abortion, while the remaining 20 per cent had a difficult time finding a
doctor who would conduct the process of abortion.

Q12. What are your personal beliefs regarding abortion?

There are two takes on the idea of abortion, people may be against or for it.
Those who are for it see it as an individual choice, and believe that it depends on
the circumstance the person opting for the abortion is under.

Number of Respondents Percentage

For it 13 86.6
Against It 2 13.3

Personal Belief about Abortion

14

12

10

0
For it Against it

Majority of the respondents believe that it is the individual’s choice if she wants
to undergo an abortion, even though they feel that one must try their best to
avoid unwanted pregnancies by using contraceptives. The two respondents who
have answered as being against abortion see it as the last resort in case of
medical complications and feel that abortion deeply affects the woman, thus it
must be avoided as much as it can be.

Q13. Would you suggest this procedure to another woman?

Since the women who have undergone the process of abortion will know better
what the process entails and will be a better source of information for other
women who may consider undergoing an abortion.

14
 Number of Respondents Percentage
Yes 12 80
No 3 20

Suggest Abortion to Another Woman

14

12

10

0
Yes No

12 out of the 15 respondents said that they would suggest the procedure to other
women as long as it is rightly conducted, and done on their agreement.

CONCLUSION - PATIENTS
It can be concluded from the analysis of data that:
 Most of the women who undergo abortion are young women, who are
educated. All of them had an abortion by their own choice and were not
forced into by family or spouse.
 All the women were informed about the procedures of abortion available
for them to choose from, depending on their period of gestation by their
doctors. Women mostly preferred to get a non-surgical abortion done due
to its simplicity and lesser degree of risks. Since most of them had gotten
their abortion in the first trimester, they opted for the non-surgical
method, the remaining had to undergo surgical method of abortion as
they had passed a certain period of gestation while getting the fetus
aborted.
 Majority of the women were unhappy with the idea of abortion, probably
because of how the society has taught people to look at abortion. Due to
personal reasons, the women still opted for abortion even if they were

15
 unhappy with the idea of abortion, these reason range from being too
young, to not wanting to have a third child.
 They were made aware of all the consequences of abortion, mental as well
as physical by their doctors, or they looked up the consequences online by
their own. Thus, they were mindful of what this procedure entails for
them, which impacted how their body and mind changed in response to
the abortion.
 Majority of the women underwent physical changes associated with
abortion such as fatigue, weakness, irregular food habits, changes in
menstrual cycle.
 In case of psychological changes in regard to abortion, the sample size
was more of less divided on the agreement. Since psychological changes
depend on how one views abortion all by themselves, those who were
rather casual about it did not get emotionally affected as much as the ones
who thought about abortion differently. Some women said they regretted
getting the abortion, were stressed about it, and underwent depression.
 When it comes to coping with the changes which followed the abortion,
social support was rated the most used way to cope with the
consequences. It is already known that social support is of utter
importance when it comes to any major changes, whether positive or
negative in life, for any person. This came in the form of support from
their partner, family and close friends. Distraction, turning to religion and
avoiding the very thought of the abortion were some other ways to cope
with the changes.
 All the women had some form of social support to overcome all the
psychological changes the abortion brought onto them. This helped them
overcome the negative effects more easily.
 How the people around us think about a concept certainly plays an
important role in how we react to the same. In this survey, majority of the
women said that the decision of aborting the fetus was their own and that
society had no role to play in it. The smaller portion of sample size who
agreed that societal perception did play a role in their decision making
were due to reasons such as being too young and being unmarried.
 Despite abortion being a taboo in India, majority of the women felt that
getting the abortion was trouble-free.
 When it comes to personal feelings regarding abortion, a large percentage
of women said that it is all about the individual’s choice and were for it.
They believe that a woman has the right to choose whether she wants to
carry the baby or not.
 Almost all the women said that they would suggest the procedure to
another woman if that is the only option that she is left with, as long as it
is safe and done as a medical termination of pregnancy.

16
 QUESTIONNAIRE ANALYSIS – DOCTORS

 Have you been a part of the procedure of Abortion?

20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
YES NO

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
YES 20 67
NO 7 23

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 7 doctors have not been a part of the
procedure while 20 doctors were a part of it or even conducted it. It sums up to
67% of the sample size. This shows that majority of the Gynecologists were a
part of the procedure.

17
  Which procedure is most popularly adopted by women undergoing
abortion?

25

20

15

10

0
MEDICAL SURGICAL

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
MEDICAL 23 77
SURGICAL 7 23

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 7 doctors think that women prefers surgical
procedure while 23 doctors think that medical procedure is most popularly
adopted by women. It accounts for 77% of the total sample size. This shows that
according to the viewpoints of Gynecologists, majority of women prefer medical
procedures.

18
  Which method of abortion would you suggest? And why?

16

14

12

10

0
MEDICAL SURGICAL(D&C) DEPENDS

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
MEDICAL 13 43
SURGICAL(D&C) 3 10
DEPENDS 16 53

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 3 doctors suggests surgical method especially
Dilation and Curettage(D&C) while 13 doctors suggests medical procedures and
16 doctors thinks that it depend on the condition of the patient. It sums up to
53% of the total sample size. This shows that Gynecologists suggests that their
decision of a procedure depends upon the months or weeks of pregnancy of the
patient.

19
  What are the risks of abortion?

14

12

10

0
INFECTION HEMORRHAGE BLEEDING INFERTILITY SEPSIS PERFORATION

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
INFECTION 14 47
HEMORRHAGE 5 17
BLEEDING 12 40
INFERTILITY 7 23
SEPSIS 8 27
PERFORATION 8 27

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, 17% of doctors responded with hemorrhage, 23%
responded with infertility, 27% responded with sepsis and perforation. While
40% responded with bleeding and 47% responded with infection which sums up
to a major portion of the sample size. This shows that majority of doctor’s thinks
infection and bleeding to pose as a major risk in abortion along with other risks.

20
  What is the age group of majority of patients who undergo this
procedure?

14

12

10

0
18-30 20-30 30-40

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
18-30 13 43
20-30 14 47
30-40 3 10

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 10% responded that the age groups between
30-40 years undergo this procedure while 43% responded with 18-30 years and
47% responded with 20-30 years of the total sample size. This shows that
according to Gynecologists majority of patients who undergo this procedure lies
between ages 18-30 years.

21
  Specify some effects of abortion on the physical health of the woman
undergoing the procedure.

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
S
IN
Y

IA

N
IE

ES
IT

IO
PA

M
IT
IL

KN

CT
AE
AL
IC
RT

FE
EA

AN
LV

RM
FE

IN
W
PE
IN

NO
C

AB
NI
RO

AL
CH

RU
ST
EN
M

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
INFERTILITY 5 17
CHRONIC PELVIC PAIN 15 50
MENSTRUAL 6 20
ABNORMALITIES
WEAKNESS 3 10
ANAEMIA 10 33
INFECTION 3 10

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 10% responded with weakness and infection,
17% responded with infertility, 20% responded with various menstrual
abnormality, 33% responded with anaemia. 50% responded with chronic pelvic
pain which sums up to the major portion of the total sample size.

22
  Specify some effects of abortion on the mental health of the woman
undergoing the procedure.

20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
DEPRESSION ANXIETY GUILT PSYCHOSIS RELATIONSHIP
PROBLEMS

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
DEPRESSION 19 63
ANXIETY 16 53
GUILT 10 33
PSYCHOSIS 8 27
RELATIONSHIP 2 7
PROBLEMS

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 7% responded with relationship problems
while majority of the sample size is sums to 63% and 53% portraying depression
and anxiety respectively to be some of the major mental effects of abortion with
respect to other effects on mental health.

23
  What are the most common reasons for abortion?

25

20

15

10

0
UNWANTED PREGNANCY FOETICIDE MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
UNWANTED 23 77
PREGNANCY
FOETICIDE 2 7
MEDICAL 5 17
COMPLICATIONS

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 7% responded with Foeticide, 17% responded
with Medical Complications and 23 doctors responded with Unwanted
Pregnancy. It sums up to 77% of the total sample size. This shows that majority
of women use the process of abortion in order to prevent Unwanted Pregnancy.

24
  By how much would you say has the number of abortions increased in the
country?

9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
5%-10% 10%-15% 15%-20% 25%-30% DECREASED

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
5%-10% 8 27
10%-15% 9 30
15%-20% 5 17
25%-30% 7 23
DECREASED 3 10

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 10% responded with Decreased, 7 doctors
responded with 25-30%, 8 doctors responded with 5-10% and 9 doctors
responded with 10-15%. It sums up to 30% of the total size. This shows that
doctors believe that abortion has increased around 5-15% in India due to
education, improved technology, and family planning.

 Do you think abortion should be legalized regardless of the

circumstances?

25
 25

20

15

10

0
YES NO

OPTIONS NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF

RESPONDENTS RESPONDENTS
YES 25 83
NO 5 17

From the analysis of the data collected it can be inferred that out of the total
number of respondents – 30, only 5 doctors does not think that abortion should
be a legalized procedure while 25 doctors think that abortion should be
legalized. It sums up to 83% of the total sample size. This shows that majority of
Gynecologists thinks that abortion should be a legal procedure in India.

CONCLUSION - DOCTORS

26
The chief purpose of this questionnaire was to understand and analyze the viewpoint
of the doctors regarding the procedure of Abortion. The questionnaire consists of
simple questions which includes both open-end questions as well as close-end
questions. Such framework of questions helps to understand the independent as well
as structural ideas or views of the Doctors.
From the analysis of the above data, we can see that majority of Gynecologists have
either been a part of the procedure or have conducted it on their patients. The doctors
believe that majority of women prefers Medical procedure of abortion rather than
surgical procedure and majority of doctors suggests medical procedure depending on
the gestation period. If the pregnancy has proceeded to the third trimester then
Gynecologists suggests surgical procedure and most often performed and preferred by
the doctors are Dilation and Curettage (D&C).
There are various risks involved in the process of abortion like cervical laceration,
damage to organs, incomplete removal of unborn child and even death in some cases.
But the majority of doctors have listed infection, bleeding, sepsis, perforation of the
uterus to be some of the major risks in abortion. Such procedure also affects the
physical as well as mental health of the patient. A huge portion of doctors have
responded that the most common physical ailments suffered by the patients include
chronic pelvic pain, menstrual abnormalities, anemia and bleeding. Patients also
suffer through mental instability which affects both physical as well the mental state
of the patients. The most common psychological problems include guilt, depression,
anxiety, psychosis, inability to form new relationships or even lead to a gap in present
relationships as well.
According to Gynecologists, the age group of patients undertaking such procedure
ranges between adolescents to women belonging to middle age. The age lies between
18 – 30 years and 20 – 35years. Post this age group woman who undergoes abortion is
usually due to complications or miscarriage. The doctors also listed the most common
reasons for abortion of the young as well as middle age women. Majority of them
responded with unwanted pregnancy while some of them abort child due to medical
complications like foetus suffering from a severe incurable disease or born with a
syndrome which might kill the child as soon as they are born. Some also responded
with foeticide as women are pressured to abort their child by their family members as
well as in laws if the child is a girl.
The Doctors suggests that abortion has increased in India by 10% – 15%. In present
generation women are more empowered as well as more educated and aware of their
surroundings. Such procedure is encouraged due to modern technology; awareness
and advancement of science and research have given the present day women
independence of choice and options regarding abortion. The doctors also believe that
such procedure should be made legal because it is an individual choice and a woman
must have the power and authority to take decisions regarding such trivial matters.
I conclude by saying that through this questionnaire I have deduced a fact that
majority of doctors have similar viewpoints and objectives. There are risks and
physiological effects involved in every procedure but doctors have found advanced
and better procedure to ensure safety to the patients. Though abortion is still viewed
as an antisocial element but doctors possess a very liberal and professional view about
Abortion.

27
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. David M. Fergusson et.al ., Abortion in young women and subsequent mental
health: The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, (2005)
2. Shannon C(1) ., Infection after medical abortion: a review of the literature. 
Contraception:. 2004 Sep;70(3):183-90

3. Rocca CH, et.al., Decision Rightness and Emotional Responses to Abortion in

the United States: A Longitudinal Study (2015)

4. Abdhalah K et.al., Unsafe abortion in Kenya: a cross-sectional study of abortion

complication severity and associated factors : BMC Pregnancy Childbirth (2015)
5. B.C. Shivakumar et.al., A Profile of Abortion Cases in a Tertiary Care Hospital :
Journal of Indian Academy of Forensic Medicine( Jan-MAR 2011, Vol. 33)

28