This is a previously unpublished post originally sent in to The Straits Times Forum on 21 November 2017. 

The letter “Post-abortion stress, risks can’t be ignored” (Nov 19, The Straits Times Forum) expresses laudable concern for women who may experience negative emotional or psychological reactions to abortion.

We strongly believe that support should be available for women who experience emotional or psychological difficulty for any reason, including in connection with an abortion or any other medical procedure.

At the same time, general information about abortion should be accurate, unbiased and borne out by credible research evidence so that women can make decisions based on the best available information. In this respect, it is important not to overstate the risks of abortion, especially when medical and scientific experts have a consensus on the general safety of the procedure and its after-effects.

First, scientific evidence does not support the idea of “post-abortion stress syndrome” or a common link between the after-effects of abortion and post-traumatic stress disorder. The American Psychological Association found that among adult women with unplanned pregnancies, choosing a single first-trimester abortion carries no greater chance of mental health problems than delivering the pregnancy.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), who are experts in women’s health, agrees that abortion does not typically pose a risk to mental health, and that “the predominant feeling following abortion is one of relief and diminution of stress”. RCOG also states that “severe negative reaction” is uncommon and tends to be present either when the pregnancy was planned or the abortion takes place late in the pregnancy. These factors are rare in the Singapore context where abortions are heavily restricted after 24 weeks.

Second, the chances of sterility resulting from abortion are extremely low. The United Kingdom’s National Health Service states that “having an abortion will not usually affect your chances of becoming pregnant and having normal pregnancies in future.”

The Guttmacher Institute, which specialises in reproductive health, has likewise found that abortions in the first trimester “pose virtually no long-term risk” of infertility.

Singapore medical researchers in the journal Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology recommended that “Women should be informed that abortion is a safe procedure, for which major complications and mortality are rare at all gestations.” Having access to credible information about abortion would allow women to make the best choices about their own bodies and reproductive status.