What do the hard statistics say about the number of women who regret/don't regret having an abortion?

I've heard both extremes, and can't decide what is right.

What do the hard statistics say about the number of women who regret/don't regret having an abortion?
One source of information I found is on Planned Parenthood's site:





The Emotional Effects of Induced Abortion


http://www.plannedparenthood.org/issues-...





Planned Parenthood is pro-choice of course but I believe it is a reliable source of accurate information. The article cites references to studies in peer-reviewed literature.





The studies that I have read or read the abstracts of all indicate that post-abortion regret is experienced by a minority of women.





From talking to women and reading women's stories I have the belief that the most common emotional result of having an abortion is relief. Just anecdote but it makes total sense to me.








Edit: Norma McCorvey who was the subject in Roe v. Wade did Not have an abortion. She had a girl who was given up to adoption. McCorvey has been pro-choice, pro-life, a born-again christian, a Roman Catholic, and a "former" lesbian.





And her personal history is irrelevant to the issue of a woman's right to an abortion.
Reply:If you beleive that the spirit never dies, as when our earthly bodies die, then it should be easier to understand that having an abortion only enables the little spirit to come back in another body or go on to the afterlife. Report Abuse

Reply:I don't know if there are statistics on such things, but I have almost no doubt that at least as many women are relieved about their abortions as regret their abortions. Some women are troubled by their abortions but at the same time realize that if they had the chance to do it over again, they'd still have had the abortion ... because it allowed them to finish college or get a fulfilling job or wait until they could financially support a baby with a loving father or what have you.





And I don't know how a person can say that feeling one thing is "better" than feeling the other. Why would you need to decide which feeling is "right"? I think it is enough to know that women are intelligent enough to decide for themselves whether an abortion is best or not. They don't need people, and especially men, telling them they're "only trying to protect them" because women don't know what's best for themselves.
Reply:What hard statistics are those? And how does 'regret' influence what is right, or not?





For example, I regret the speech I made at my high school formal. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably make another choice about what I said and how it was said.





It affected my life directly for many years, but you know ~ consequences.





But the fact is, there is no real way of knowing what might have happened if I'd made a different speech.





You make a decision based on the information you have and the circumstances you are in, at the time.





Regrets are something most people have about difficult decisions, because there's always another side to things.





But they are no way of deciding what is 'right', for you or anyone else.





Cheers :-)
Reply:Qualitative statistics, even if molded into quantitative statistics, will never be hard statistics. There's too much grey area and personal emotional logic involved. You just have to make up your own mind... from personal experience is most reliable (not that I wish you to have that personal experience).





I've never regretted it. It was for very good reasons at the time. As My Thitonia said above: "I'm sure that little 'spirit' was born in another body later on anyway, I just know it!".
Reply:Why does regret come into it?





Such decisions are made at the time, taking all factors into account.





I'm sure there is a world of pro-life propaganda showing how all women are reduced to mental wrecks by the procedure though.





Abortion is an individual thing. Producing stats on the emotive side of it is just daft.
Reply:Look at the bottom of the page. The rest of the page is good for physical effects.





http://www.abortioninfo.net/facts/affect...





Most other studies I've seen, which are a few in number, tend to support this with some variation. Sigy's Planned Parenthood article is the first exception to that rule.





Of the 2 or 3 women I've met who've had abortions (that I know of), all of them regretted it in some way down the road. That has to say something.
Reply:Well, there's Roe v. Wade, Roe aka Norma Leah McCorvey later regretted having an abortion. Though, she admitted that her claims of rape were false. Then she converted to Christianity and became an outspoken Pro-lifer.





The most famous person to have an abortion in US history ended up being one of the biggest regretters.





If irony were strawberries we'd all have a bunch of smoothies.
Reply:I have Never regretted my decision 30 years ago! I would've made a horrible mother, my partying days werent over. The father certainly didn't want to be a father then. I knew I wanted children one day but I had too much growing up to do. I wanted to be established in my career and two parents who wanted children at the same time. Well, guess what....I met a wonderful man when time came and we both wanted children very much , they were SO planned and both so loved. I am SO happy I waited! Always will be. I'm sure that little 'spirit' was born in another body later on anyway, I just know it!
Reply:If the decision was right at the time, then it was right and it's too late to undo it.


Some women do feel regret, but that's normal in a dichotomous situation when there are possible outcomes you will never experience.
Reply:Of all the statistics I've ever heard most women regret it. But I can't quote it for you...I can only imagine that I would regret it completely...so I would tend to believe that statistic...maybe it depends on who you poll?
Reply:I don't think its possible to find reliable data on this but after almost 50 years on the planet I have yet to hear from a woman that she regretted her decision.
Reply:Some of the posters on here make me wonder if their mothers regret NOT having an abortion.
Reply:I am not sure but i do think a good bit of them have regret later.