No. This misinformation has been in circulation for a long time and we must be quick to refute it.

A misleading study published in 2019 stated that there are no adverse effects on women from abortion and that women who give birth have worse health.

However, this study is deeply flawed. The women in this study who gave birth were all turned away from the abortion clinic because their pregnancy was beyond the prescribed limit. So these women were likely to be in a difficult situation from the outset. They probably had difficult and complex circumstances surrounding their abortion decision such as a troubled relationship, concealing their pregnancy till very late, or being abandoned by a partner or family after initially planning to have the baby. They were vulnerable and not typical of women who give birth. Yet, this study gives the impression that any woman giving birth would have poorer physical health than a woman who aborts her baby and this is simply not the case.

A 2012 study produced the startling finding that the risk of death from childbirth was 14 times higher than from “legal induced abortion.” This claim was blown right out of the water by Dr David Reardon, founder of the pro-life Elliot Institute, who stated that it is an “indisputable fact”, shown by robust studies, that “mortality rates associated with childbirth are significantly lower than those associated with abortion.” In other words, women are much less likely to die from childbirth than abortion.

In addition, having a baby has a protective effect on a woman’s health. Becoming a mother often leads to a healthier lifestyle and a reduction in risky behaviours.