Will I regret the decision to get an abortion?

One of the difficult questions that you might be asking yourself when faced with a pregnancy that may have been unexpected is whether you will regret a decision to get an abortion. This is a complicated question so it’s important to learn more about abortion and also about other options to make sure you have all the accurate information you need to help you make the right decision for yourself.

A new study suggesting most women don’t regret abortion

You may see several articles on the internet that reference a “recent study” from 2015. The Turnaway Study | ANSIRH was conducted in the United States. They tracked many women over the course of the study, and the findings from the study suggest that 95% of women, years later, did not express feeling regret after having chosen to terminate their pregnancy. The key to feeling resolved about any tough decision is to fully explore all options.

What happens during an abortion procedure?

Depending on how far along you are in your pregnancy and/or the State you live in, obtaining abortion services will look a little different. If you are early on in your pregnancy, you may be able to terminate the pregnancy with oral medicine, AKA the “abortion pill”. However, depending on the State you live in, it may be difficult to get a safe, legal abortion close to home. Some states have tightened abortion laws and established new restrictions, and so it might be more complicated to secure abortion care if you are further along in your pregnancy, as some States are now making it very difficult for women to terminate pregnancies.

If you are further along in your pregnancy, you may need to have a surgical abortion. States now have different laws regarding abortion services, but we can connect you with one of the organizations that we trust, such as Planned Parenthood or The Women’s Centers, and they can assist you in getting the help that you need. The first step at either of these sites will be to conduct an ultrasound to determine how far along you are in your pregnancy.

What if I don’t want an abortion but don’t want to be a mother now?

If terminating this pregnancy is not what you choose to do, or perhaps you are too far along to have an abortion, and you don’t wish to have family help you take care of the baby – making an adoption plan might be an idea to consider. While adoption may not be something you were interested in initially, you may feel differently after learning more about the different types of adoption available to you.

It’s important to note that if you choose to learn more about adoption and contact Open Arms Adoption Network, we will never pressure you to move forward with adoption. Our counselors will help you process through your thoughts and to learn about all of your options to help you determine what option is best for you, whether it be abortion, adoption or foster care/kinship care or raising the baby yourself or perhaps with the support of the father of the baby or your family.

Also, beware that some centers/programs may pressure you to move in a certain direction while claiming to be “there for you.” For example, some “crisis pregnancy centers” might push you or encourage you to not terminate your pregnancy after you have a positive pregnancy test or after they do an ultrasound. You are facing a very difficult decision and after you explore all options – you should be fully supported no matter what you choose. We at Open Arms Adoption want to make sure that you get the support that you need while never pressuring you to choose adoption. If you ultimately choose to terminate the pregnancy, we will help you identify an abortion care center that will give you good medical care and who will treat you with dignity and respect.

Your Baby. Your Choice. Our Support.

After you have learned more about all of your options, you may feel differently about what you would like to do next. While adoption, abortion or parenting may bring you a sense of sadness at times – only you can truly know what the best decision is for you. And no matter what your decision is, Open Arms Adoption Network will support you. We can help you through it and give you the counseling that you need to figure out your next steps without judgement or pressure.

If you call Open Arms Adoption, we can help you through it and give you the non-biased counseling that you might need to figure out what is right for you. We won’t make any assumptions about your situation. Rather, we will meet with you and work with you and learn about how we can best help and support you with this difficult decision. We know your emotions are feeling quite intense now. You can call us anytime at 1-888-OPENARMS or email us at info@openarmsadoption.net or text us at 267-961-2720. Check out our website at www.openarmsadoption.net. We are there for you whenever you need us.