OBJECTIVE: To examine the evidence concerning the psychological consequences of abortion, the risk of suicide in pregnancy and the psychological consequences for the mother and the child in cases of refused abortion.
METHOD: An extensive literature search was undertaken and key relevant papers were examined and analysed.
RESULTS: Legal abortion has become more widely available throughout the western world and the actual reported incidence of cases of refused abortion is low. The majority of studies indicate that the psychological consequences of abortion itself are in the main mild and transient but there is evidence that women who have strong religious or cultural attitudes negative to abortion do experience high levels of psychological stress following abortion. The risk of suicide is low in pregnancy and suicide is a rare outcome of refused abortion. There is evidence of psychological and social difficulties experienced by mothers of unwanted pregnancies forced to proceed to term and by many offspring of such unwanted pregnancies.