A Very Touchy Subject: What Happens to Women When They’re Denied an Abortion?

For years, abortion has been debated as a political issue, a moral issue, and a legal issue and with the latest court decisions around the pills, I feel I need to add my voice to the mix about the one thing that often gets ignored in the conversation which is what actually happens to the woman afterwards? I know this is a charged issue, but people need to know about this aspect and its importance.

This is not hypothetically. Not ideologically. I want to share with you what happens in real life.

Research has now followed women for years after they were denied abortions, and the findings are to put it mildly sobering. The effects go far beyond the pregnancy itself. Denying abortion access can impact a woman’s physical health, mental well-being, finances, safety, and future opportunities for years afterward, as well as, the wellness of the other children she may already have.

One of the largest and most widely cited studies on this issue is called the “Turnaway Study,” and was reported in 2013 by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. Researchers followed nearly 1,000 women over five years. Some were able to receive abortions, while others were denied it because they were just past their state’s gestational limit. Keep in mind that this was before the Supreme Court gave states the right to ban abortions in 2022.

What they discovered in their research challenges many of the assumptions people have about abortion.

The Emotional Impact of Being Denied

One of the most repeated claims in abortion debates is that abortion harms women emotionally. But the research did not support that idea. Women who received abortions generally did not experience worse long-term mental health outcomes. In fact, more than 95% said years later that having an abortion was the right decision for them.

The women who received abortions did not experience worse long-term psychological outcomes than those denied abortions. The women who struggled the most emotionally were often the women who were denied abortions.

Researchers found that women denied abortions experienced significantly higher stress and anxiety immediately afterward. Many reported feeling trapped, overwhelmed, and fearful about the future.

So just imagine today already knowing you are not financially, emotionally, physically, or mentally prepared for another child and then you’re stuck in a state where abortions are banned, and you have no ability to get to another state that permits abortions.

That kind of loss of control can affect every part of a woman’s life. Let’s talk a closer look at these aspects.

Poverty Increased for Women Denied Abortions

One of the clearest findings from the Turnaway Study was financial hardship.

Women denied abortions were:

• More likely to fall below the poverty line
• More likely to be unemployed
• More likely to rely on public assistance
• More likely to struggle paying for basic living expenses like food, transportation, and housing

And newer research found these financial effects lasted for years.

Researchers also connected study participants to actual credit report data over a ten-year period. Women denied abortions experienced:

• Increased debt
• More unpaid bills
• Higher rates of bankruptcy and eviction records
• Greater long-term financial distress

One of the most important details in that research was this: before the pregnancy, women in both groups had similar financial situations. The economic decline happened after the denial of an abortion. Researchers found these financial effects lasted for years.

This is important because many women seeking abortions are already mothers. Many are already trying to hold together jobs, rent, childcare, and rising costs of living. Adding an unplanned birth into an already unstable situation can create negative long-term economic consequences.

And those consequences don’t just affect the woman. They affect the children she already has too.

Physical Health Risks Were Higher

Pregnancy and childbirth are not medically risk-free.

Women denied abortions experienced more serious physical health complications than women who received abortions. Some reported chronic pain, hypertension, and other lasting health problems. Two women in the study died from childbirth complications.

That part often gets left out of public conversations about abortion.

People talk about abortion as though carrying a pregnancy is always the safer or easier option, but medically, childbirth carries significantly more risk than abortion procedures, especially in the United States where maternal mortality rates remain concerning.

Increased Risk of Staying in Abusive Relationships

One of the most heartbreaking findings was that women denied abortions were more likely to remain connected to abusive partners.

When a woman shares a child with someone abusive, it can become far harder to fully separate from that person emotionally, financially, and legally.

Access to reproductive healthcare is not just about pregnancy. Sometimes it is directly connected to safety and survival.

Existing Children Were Also Affected

Research found the effects of abortion denial did not stop with the mother.

Children already living in households where a woman was denied an abortion were more likely to experience economic instability and developmental hardship.

So, this is not only about one pregnancy. It can affect an entire family’s stability and future.

Life Goals Were Delayed or Lost

Researchers also found women who did receive abortions were more likely to achieve personal goals like:

• Finishing school
• Finding stable employment
• Leaving unhealthy relationships
• Becoming financially independent

Women denied abortions were less optimistic about their futures almost immediately after being turned away.

This means that underneath all the politics are real women trying to build lives for themselves. Some are trying to escape poverty. Some are trying to finish school. Some are trying to protect the children they already have. Some are simply trying to survive.

Research Continued After Roe v. Wade Was Overturned

Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade, researchers have continued studying the effects of abortion restrictions nationwide.

New research examining online discussions after Dobbs found women frequently described:

• Fear
• Financial panic
• Delayed medical care
• Emotional distress
• Confusion about healthcare access  

Researchers are especially concerned about increasing maternal health risks and growing healthcare inequality in states with severe abortion restrictions.

Why This Conversation Matters

No matter where someone stands politically, I think we should at least be honest about the reality’s women face.

Research does not show that denying abortions magically improves women’s lives. In many cases, the evidence points in the opposite direction that having
the abortion keeps the woman’s life from deteriorating.

The women denied abortions in these studies experienced:

• More poverty
• More health complications
• More stress and anxiety
• More exposure to abusive relationships

It’s these real-life experiences that are often missing from the public debate. It’s easy to discuss abortion as an abstract issue or legal issue.

It’s much harder to look honestly at what happens to these women afterward and is I worth banning both abortions and the pills that will stop
a pregnancy.

The bottom line is that these women’s lives are not political talking points. They are human lives, with consequences that continue long after the headlines fade.