Abortions Really Are Safe, According To A New Study

Abortions performed in the U.S. are safe and have very few complications, according to a massive new study conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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The comprehensive review was performed by a committee that assessed the safety and quality of the abortion methods used most commonly in the U.S.,

examining evidence from randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, retrospective studies, case control studies, and patient and provider surveys.

While the report raised a few questions about abortion care in the U.S., here's what was clear to researchers:

• Ninety percent of all abortions take place in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
• The safety and quality of abortions is highest when they are performed as early in the pregnancy as possible.
• Complications from abortions are rare.
• There’s no reason why nurse practitioners and physicians assistants can’t perform abortions, given that they can do them as safely as doctors.
• Abortions have no long-term effects on a woman’s physical and mental health.
• Having an abortion does not increase a woman's risk for infertility or breast cancer.

But the report acknowledges that there is room for improvement when it comes to abortions in the U.S.

"Abortion-specific regulations in many states create barriers to safe and effective care," says a press release about the study.

According to data from the Guttmacher Institute, 35 states require that women receive counseling before an abortion is performed (29 of the states dictate the information the women must be given), and 27 states force women to wait at least 24 hours for an abortion (some require as much as 72 hours beforehand). 

Laws in 11 states also require that women have an ultrasound before they can terminate their pregnancy, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Other state laws spell out who can perform abortions and where, including some regulations that an abortion must happen in a hospital or surgery center.

But the new report says that these waiting periods and unnecessary tests can cause extended delays for women, who may struggle to get appointments and may have to travel to get care—and waiting longer can increase the risk of complications. (Here's one woman's story of getting an abortion after 20 weeks.) 

The bottom line: Abortions in the U.S. are very safe. Creating barriers that prevent women from having abortions is not.

•  By Korin Miller