In late October 2020 the Polish ruling party along with the Constitutional Tribunal decided to take action concerning the central consensus that was set in place regarding abortion and make abortion laws in the country even stricter, banning abortion in the case of fetal anomalies. This resulted in huge protests taking place across the country.
There are many factors that influence the woman’s decision to get an abortion such as:
Financial situation
Cultural stigma and religious beliefs
Social acceptance
Presence of other family, children, friends father etc.
Young age
Abortion is very rarely an easy or spontaneous decision! The controversies and contractionary norms regarding this topic create additional dilemmas and issues for women, who need support and understanding when dealing with this difficult situation.
Some factors that may cause negative psychological effects such as grief, depression or anxiety as outcomes of the abortion include:
Past psychiatric history
Social judgement and stigma surrounding abortion
Medical complications
Conflicted relationships - lack of support from family
Denied abortion
Children born when abortion is wanted often tend to experience consequences on their mental and physical health and struggle in social functioning as well as adulthood.
Due to the changes in polish abortion laws an abortion in case of fetal defects will now be illegal, meaning that many families will now have to raise children with severe genetic defects or give birth knowing that the child will die soon after or even during labour. This affects the whole family’s mental health resulting, in among others:
Stress
Anxiety
Trauma
Depression
Increased suicide risk
Sources:
Dresner, N, Kurzman, A, Glob. libr. women's med., (ISSN: 1756-2228) 2008; DOI 10.3843/GLOWM.10417
Statham, H., Solomou, W., & Chitty, L. (2002, May 25). Prenatal diagnosis of fetal abnormality: Psychological effects on women in low-risk pregnancies. Retrieved November 18, 2020, from www.sciencedirect.com
McCoyd JL. Pregnancy interrupted: loss of a desired pregnancy after diagnosis of fetal anomaly. J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2007 Mar;28(1):37-48. doi: 10.1080/01674820601096153. PMID: 17454512.
Dr Elise Davis and Dr Kim-Michelle Gilson. (2017, October 12). Paying attention to the mental health of parents of children with a disability. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/2018/10/15/paying-attention-mental-health-parents-children-disability
Kelly, A. (2019, May 14). The emotional impact of parenting a disabled child. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/the-emotional-impact-of-parenting-a-disabled-child/
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