Prior abortion does not negatively affect feelings of parental competence

A recent study found that a prior induced abortion did not negatively impact a woman's psychological well-being or her thoughts about her competence as a parent when she later became a mother.

In the Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica study, questionnaires were administered to 492 first-time mothers, 37 of whom had previously had an abortion, and their partners when their child was 18 months old.

A prior abortion was not predictive of maternal or paternal well-being or feelings of parental competence.

"Since induced abortion is the only type of pregnancy loss that women have influence over themselves, information about the consequences is crucial when the issue is under consideration," the authors wrote. They noted that Nordic countries are characterized by permissive abortion legislation, and an induced abortion is no longer considered a taboo in Finland.