Psychological Effects of Abortion and Attitudes toward Reproductive Rights
Chelsea L. Farrar, Darci McFarland, Qing Zeng, Sean Huss

Abstract
The purpose of this study was tonot only investigate if having an abortion affects women psychologically, but to see if factors such as religious background, parental influence, political affiliation, and sexual orientation play a role in determining how individuals view abortion procedures as a reproductive choice. To obtain our results, we created an internet questionnaire containing 35 questions divided into four different sections: demographic questions, a section for men only, a section for women who have not had an abortion, and a section for women who have had an abortion which included several questions from the Impact of Event Scale as modified from Horowitz, Wilner, and Alvarez (1979). The initial analysis indicates that, of the individuals who participated in the survey, the majority has a pro-choice view and is supportive of women’s reproductive rights. Our results also portray that religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, and parents’ opinion may influence viewpoints regarding abortion.

Full Text: PDF