Study finds many women carry regret for decades after abortion

A new long‑term study from the United States has revealed that a significant number of women continue to experience deep regret years after having an abortion, prompting fresh reflection on how society supports women who face crisis pregnancies.

Researchers tracked thousands of women over a period of years and found that around one in four reported persistent feelings of sadness, loss or regret long after the procedure. These emotional aftereffects were not fleeting, but endured well into later stages of life, even among women who had initially said they felt neutral or relieved.

For many Catholics, these findings will confirm what pro-life counsellors have long witnessed: that abortion often leaves emotional and spiritual scars, even when it is legally permitted and socially accepted. The study suggests that public discourse on abortion needs to be honest about the long‑term human cost, rather than framing it solely in terms of immediate choice.

Dr Sarah Hernandez, a psychologist who works with post‑abortive women, said the research underscores the “complex reality” of the experience. “It is not simply about a decision made in the moment,” she explained. “For many women, that decision echoes through relationships, through milestones, through their sense of self.”

Pro‑life advocates welcomed the study as evidence of a broader truth: that abortion can harm more than unborn life. “These findings remind us that love and life are deeply intertwined,” said Marie Gallagher of the National Respect Life Office. “If one in four women is living with regret decades later, we owe it to those women—and to all vulnerable mothers—to offer genuine, compassionate alternatives.”

The research also found that women who lacked social support, stable relationships, or access to ongoing counselling were more likely to report prolonged distress. This pattern has led many pastoral workers to call for stronger post‑abortion healing ministries, such as support groups, spiritual direction, and counselling rooted in the Church’s understanding of mercy and reconciliation.

Catholic teaching holds that every human life is sacred from conception, and that the implications of abortion touch not only the unborn child but the entire human family. Pope Francis has repeatedly emphasised the need to accompany women and families affected by abortion with “a closeness that heals, that strengthens, that instils hope.”

In this light, the new study’s findings could help fuel a broader cultural conversation. Instead of viewing abortion as simply a clinical transaction, society may be pushed to recognise its deeper psychological and spiritual dimensions.

As campaigners continue to advocate for legal protection for the unborn, they also stress that the Church’s mission includes walking with women in their grief and helping them find peace and healing well after the headlines fade.