Abortion is an issue usually wrapped in moral or religious controversy, which I believe overshadow the real physical and emotional risks the procedure has for women.

Mild side effects include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Physical complications may include heavy bleeding, infection, cervical tearing, uterine scarring or perforation, embolism, convulsions, endotoxic shock, internal damage and, in rare cases, death, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Scarring or other injuries may threaten future pregnancies. Miscarriages are more common in women who have aborted pregnancies. So is placenta previa, ectopic pregnancies and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Women who have abortions also increase their risk of certain cancers, apparently due to unnatural disruption of hormonal changes that accompany pregnancy. Furthermore, 30 of 35 commissioned studies have linked abortion to breast cancer. Abortion causes a sudden drop in estrogen levels. A study conducted by the National Cancer Institute found that of pregnant women, those who induced an abortion were 50 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.

The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse published a study linking abortion to drug or alcohol abuse. The emotional impact is post-abortion stress. Symptoms include guilt, anger, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, abortion flashbacks and anniversary grief, sexual dysfunction, eating disorders and alcohol and drug abuse.

I think women considering abortions should weigh these potential health hardships before deciding to go ahead with the procedure. A woman’s health is more important, I believe, than abortion’s religious or moral implications.

Robert Roy, Auburn