The September 10 U.S. presidential debate showcased the long-disproven myth that abortions are performed up until or even after birth. Although the false claim was met with widespread derision online, it turned a spotlight on a troubling reality that, more than two years after the overturning of Roe, anti-abortion myths continue to spread.
These are the facts about some of the most common abortion myths.
There is no scientific evidence to support abortion pill “reversal”
In early August 2024, an anti-abortion group sued California’s attorney general to protect access to so-called “abortion pill reversal.”
The “treatment” allegedly reverses a medication abortion with a dose of progesterone taken within 72 hours of mifepristone, the first of two drugs taken to terminate a pregnancy before 13 weeks. However, there is no scientific evidence to support abortion reversal, which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls “unproven and unethical.”
The only controlled and supervised study to assess the method found that taking progestin, a form of progesterone, at the same time as mifepristone may slightly reduce the effectiveness of the abortion drug. Medication abortion prior to 10 weeks is between 98 and 91 percent effective. In the progestin study, less than 4 percent of the study participants continued their pregnancies. Additionally, a clinical trial investigating the procedure was suspended due to safety concerns.
Yet, despite the lack of evidence, many states are pushing bills that require abortion providers to tell patients about the unproven procedure. One of the biggest promoters of abortion pill reversal is a popular online pregnancy resource that was conceived and is run by anti-abortion activists.
Later abortions are rare and often lifesaving
“Late-term abortions” is a common phrase among abortion opponents, but it doesn’t have any real meaning in medicine, where “late term” refers to pregnancy beyond 41 weeks. Abortions that occur at or after 21 weeks are considered later in pregnancy and are quite rare, making up only 1 percent of all abortions in the United States.
These procedures most often occur because of risks to the pregnant person that arise late in the pregnancy or fetal abnormalities, which may not be detected until scans between 18 and 22 weeks. Financial concerns are also a common reason for later abortions, with nearly two-thirds of people having a later abortion saying that cost contributed to a delay in getting the procedure.
The legal and logistical barriers championed by anti-abortion activists may force patients to travel or make arrangements for multiple clinic visits, which can delay the procedure and make later abortions more likely.
Claims about so-called “nine-month” abortions that occur at or after birth are a myth with no basis in reality, propagated by anti-abortion advocates. Such procedures are illegal and not performed anywhere in the U.S.
Abortion is not linked to breast cancer
Some early studies with flawed methods suggested that there may be a link between induced abortion and breast cancer risk. Multiple higher-quality and larger-scale studies further investigated the risk, including analyzing all data on breast cancer and abortion published between 1966 and 2018, an analysis of data from 16 countries, and a study that included a cohort of 1.5 million women.
These more rigorous studies have consistently found no association between abortion and breast cancer.
The official position of the American Cancer Society, National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is that scientific evidence does not support any link between abortion and breast cancer.
Abortions don’t impact fertility
A common anti-abortion talking point is that those who have abortions will have a harder time conceiving in the future. There is no evidence to support this claim.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a panel in 2018 to review all available data on abortion safety and outcomes in the U.S. The panel concluded that abortion does not increase the risk of future infertility or pregnancy complications, confirming the findings of previous studies.
A rare condition called Asherman’s syndrome is caused by scar tissue building up inside the uterus, which can cause fertility issues. The treatable condition can occur as a complication after a surgical procedure on or near the uterus, including C-sections, fibroid removal, and dilation and curettage for abortions or miscarriages.
The overwhelming majority of people experience relief—not regret—after an abortion
Anti-abortion activists frequently claim, without credible research, that as many as two-thirds of people deeply regret their abortions. The University of California, San Francisco’s long-term study on abortion in the U.S. found that five years after getting an abortion, over 95 percent of participants felt that it was the right choice.
Additionally, the study found no negative mental health impact after abortion. However, people who sought and were denied abortions were more likely to experience negative physical and mental health effects.
Have more questions about abortion? Find accurate information here.