Has an abortion affected you or someone you care about?

To see if you might be suffering from after-abortion trauma check off those items that you think may apply to you.  This list may apply to women, men, parents, siblings and other family members.


I had other children before my abortion.
I have had more than one abortion. 
I have been involved in more than one abortion.
I considered myself to be a strongly religious person before the abortion.
I consider myself to be a strongly religious person at this point in my life.
I never thought I would have an abortion because of my religious beliefs.
I was really pressured into having an abortion. 
I pressured my girlfriend/wife/daughter/son to choose abortion.
The pregnancy was past 3rd month when the abortion was performed.
I had negative feelings prior to my/the abortion.
I have negative feelings now about having an abortion.
I felt like no one would listen to what I wanted and that my opinion just didn't matter.
No one supported me at the time - I felt so alone.
I was a teenager when I had an abortion.
I'm afraid that people won't like me or will judge me if they knew about my abortion, or the abortion I was involved in.
I'm angry and I can't seem to control my temper.
Sometimes I just don't feel like eating - I don't have as much of an appetite.
I have trouble sleeping.
I feel guilty about my abortion, or my involvemen in a past abortion.
I have recurrent dreams about my abortion and/or my child.
Nothing's fun anymore - I don't look forward to things like I used to.
Sometimes I think about hurting myself or killing myself.
I can't concentrate.
I feel tired - like I have no energy.
I really think I have feelings of grief and mourning.
I cry often or feel deep remorse.
I really can't talk about that pregnancy.
I can't talk about the abortion either.
Sometimes I get flashbacks of the abortion, where it seems like it's happening again - all over again.
I feel sexually inhibited: I'm not interested in sex.
I use more alcohol and/or drugs since the abortion. 
I've become addicted to my work.
I seem to have this urge to get information about how a child grows in the womb and to see pictures of children in the womb.
I feel sad and depressed. 
I feel grief after the loss of my child to an abortion.
I avoid the clinic and/or the doctor that performed the abortion.
I'm angry at the people who worked at the clinic and/or the doctor that performed the abortion.
I feel afraid.
I avoid (or I feel like avoiding) the people who encouraged me to have an abortion.
I'm angry at the people who encouraged me to have an abortion.
I feel mad at the woman who had my child aborted.
I am mad at my daughter / sister / mother who chose to abort a family member.
I avoid relationships after the abortion.
I find myself entwined in a negative life cycle after an abortion.
I find myself trying to keep my experience in an abortion a secret.
I feel insecure after the abortion.
I feel angry at myself and others regarding the abortion experience that I was involved in.
I fear God's judgement.
I feel like a failure as a woman / man / parent because of my involvement in an abortion.
I can't remember much about the abortion - my memory's kind of fuzzy, unclear.
I startle more easily and have exaggerated reactions to things that startle me. 


0-1 Checkmarks
You probably are not currently suffering from after abortion trauma. If delayed symptoms occur later, seek recovery help at that time.

1-6 Checkmarks
You may have low to moderate after abortion trauma, depending on severity of symptoms. If you are ready to talk about your experience with others, you would benefit from a recovery workshop.

6-12 Checkmarks
If you have 6-12 checkmarks, you likely have moderate to severe after abortion trauma, depending on the intensity of symptoms. If you are ready to talk about your experience with others, you would benefit from a recovery workshop. You may also benefit from the help of a counselor experienced in this area.

More than 12 Checkmarks
You are likely to be suffering from severe after abortion trauma. If so, you may need the help of a counselor experienced in post-abortion recovery.

Care to share this list with someone else who might be affected by abortion? Download our trauma checklist:   trauma checklist  (pdf)