How Abortion Bans Affect Women: A History of Control, Stigma, and Harm – Aunty Jane

How Abortion Bans Affect Women: A History of Control, Stigma, and Harm

Throughout history, when society fails to understand something, it is vilified. Whether it’s women’s autonomy, reproductive rights, or abortion, ignorance has often been weaponised to justify control, oppression, and punishment. Abortion bans are not about protecting life—they are about controlling women. They have devastating effects on mental health, physical safety, and human rights, while failing to reduce the number of abortions.

A History of Fear and Control

For centuries, men have controlled women’s reproductive choices, using laws, religion, and societal expectations to dictate what they can and cannot do with their own bodies. Abortion bans are just another tool of control, designed to strip women of agency over their own futures.

The same institutions that once punished midwives and healers for practicing medicine now criminalise abortion providers.
The same lawmakers who argue that banning abortion “saves lives” refuse to fund maternal healthcare or childcare.
The same people who call abortion “unnatural” forget that abortion has existed for thousands of years, across all cultures.

Abortion bans are not about protecting life—they are about maintaining power over women’s bodies.

The Mental Health Toll of Being Denied an Abortion

Forcing a woman to carry an unwanted pregnancy has severe psychological consequences. Research from the Turnaway Study (Biggs et al., 2017) found that women who were denied an abortion experienced:

Higher rates of anxiety and depression
Increased risk of domestic violence
Worse financial and social outcomes
A loss of autonomy and personal agency

Meanwhile, those who accessed abortion did not experience long-term mental health issues—because having control over one’s body is essential for well-being.

Abortion Bans Don’t Stop Abortions—They Make Them More Dangerous

One of the biggest lies behind abortion bans is that they reduce abortions. They don’t.

Countries with strict abortion bans do not have fewer abortions—they just have more unsafe abortions. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal death worldwide. When abortion is illegal or heavily restricted:

Women are forced to travel across state or national borders, often at great financial and emotional cost.
Those who can’t travel resort to unsafe methods—including unregulated pills, dangerous procedures, or even self-harm.
The risk of injury, infection, and death increases—not because of abortion itself, but because of the barriers imposed by the law.

Legal abortion is healthcare. Banning it does not save lives—it puts them at risk.

The Fight for Reproductive Freedom Is a Fight for Human Rights

The fight over abortion rights has never been about morality. It has always been about power—who has it, and who gets to decide what happens to a woman’s body.

If abortion were truly about protecting children, governments would fund childcare, healthcare, and parental leave.
If abortion were truly about morality, anti-choice politicians wouldn’t support war, capital punishment, or poverty-inducing policies.
If abortion were truly about “women’s safety,” those in power would listen to doctors, not religious extremists.

This is not about life. This is about controlling women, punishing those who refuse to comply, and forcing people into motherhood against their will.

Final Thoughts

Abortion bans do not stop abortion. They force women into dangerous situations, worsen mental health, and violate fundamental human rights.

To restrict abortion is to tell women:

👉 Your life does not matter as much as a potential life.

👉 You do not deserve the right to decide your own future.

👉 Your body is not yours to control.

But we know better. Abortion is healthcare. Abortion is a human right. And banning it is nothing but a cruel, calculated effort to keep women in their place.

The information provided on this website by Aunty Jane in any format or medium, are for general information purposes only and are not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare professional. The information made available by Aunty Jane do not provide personalised medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. To the extent permitted by law, Aunty Jane disclaims all liability for any outcomes resulting from reliance on the information provided. For specific medical concerns, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Biggs, M. A., Upadhyay, U. D., McCulloch, C. E., & Foster, D. G. (2017). Women's mental health and well-being 5 years after receiving or being denied an abortion: A prospective, longitudinal cohort study. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(2), 169-178. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.3478
World Health Organization. (2022). Abortion care guideline.https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240039483
Guttmacher Institute. (2021). Abortion worldwide 2021: Uneven progress and unequal access.https://www.guttmacher.org/report/abortion-worldwide-2021