Crisis pregnancy organisation Gianna Care has reported an increase in clients looking for post-abortion care, with some describing the experience as “very, very traumatic”.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Gianna Care director Carolyn O’Meara said that they recently received 10 contacts in one week from clients who found the experience more difficult than “they expected or were told”.
“They’re women who have gone through mainly the medical abortion, which is where they’ve taken the pill and they’ve had a medical abortion, usually at home,” Ms O’Meara said.
She said the women who came to them found the physical suffering from abortion “lasted longer than expected,” and that the graphic nature of the procedure took the women by surprise.
The trauma or suffering can include nightmares, an inability to look at new babies and difficulty walking down aisles with baby products in shops, with Ms O’Meara saying they’ve seen instances of each of these with clients.
In terms of support, Gianna Care has continued to receive contacts by helpline, email and live chat throughout the pandemic, with many of those getting in contact finding it difficult to explain why they’re reaching out.
“At first, women find it difficult to tell us why they’re contacting. It might take two or three messages before they’ll tell us why they’re contacting,” Ms O’Meara said.
“We just very gently from the get-go reassure them that we’re there to listen and help, but that we understand.
“We understand that they’re suffering. I think that’s the number one thing to say to women from the very beginning when they contact you with post-abortion suffering or trauma, is to say we understand that this was probably really upsetting for you.”
Prior to the pandemic, Gianna Care ran a monthly “peer-support” post-abortion support group, both men and women attending, with Ms O’Meara saying that most people did manage to find some level of relief.
