Fact
Abortion myths and evidence
Several widely repeated claims about abortion are not supported by the strongest current evidence, including the claim that abortion causes breast cancer, the claim that abortion in itself causes infertility, and the claim that a medication abortion can be reversed. Each entry below states the verdict, the evidence behind it, and what that evidence cannot settle.
This page states what the strongest current evidence supports on widely searched claims, along with the limits of that evidence. It does not predict what will happen to any individual.
How claims are handled here
Every entry follows the same structure.
- The claim, stated in neutral language rather than in its most alarming form.
- A verdict, given without ridicule.
- What the strongest current evidence shows.
- What that evidence cannot prove.
- Why the claim persists.
- A link to the primary source.
Two rules apply throughout. Disproven claims are not presented as an open debate, because false balance misleads. And genuine uncertainty is described as uncertainty rather than being used to suggest that all claims are equally credible.
The rating key
| Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|
| Not supported by the evidence | The best available evidence does not support the claim, and in several cases directly contradicts it. |
| Partly supported, with important limits | Something real sits behind the claim, but it is narrower or more conditional than the claim as usually stated. |
| Supported by the evidence | The claim matches what the evidence shows, within the limits described. |
Abortion and breast cancer
Claim. Having an abortion increases a person's risk of breast cancer.
Verdict. Not supported by the evidence.
What the evidence shows. The National Cancer Institute's summary of reproductive history and cancer risk concludes that abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk. The stronger studies on this question follow people forward in time rather than asking them afterwards about past events.
What the evidence cannot prove. No study can prove that any exposure has exactly zero effect in every subgroup. The conclusion is that no increase in risk has been demonstrated by the stronger designs, not that every possible question about every population has been asked.
Why the claim persists. Some early studies asked people who already had breast cancer to recall past pregnancies and abortions. People with a serious diagnosis tend to report past events more completely than people without one, which can create an apparent association where none exists. This is called recall bias, and study designs that avoid it do not find the association.
Source. National Cancer Institute, Reproductive History and Cancer Risk.
Abortion and future fertility
Claim. Having an abortion makes a person infertile.
Verdict. Not supported by the evidence.
What the evidence shows. Abortion using recommended methods, provided by trained clinicians, is not shown to cause infertility. It is possible to become pregnant again very soon afterwards, including before the first period returns, which is why contraception may be discussed for people who want it.
What the evidence cannot prove. Complications are uncommon, but they exist, and a serious untreated infection of the reproductive organs can affect fertility whatever its cause. That is a statement about complications, not about abortion in itself, and it is another reason the urgent-help signs matter.
Why the claim persists. It is emotionally powerful, it is difficult for an individual to disprove from personal experience, and fertility has many causes that are hard to attribute.
Source. ACOG patient information about induced abortion.
Medication abortion reversal
Claim. A medication abortion can be reversed after the first medicine has been taken.
Verdict. Not supported by the evidence.
What the evidence shows. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that this claim is not supported by science. One attempted clinical trial of the approach was stopped early over safety concerns among participants.
What the evidence cannot prove. The evidence base here is small, and the strongest available statement is that the claim is unsupported rather than that every possible protocol has been tested and disproven. That distinction is real, and it is not a reason to treat the claim as established.
Why the claim persists. It is promoted actively, and it offers a reassuring story to someone who is uncertain. Uncertainty after starting any medical process is common, and the honest response to it is to contact the prescribing clinician, not to follow an unproven protocol.
Source. ACOG, Medication Abortion Reversal Is Not Supported by Science.
Emergency contraception and abortion medication
Claim. Emergency contraception and abortion medication are the same thing.
Verdict. Not supported by the evidence.
What the evidence shows. They are different medicines with different purposes. Emergency contraception is intended to prevent pregnancy after sex. Abortion medication is prescribed to end an existing pregnancy. They are not interchangeable, and one cannot be substituted for the other.
What the evidence cannot prove. This entry is about what the products are and what they are approved for, which is a matter of labelling rather than of contested research.
Why the claim persists. The two are frequently discussed together in political conversation, and the phrase "morning-after pill" gets applied loosely to both.
Source. FDA information on mifepristone.
Viability as a fixed week
Claim. Viability happens at one specific week of pregnancy.
Verdict. Not supported by the evidence.
What the evidence shows. Clinicians describe viability as a range that depends on the individual pregnancy and on the neonatal care available, not as a single universal point. Outcomes near the edges of that range vary considerably.
What the evidence cannot prove. The range itself is not fixed across time or place, because it depends in part on available neonatal services. Anyone quoting a specific week should say what they are describing and where.
Why the claim persists. A single number is easier to legislate with and easier to argue about than a range.
Source. WHO clinical guideline on abortion.
What CDC surveillance does and does not count
Claim. The CDC publishes the total number of abortions in the United States.
Verdict. Partly supported, with important limits.
What the evidence shows. The CDC publishes an annual Abortion Surveillance report. It is compiled from what reporting areas voluntarily send in. Not every jurisdiction reports, and which ones report has changed over time.
What the evidence cannot prove. It is not a complete national census, and it is not directly comparable with independent survey estimates that use different methods. Comparing figures from different sources without saying so produces misleading trends.
Why the claim persists. It is a government figure, and government figures are often assumed to be complete.
Source. CDC Abortion Surveillance System. The data section explains this in more detail.
Correcting this page
If you think a verdict here is wrong, out of date, or misses a stronger source, the corrections process explains how to say so. Substantive corrections are logged in public with a date.