Most previous research investigations on the post abortion experience studied women up to two years post abortion. The findings of many of these short-term studies indicate that 5-20% of women have severe psychiatric distress two years after the abortion. Little is known about the long-term effects of an abortion in women who experienced the event.

The purpose of this study was to explore the abortion experience in women who had a legal, elective, first trimester, induced abortion > 5 years before the interview. The main objective of the study was to learn how each woman was affected by the abortion and how she integrated the experience into her life. The participants were recruited through personal contacts, third-party contacts and in response to recruitment fliers. Seventeen women ages 23 to 60 described their abortion experience. They ranged from 14 to 43 years of age at their first abortion. The average post abortion length was 18.9 years, with a range of 6 to 31 years.

A phenomenological approach was used to analyze the in-depth interviews of the 17 participants. Five themes of the long-term post abortion experience evolved from these women's stories: Making the Decision, Coping with the Memories, Gaining Perspective, Seeking Help, and Recognizing Its Worth. Within these themes were twenty one sub-themes including degrees of certainty, keeping a secret, uncovering grief, religious beliefs, the aborted fetus, memory triggers, the changing stages of womanhood, and changing life's course.

The post abortion experience was a unique journey for each woman. Some women were highly satisfied with their choice; others experienced deep, traumatic turmoil. Integration of the abortion experience into a woman's lifestyle was influenced by the individual's personality, the impact of significant events and relationships and the passage of time. A preliminary theoretical model of integration of the post abortion experience is proposed. Implications for nursing practice include the recognition of the impact an abortion can have on women's lives and the acknowledgement of negative post abortion effects in some women as well as the crucial issue of the prevention of undesired pregnancies.