In its simplest definition, abortion means the termination of an unwanted pregnancy by various methods. However, not wanting to be pregnant is itself the subject of ethical, political, and legal debates and practices. In other words, whether or not she wants to bring a child into the world is not seen as a matter that a woman can decide on her own as an individual [1]. Family planning is when couples can have as many children as they want, whenever they want. Couples need to benefit from family planning services adequately. As a result, both unwanted pregnancies and excessive fertility will be prevented, mother-child health and public health will be positively affected, and the effective use of country resources will be realized [1]. Although there have been important developments as a result of the policies implemented in our country for about 30 years, the use of family planning methods has still not reached the desired levels [2, 3, 4]. Unwanted pregnancies are an important medical, social, and social health problem [5]. The World Health Organization states that approximately 84 million unintended pregnancies occur each year [6]. An average of 46 million abortions occur each year and 17 thousand women die due to unsafe abortions [7]. The fact that the rate of use of modern contraception methods is not at the desired level in Turkey and the application rates for abortion is still high are seen as an important problem in terms of women’s health [8]. Family planning services are provided free of charge by the Ministry of Health in Turkey. These services are carried out by health personnel trained in family planning centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health. Despite the free provision of these services, the high rates of unwanted pregnancy and legal abortion show that women do not know this issue. In our study, the causes of legal abortion, the demographic characteristics of the patients, and the development of depression were investigated. We aim to make available data a great contribution to family planning services.

Our study aims to learn the reasons for abortion in patients who come for legal abortion and to contribute to family planning and various planning for these reasons. It is also to contribute to the health plans to be made according to the demographic characteristics of the patients. To determine the rate of depression that will develop after curettage in patients and to draw attention to the need for psychiatric support in patients who come for legal curettage. Our study was conducted in Turkey. Our study is a study that examines the Beck depression inventory (BDI) scores of the mothers before and after legal pregnancy discharge and the effects on the social life of the mothers after the legal termination of pregnancy. At the same time, BDI scores of fathers after legal termination of pregnancy were compared with mothers. For these reasons, it is one of the rare studies that will contribute to the literature.

The general characteristics of the patients included in the study are given in Table 1. The demographic characteristics and legal abortion requests of the patients included in the study are given in Table 2. While the mean BDI score of the mothers before the legal termination of pregnancy was 10.1143 $\pm$ 0.637, it was 19.457 $\pm$ 1.722 after the procedure. It was observed that there was a statistically significant difference in the post-procedure BDI scores of the mothers compared to the pre-procedure (p = 0.00) (Table 3). The fathers’ pre-procedural BDI score was 6.28 $\pm$ 1.12. The post-procedure BDI score of the fathers was 7.25 $\pm$ 1.14. There was no statistically significant difference in the BDI scores of the fathers before and after the procedure (p = 0.956) (Table 3). While the mean BDI score of the mothers was determined as 19.45 $\pm$ 1.72, the mean BDI score of the fathers was determined as 7.25 $\pm$ 1.14. After the legal abortion, the mothers’ BDI scores were found to be statistically significantly higher than the father’s (p = 0.00) (Table 4). 14.3% minimal depression, 28.6% mild depression, 37.1% moderate depression, and 20% severe depression were detected in mothers. 34.3% minimal depression, 28.6% mild depression, 5.7% moderate depression, and 2.9% severe depression were detected in fathers. The incidence of moderate and severe depression in mothers was statistically significant compared to fathers (p = 0.00) (Table 5). The spouses of 10 patients were absent. The work-life of 57.1%, the social life of 45.7%, the private life of 71.4%, and the sexual life of 82.9% of women who had a legal abortion were affected. The data are given in Table 6.

Worldwide, approximately 73 million abortions are performed each year, and more than 90% occur in the first trimester [9, 10]. While women generally cope with psychological problems related to abortion, some experience psychological problems [11, 12, 13]. The Transactional Model, derived from stress and coping theories, for example, can help explain the factors that influence women’s responses to the experience of abortion. According to this model, a woman’s psychological experience is shaped by how she evaluates the importance of abortion and her coping skills. Perceived stress arises from situations in which women assess that they exceed their coping abilities or resources. Women’s perceptions of stress can influence the choice of certain coping behaviors and subsequently their psychological well-being [14]. In our study, the rate of moderate and severe depression in mothers was determined as 57.1%. In our study, mothers with moderate and severe depression were given psychiatric support. Farnoosh Moafi et al. [15] conducted a study on 185 women who had spontaneous abortions between 2015 and 2016. In this study, they found the rate of depression in patients to be 54%. In this study, it was reported that religious belief, gestational age at the time of abortion, and education level contributed to the development of depression [15]. In a different study, the rate of depression was reported as 7.9% after curettage [16]. In a review of 23 studies among American women, factors such as the previous history of mental health problems, gestational age, low self-esteem, low resilience, poor ability to cope with abortion, indecision about the decision to have an abortion, stigma, and low social support were effective in influencing female psychology [12]. In our study, the post-procedural BDI scores of the mothers were significantly higher than before the procedure. In a study conducted on 253 women who requested an abortion in a tertiary hospital in Beijing in 2021, the stress level was found to be 25.3%, and the depression level was 22.5% [17]. CERAN and TAŞDEMİR conducted a study on depression and anxiety in patients who had a legal abortion and were aborted for medical reasons. In the study, moderate-severe depression was found to be statistically higher in the group seeking legal termination of pregnancy than in the medically aborted group (31.4%, 5.7%, p 0.05, respectively) [18]. Similarly, moderate-severe anxiety was 34.3% in the group seeking legal termination of pregnancy and 8.6% in the medically-induced abortion group, and a statistical difference was observed (p 0.05) [18]. Jennifer Kerns et al. [19] conducted a study involving 80 women. The results of the study revealed that self-judgment during abortion was significantly associated with increased post-abortion grief ($\beta$ = 2.5 and p = 0.02) [19]. No statistical relationship was found between self-judgment and post-traumatic stress disorder and/or mental health [19]. There are various studies on abortions in the literature. Zahra Tavoli et al. [20] showed that women with recurrent miscarriages reported intense functional disability and lower well-being compared to women who did not have recurrent miscarriages. The results of our study are compatible with the existing literature. In our study, it was found that women’s private and sexual lives were significantly affected after the legal termination of pregnancy. Our study is a study that will contribute to the literature in terms of evaluating work, social, private, and sexual life. Again, in our study, fathers’ BDI scores were examined and they were found to be lower than mothers. It is thought that this finding will contribute to the existing literature. Hajnasiri et al. [21] In a study they conducted, found that the rates of depression increased after curettage. As a result of this study, they stated that post-abortion counseling can reduce the amount of depression and anxiety, and the necessary consultations in follow-up can be effective in improving women’s health [21]. In a study by Sheila Faure and Helene Loxton [22], they reported that high anxiety and moderate depression were observed before abortion and gradually decreased within three weeks. Richa Sharma et al. [23] conducted a study on 196 patients in India. As a result of this study, they showed that the rate of depression before curettage was 6.1% and increased to 10.7% 1 month after curettage. They stated that after abortion, interpersonal, spouse, and mother-child relationships were greatly affected [23]. In our study, depression rates were found to be high in mothers after abortion. Again, BDI scores are significantly higher after curettage compared to the time of the first admission. These findings show that depression after abortion is at a substantial level in mothers. Existing literature supports our findings. Again, the BDI scores of the fathers (7.257 $\pm$ 1.146) were significantly lower than the mothers (19.457 $\pm$ 1.722). We hope that this result will contribute to the literature. Again, the rates of impact on work, social, private, and sexual health after the procedure are at a considerable level. Even if it is voluntary, termination of pregnancy is a traumatic situation for mothers. Necessary information and psychiatric support are important for mothers at every stage.

Our study is a single-center multidisciplinary study. Although it has the advantage of being a prospective study, the number of patients is small. There is a need for multicenter, multidisciplinary studies with more patients in this regard.

In our study, it was observed that there were various reasons for voluntary legal termination of pregnancy. The three most common reasons are not being married, not knowing the father of the child, and being in economic distress. The second most common reasons are fear of raising and caring for a child, getting pregnant as a result of family planning mistakes, and thinking that she is too old to be a mother. Other reasons are having more than two children, thinking that it is too early to have a child, pregnancy as a result of extramarital affairs, and not wanting a child in any way. BDI scores increased significantly after legal termination of pregnancy compared to the time of the first admission in mothers. The rate of moderate and severe depression after legal termination of pregnancy in mothers is 57.1%. In our study, mothers with moderate and severe depression were given psychiatric support. Post-procedure mothers are at high risk of depression and medical attention is needed. Compared to mothers, fathers have lower depression scores. Mothers are more affected by legal termination of pregnancy from a psychological point of view. Consideration should be given to providing psychiatric support to mothers.

Datasets are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request after permission from the local authorities.

Extraction and drafting of the manuscript—İK, BB, AY, HY; Analysis of data, manuscript revision—HY, İK; Design and revision—İK, HY; Statistical analysis—İK, BB, AY, HY. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

The study was approved by the ethics committee of the University Faculty of Medicine with Protocol No: 220028 and Decision No: 28. The study was conducted by the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from the patients included in the study.

We would like to express my gratitude to the nurses and health workers of Muğla Ortaca Yücelen Hospital who contributed to the preparation of this article.

This research received no external funding.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.