PASS stands for Post-Abortion Stress Syndrome, and it refers to a group of problems
that some women develop after having an abortion. These problems range from depression
and anger to addictions, nightmares, and flashbacks. The information used to create
this checklist was gathered by doctors (both pro-choice and pro-life) who wanted
to know if there were certain characteristics that women who later suffered from
PASS shared before the abortion. It can be used to identify women who are potentially
at a high risk to develop PASS.
There is no clear-cut mathematical formula to tell you your chance of having PASS.
The odds go up with each box checked. Even if you only check one box, you may develop
PASS ranging anywhere from mild regret to severe depression. In other words, the
number of boxes checked and the level of PASS you may suffer from are unrelated.
What these boxes do tell us is the likelihood that you will suffer from some sort
of post-abortion stress. If you discover that you have checked many of the boxes
(there are 50 boxes in all), you may want to reconsider if you were planning on having
an abortion. Try to discover why you feel you need to have an abortion when it seems
there is a high chance that you will feel regret and guilt afterward.
As you read through the list, it might be tempting to not check certain boxes that
might make you waver in your decision. This is ultimately up to you, but you will
only be doing yourself a disservice by not being completely honest about the way
you feel. Take your time, and try to go with your gut instinct.
