The story is as short as you choose to treat the subject. The abortion plotline can last an entire novel, if it affects the character significantly... while "girl has baby and lives happily ever after with man" is often the end of stories, particularly romances.

Like I said, I don't believe it's about how it affects a story. From a writing perspective, that's utterly malleable.


As to it being a harder topic to deal with... that I can wholeheartedly agree with...!