Who Gets an Abortion in the US?
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The latest data from the CDC indicates that 60% of patients undergoing abortion are already mothers.
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding abortion and the women that get them. Nearly 50 years ago, in 1973, Roe v. Wade was passed, and since then, mothers seeking abortion have grown slowly but steadily. In 1974, 46% of women seeking abortions were mothers. In 1989, the percentage rose to 50%. Between 2004 and 2014, the number increased to 60%, and since then the rise has been relatively consistent.
According to the CDC 1⁄3 of mothers seeking abortion already have two or more children. There are a number of reasons that women choose abortions, but the fact that the majority of women seeking abortions recently are already mothers is notable.
This speaks to two very important factors;
Abortion services are as important for women as other reproductive healthcare services, such as prenatal and postnatal care.
The whole process of taking care of a child from conception to adulthood requires much sacrifice, and so women who have lived through it already will not want to relive the process.
Increasing Abortion Rates
After a 30 year decline in abortion rates, we started to see a rise in abortion rates. Abortion rates in 1973 were 16.3% per 1000 women. The data collected was on women aged 15 to 44. In 2017, the rate dropped to 13.5%, which was followed by a steady decline up until 2020. A new report that year found the rate had increased to 14.4% per 1000 women, which reflected a 7% increase since 2017.
We can assume that the steady decline that was seen was all due to better use of contraceptives and an improved education on sexual and reproductive health. But this could also be as a result of an increase in abortion bans across the country. One of the aforementioned reports indicated that there were “no clear patterns” that would explain the increase.
There was also abortion care coverage offered by Medicaid, so that low-income and poor patients could now afford to get abortions safely and affordably. There was also an increase in local and national abortion funds, so more people could get help to pay for abortions. There were some who even had the opportunity to offset some of the restrictions implemented by the state that would limit a woman’s access to abortion.
We all agree that women should have complete autonomy over their bodies and their ability to make their own health decisions. But when we remove access to abortion, it is akin to removing other key parts of women’s health care that limit our autonomy.
Women seeking abortion are patients and have the same right to dignity, privacy, respect and support as women accessing any other type of health care. Healthcare should be provided free of political interference in the relationship between the patient and physician.
The Choice Comes Down to Quality of Life
Many believe that the women choosing abortion are not considering the life of their unborn child. But on the contrary, most of these women are thinking about the quality of life that will be afforded to their child if they proceed with the pregnancy.
Survey data from the Guttmacher Institute in 2004 shows that some women choose to terminate a pregnancy because it would hinder their ability to take care of their dependents. The same survey found that 40% of those women were done with having children, where only a third of the participants indicated they were not ready to have children.
In the United States, it is mothers that make up the majority of women seeking abortion. We are at a time where women do not have a lot of support. The challenges women face include;
No paid parental leave
A shortage of childcare workers
Sky high child care expenses
No universal pre-K
No universal healthcare
Financial burden of raising children
The physical burden of raising children
The emotional burden of raising children
When a woman is denied an abortion, the impacts on her and the child are significant. A 2018 landmark study (The Turnaway Study) collected responses from approximately 1,000 women. These responses were collected over a five year period. The responses showed that most women were turned away because they were too far along with their pregnancy. The women who were turned away have a 4 times higher likelihood that their children will live in poverty.
In addition to being more likely to live in poverty, another analysis showed that children of mothers who were denied an abortion are less likely to bond with their mother when compared to children born to mothers who had access to an abortion.
Also to be considered is the high maternal mortality rate of the United States, which is a significant risk for leaving the existing kids without a mother.
Women seeking abortion, who are also mothers, are considering not just the life of their unborn child, but also the life and wellbeing of their other children and family on a whole. Pregnancy in and of itself is more dangerous to a mother than an abortion.
While the choice to have an abortion is complex, it is far more complex when the abortion seeker is a mother. Mothers making the decision to have an unwanted pregnancy are putting the needs of their current family first. They are making the decision, which is the best decision for themselves and their families at the time. And that is what mothers do. With the overturn of ROE v. Wade, we are denying mothers the right to do their best as mothers.
What Options Do Women Have in Post-Roe America?
It is not until you need an abortion that most people think of one. But with access now gone, women are left with the onus of planning their futures and sticking to that plan. In a perfect world, a woman would find it easy to access abortion. We would be able to grab pills at the drugstore or make an appointment without a gynecologist the minute we realized we needed it. But unfortunately, we live in modern-day America where abortion access is near impossible.
States considered safe, such as New York and California, have abortion pills available, but they are very pricey and heavily restricted. Only a few gynecologists offer abortion services from their private practices, and so a woman would have to find a specialized clinic. This is another challenge, as it can be easy to confuse crisis pregnancy centers with abortion providers, which they are not.
We only expect things to get worse from here on out. With expansive bans in places like Texas, where abortion has been rendered functionally inaccessible, and we can expect access to disappear across half of America. None of us are safe from these bans. Even those in home states where abortion rights are legal, you will be facing an influx of patients from other states, which will tax a system that is already overstressed.
If you are reading this, I implore you to make an abortion access plan, so you don’t end up frustrated and forced to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term.
What is the Right Abortion Method to Choose?
There are two types of abortion, they are medical and surgical. Medical abortion entails the use of abortion pills to induce a miscarriage. A surgical option provides abortion provided by a trained professional that uses dilation and curettage or vacuum aspiration to empty the uterus of its contents.
Each method has its pros and cons. For a surgical abortion, you will have to travel to a clinic, but the whole process is done quickly. When you can take advantage of a medical abortion, you can pretty much take the pills anywhere. With our current environment, though, you may have to travel to be able to access the pills.
It is important to note, though, that not every woman can do a medical abortion. Women with an IUD or those who have a more advanced pregnancy will need to undergo a surgical abortion.
Learn about each type and decide which option you would like to access if you are ever in the position where you need an abortion.
How Do I Find My Closest Abortion Provider?
There is an Abortion Finder database that has multiple, verified and trusted abortion providers across the United States. A Google search may also provide some anti-abortion organizations when you search for an abortion clinic, so we recommend using the database. The database does not only provide you with a location for the providers, but it also provides information on the relevant laws in the home state of the provider. So the database has filters that can help you find the closest clinic that meets your needs. You can filter for clinics with shorter waiting periods, clinics that will provide an abortion after 6 weeks, etc.
If you are considering a medical abortion, you will have even more resources at your disposal. Research shows that taking these pills at home on your own is just as safe as taking them in the presence of a doctor. You can find a database of abortion pill providers at Plan C. You will find support through telehealth services and even online pharmacies that can mail the pills to you if you don’t want the additional support.
If Abortion is Illegal in My State - What Do I Do?
You can still access medical abortion if abortion is illegal in your state. You will have to travel to a state where abortion is legal, so the pills can be mailed to you there. AidAccess is a European site that can connect you with an Indian pharmacy that can send abortion pills to all the US states, regardless of the state’s abortion laws. AidAccess allows the prescribing of abortion pills to women before they need it, so they will have access if they ever do. This is necessary sometimes, since of course receiving pills in the mail can take a while - a couple weeks even. We think this is just an awesome option, as it really allows you to plan ahead and gives you control over your body and your right to make decisions about your reproductive health.
Other Things to Note
Abortion pills are known to be safe, but it can be very intimidating when you have to take them on your own. If you need support, there are a number of websites that offer you help with the process of taking and self-managing while taking these pills.
If emotional support is what you need the most, you can find this at Reprocare Healthline.
It is important to note that while safe, there are legal risks, especially for women that live in states where abortion is illegal. You have access to a confidential and free helpline; the Repro Legal Helpline. They can provide you with advice and information if you need more to self manage your abortion. If you have a need for legal defense or need bail, you can get help from the Repro Legal Defense Fund.
Regardless of the type of abortion you get, there is a financial burden. There will be the cost of travel expenses if you need to travel, and the cost of medication if you need those outside of the surgical costs of the procedure. If we are being honest and planning ahead wisely, you will need to create a realistic budget or savings fund for an abortion should an unplanned pregnancy arise.
If you end up in need of an absorption before you have had time to save, Abortion funds can help. Likewise, if you are reading and would like to support abortion access, you can donate to abortion funds or you can donate to independent clinics as well.
All women deserve affordable, safe and easy to access abortion. The United States is clearly on the wrong tracks when it comes to abortion rights. These changes in the abortion law will hurt many pregnant people. If you need an abortion, please know that you are not alone. There are a variety of services available to help you get the care that you need. And now you know exactly where to find that help using the included links in this article.