Abortion Quick Facts 6/29/2022
This page provides some of the most important information about abortion in an easily accessible format. All information is from evidence-based sources, and the links are included accordingly.
Incidence of Abortion
1 in 4 women will have an abortion by the time they turn 45.
Half of all pregnancies are unintended, and about half of unintentional pregnancies end in abortion. https://msfchoice-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/students_msfc_org/EUJqAI19owpLpzlTbQfWDI8BY5D9jBsXW2EIx5MDDCHeNw?rtime=KnEXONdX2kg&PreviousSessionID=84473a99-79d0-41b8-8d27-e9124bb4f78e
The number of abortions performed annually in the US has been on the decline since the 1990s but has increased since 2017.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/24/what-the-data-says-about-abortion-in-the-u-s-2/
Abortion is common around the world. 96% of countries allow abortion to save the life of the mother. 42% of countries allow abortions for reasons besides the mother's health, and 30% allow abortions on request or for any reason but may have gestational limits.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/06/how-abortion-is-regulated-around-the-world/
Abortion Demographics
Most women having an abortion have never had one before.
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/06/24/what-the-data-says-about-abortion-in-the-u-s-2/
Most women who get an abortion in the US are already mothers, religiously affiliated, in their 20s, and are low-income.
https://msfchoice-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/students_msfc_org/EUJqAI19owpLpzlTbQfWDI8BY5D9jBsXW2EIx5MDDCHeNw?rtime=KnEXONdX2kg
Religious women of all denominations get abortions, even Catholics.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/06/1096676197/7-persistent-claims-about-abortion-fact-checked
About the Procedure
Early and later abortions are safe, medically necessary procedures. They are many times safer than childbirth.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/06/1096676197/7-persistent-claims-about-abortion-fact-checked
56% of legal abortions are surgical, while 44% (and rising) are medication abortions.
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states
The abortion complication rate in the US is currently 2%. The National Center for Biotechnology Information says that “most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications.” At the same time, US maternal mortality is the highest among all other high-income nations.
Black and Indigenous women in the US are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Restrictions on abortion access and maternal health consequences fall disproportionately on marginalized groups.
https://reproductiverights.org/
Upwards of 90% of abortions occur during the first trimester (before 13 weeks of gestation), 6% occur between 14 and 20 weeks, and only 1% are performed at 21 weeks or later.
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/06/1096676197/7-persistent-claims-about-abortion-fact-checked
Many women do not discover they are pregnant immediately, making it difficult to obtain an abortion before early gestational restrictions.
Abortion Finances
Abortion is expensive, and more than 50% of abortion patients pay out of pocket. The cost of an abortion in the US varies based on gestational age; earlier abortions may be around $500, but later abortions can be upwards of $1,500. Additionally, there are many indirect costs; transportation, hotels, childcare, and lost wages from work.
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states
Insurance does not necessarily cover abortion services, and patients may also forgo using their insurance for confidentiality reasons.
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states
The Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal dollars for abortion coverage for people enrolled in Medicaid and other federal programs. But since the federal government and states jointly finance Medicaid, states may use their contributions to the program to fund abortions. However, only a minority of them do.
https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-united-states
Opinions on Abortion
61% of Americans think abortion should be legal in most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal.
Every major medical association in the US and worldwide supports unhindered access to abortion. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “safe, legal abortion is a necessary component of women’s health care.”
Abortion was not always a partisan issue but has been used to galvanize certain political groups. For instance, the Republican party under Reagan first took an anti-abortion stance to gain the favor of the Evangelical Christians, who they thought to be an important voting bloc. Over time, the partisan split has widened.
Abortion Access and Legislation
Abortion has a complicated legislative history in the US, but this has not prevented hundreds of thousands of women from receiving abortions each year.
90% of counties do not have a single abortion provider. Many women must travel hundreds of miles to get to a provider, and this is only worsening now that Roe v Wade was overturned.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/24/abortion-laws-by-state-roe-v-wade-00037695
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/24/abortion-laws-by-state-map-clinics
US states have passed nearly 500 laws restricting abortion access since 2011.
https://reproductiverights.org/
Abortion is already banned in 9 states, with more to follow as trigger bans take effect and new legislation is passed.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/24/abortion-laws-by-state-roe-v-wade-00037695
Consequences of Abortion
Limiting access to abortion makes endangers patients in numerous other ways. Laws banning abortion do not stop abortion. Policies restricting access create an environment where unsafe procedures flourish, and complications abound. This also causes people to spend more time and money to get access.
The abundance of misinformation about abortion is used to fuel anti-abortion sentiment. Groups cite falsehoods and unfounded claims, such as “fetal pain,” to promote legislation despite these claims having been refuted by medical evidence, clinical experience, and public health data. https://rewirenewsgroup.com/article/2019/02/05/reporters-must-do-better-on-abortion-six-facts-you-should-know/
Laws and policies that restrict early abortion careforce women to delay their abortion, leading to an increase in the number of later abortions which have higher complication rates
A large, longitudinal study called the Turnaway Study found that abortion does not harm mental health or cause breast cancer or any other medical problems. In fact, women who are denied a wanted abortion experince long term consequens usch as increased likelihood of poverty, partner violence, adverse childhood events, and chonric health conditions.
https://www.ansirh.org/research/ongoing/turnaway-study
A vast majority of women feel confident in their choice of abortion years later. In the Turnaway Study, 95% of women said abortion was the right decision.
https://bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/sites/bixbycenter.ucsf.edu/files/Turnaway_Study_summary_web.pdf
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