Understanding Why Women Seek Abortions in the US

Overview

Journal BMC Womens Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Gynecology & Obstetrics

Date 2013 Jul 9

PMID 23829590

Citations 59

Authors

M Antonia Biggs

Heather Gould

Diana Greene Foster

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The current political climate with regards to abortion in the US, along with the economic recession may be affecting women's reasons for seeking abortion, warranting a new investigation into the reasons why women seek abortion.

Methods: Data for this study were drawn from baseline quantitative and qualitative data from the Turnaway Study, an ongoing, five-year, longitudinal study evaluating the health and socioeconomic consequences of receiving or being denied an abortion in the US. While the study has followed women for over two full years, it relies on the baseline data which were collected from 2008 through the end of 2010. The sample included 954 women from 30 abortion facilities across the US who responded to two open ended questions regarding the reasons why they wanted to terminate their pregnancy approximately one week after seeking an abortion.

Results: Women's reasons for seeking an abortion fell into 11 broad themes. The predominant themes identified as reasons for seeking abortion included financial reasons (40%), timing (36%), partner related reasons (31%), and the need to focus on other children (29%). Most women reported multiple reasons for seeking an abortion crossing over several themes (64%). Using mixed effects multivariate logistic regression analyses, we identified the social and demographic predictors of the predominant themes women gave for seeking an abortion.

Conclusions: Study findings demonstrate that the reasons women seek abortion are complex and interrelated, similar to those found in previous studies. While some women stated only one factor that contributed to their desire to terminate their pregnancies, others pointed to a myriad of factors that, cumulatively, resulted in their seeking abortion. As indicated by the differences we observed among women's reasons by individual characteristics, women seek abortion for reasons related to their circumstances, including their socioeconomic status, age, health, parity and marital status. It is important that policy makers consider women's motivations for choosing abortion, as decisions to support or oppose such legislation could have profound effects on the health, socioeconomic outcomes and life trajectories of women facing unwanted pregnancies.

Citing Articles

Examining the role of social determinants of health in maternal mental health screening and treatment engagement during the perinatal period.

Holcomb L, Maldonado L, Nietert P, Hayes M, Witcraft S, Newman R Biol Sex Differ. 2025; 16(1):11.

PMID: 39939867 PMC: 11823023. DOI: 10.1186/s13293-025-00687-7.

Why Men Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives From Urban Family Planning Clinics in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Heath J, Nguyen B Am J Mens Health. 2025; 19(1):15579883241307795.

PMID: 39930745 PMC: 11811970. DOI: 10.1177/15579883241307795.

Lifetime Practice and Intention to Use Contraception After Induced Abortion Among Serbian Women in Belgrade.

Gazibara T, Bila J, Tulic L, Maksimovic N, Maksimovic J, Stojnic J Medicina (Kaunas). 2025; 60(12.

PMID: 39768825 PMC: 11678184. DOI: 10.3390/medicina60121944.

"It was a foregone conclusion": a qualitative study of women's experiences and meaning-making of later-in-life abortion in Belgium.

Verghote K, Neeser N, Wangmo T, Pennings G, Provoost V Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2025; 32(1):2444719.

PMID: 39757839 PMC: 11780692. DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2024.2444719.

[Abortions and the life course: insights based on pairfam data].

Minkus L Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz. 2024; 68(1):11-18.

PMID: 39714479 PMC: 11732963. DOI: 10.1007/s00103-024-03997-0.

References

Barash A, Shoham Z, BORENSTEIN R, Nebel L . Development of human embryos in the presence of a copper intrauterine device. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1990; 29(3):203-6. DOI: 10.1159/000293380. View

Waller D, Gallaway M, Taylor L, Ramadhani T, Canfield M, Scheuerle A . Use of oral contraceptives in pregnancy and major structural birth defects in offspring. Epidemiology. 2010; 21(2):232-9. DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0b013e3181c9fbb3. View

Jones R, Finer L . Who has second-trimester abortions in the United States?. Contraception. 2011; 85(6):544-51. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2011.10.012. View

Ellison M . Authoritative knowledge and single women's unintentional pregnancies, abortions, adoption, and single motherhood: social stigma and structural violence. Med Anthropol Q. 2003; 17(3):322-47. DOI: 10.1525/maq.2003.17.3.322. View

Shellenberg K, Moore A, Bankole A, Juarez F, Omideyi A, Palomino N . Social stigma and disclosure about induced abortion: results from an exploratory study. Glob Public Health. 2011; 6 Suppl 1:S111-25. DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2011.594072. View

Norris A, Bessett D, Steinberg J, Kavanaugh M, De Zordo S, Becker D . Abortion stigma: a reconceptualization of constituents, causes, and consequences. Womens Health Issues. 2011; 21(3 Suppl):S49-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2011.02.010. View

Barrett G, Smith S, Wellings K . Conceptualisation, development, and evaluation of a measure of unplanned pregnancy. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004; 58(5):426-33. PMC: 1732751. DOI: 10.1136/jech.2003.014787. View

Finer L, Frohwirth L, Dauphinee L, Singh S, Moore A . Reasons U.S. women have abortions: quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2005; 37(3):110-8. DOI: 10.1363/psrh.37.110.05. View

Jones R, Darroch J, Henshaw S . Patterns in the socioeconomic characteristics of women obtaining abortions in 2000-2001. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2002; 34(5):226-35. View

10.

Jones R, Kavanaugh M . Changes in abortion rates between 2000 and 2008 and lifetime incidence of abortion. Obstet Gynecol. 2011; 117(6):1358-1366. DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31821c405e. View

11.

Kirkman M, Rowe H, Hardiman A, Mallett S, Rosenthal D . Reasons women give for abortion: a review of the literature. Arch Womens Ment Health. 2009; 12(6):365-78. DOI: 10.1007/s00737-009-0084-3. View

12.

Gould H, Perrucci A, Barar R, Sinkford D, Foster D . Patient education and emotional support practices in abortion care facilities in the United States. Womens Health Issues. 2012; 22(4):e359-64. DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2012.04.003. View

13.

Pardthaisong T, Yenchit C, Gray R . The long-term growth and development of children exposed to Depo-Provera during pregnancy or lactation. Contraception. 1992; 45(4):313-24. DOI: 10.1016/0010-7824(92)90053-v. View

14.

Santelli J, Speizer I, Avery A, Kendall C . An exploration of the dimensions of pregnancy intentions among women choosing to terminate pregnancy or to initiate prenatal care in New Orleans, Louisiana. Am J Public Health. 2006; 96(11):2009-15. PMC: 1751822. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2005.064584. View

15.

Glander S, Moore M, Michielutte R, Parsons L . The prevalence of domestic violence among women seeking abortion. Obstet Gynecol. 1998; 91(6):1002-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0029-7844(98)00089-1. View

16.

Jones R, Kooistra K . Abortion incidence and access to services in the United States, 2008. Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2011; 43(1):41-50. DOI: 10.1363/4304111. View

17.

Foster D, Kimport K, Gould H, Roberts S, Weitz T . Effect of abortion protesters on women's emotional response to abortion. Contraception. 2012; 87(1):81-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2012.09.005. View

18.

Torres A, Forrest J . Why do women have abortions?. Fam Plann Perspect. 1988; 20(4):169-76. View

19.

Kumar A, Hessini L, Mitchell E . Conceptualising abortion stigma. Cult Health Sex. 2009; 11(6):625-39. DOI: 10.1080/13691050902842741. View

20.

Roberts S, Avalos L, Sinkford D, Foster D . Alcohol, tobacco and drug use as reasons for abortion. Alcohol Alcohol. 2012; 47(6):640-8. DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/ags095. View