When abortion at a clinic is not available, one in three pregnant people still determined to end the pregnancy

If they can’t get an abortion at a clinic, one in three women in need of abortions will think about doing it themselves to end their pregnancy. These were the results of a survey I conducted on 700 women seeking abortions in Illinois, California, and New Mexico.

This number is even higher for those who are unable to afford the abortion cost, do not have insurance, or who seek an abortion out of concern about their physical or mental health.

These results give a clear picture of the future as states seek to ban abortion or severely limit access.

Over the past 20 years, research has shown that many pregnant women who are unable to get to an abortion clinic or have a desire to have an easier or more private experience with abortions will attempt to end their pregnancy on their own. These might include self-sourcing abortion pills, alcohol, drugs, or herbal methods.

In 2017, my own research found that 7 percent of U.S. women in reproductive age would use these methods to terminate a pregnancy without the formal healthcare system.

What has changed recently—and dramatically—is access to clinic-based abortion. As of August 30, 2022, 14 states had already implemented abortion bans. Twelve more are expected to follow suit.

These states have a restricted abortion policy and are home to nearly half of all U.S. females of reproductive age. These numbers, along with data about who seeks abortion in the U.S. show that researchers predict that more than 100,000 pregnant women per year will soon have to travel long distances to reach their nearest abortion provider. They may also be unable get an abortion at a clinic.

People will do what they think in our study and around 33,000 people who are pregnant each year will decide to end their pregnancy.

One yet unanswered question is how many of those in need of abortion and unable to get to a clinic will be able to end a pregnancy on their own with a safe and effective method such as the FDA-approved medications mifepristone and misoprostol, or misoprostol alone—versus how many will turn to other, likely less effective, methods with potentially harmful outcomes.

Researchers now have clear evidence that telehealth and mail-order models enabling access to medication abortion without the need for an in-person visit with a health care provider—models accelerated in part by the COVID-19 pandemic—are safe, effective and satisfactory to patients.

These models may not be affordable for everyone, however. This is especially true for those in advanced stages of their pregnancy who cannot afford these models, or who live in one of 19 states that bans telehealth abortion.

Unknown is the number of pregnant women who will be subject to legal consequences for trying to terminate a pregnancy. Although the public is reluctant to criminalize a woman who self-manages an abortion, some state legislators are actively considering such policies. Between 2000 and 2020, more then 61 people were arrested for making such an attempt.

My colleagues and I will continue to document any increase in self-managed abortion by repeating the nationally representative survey we conducted in 2017 and 2021.

Our research has shown that even when abortion is limited, people will still be able to choose their own abortion. Access to abortion pills can be crucial to ensure that those who need to manage their own abortions have the support of the medical, health and advocacy communities.

This article was republished by The Conversation under Creative Commons. The original article is available here.