Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFinancialTimingPartner and Family IssuesOther ChildrenHealth ReasonsLate-Term Abortions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Financial
Timing
Partner and Family Issues
Other Children
Health Reasons
Late-Term Abortions
While every person has unique reasons for seeking an abortion, researchers have found that those who’ve had the procedure report a number of common factors that influenced their decision. Chief among them: financial concerns.
Other top issues that influence this choice are related to not being prepared to be a parent and the relationship with one’s partner.
These findings are the result of a five-year survey of people who have had at least one abortion and were asked to give reasons they chose to terminate their pregnancy.
This article looks at common reasons for abortions and important related considerations.
Economic concerns are the most commonly cited reasons women choose an abortion.There are numerous reasons why one may feel financially unprepared to be a parent.
Overall Cost
Having a child is expensive. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average cost of raising a child (from birth to age 18) is $233,610—or about $13,000 annually.And those figures are from 2015.
With inflation, the estimated cost of raising a child born in 2022 exceeds $310,000, according to Brookings, a nonprofit social policy research group.That’s more than $17,000 a year.
Not Earning Enough
Many people are simply not making enough money to support the financial burden of having a child. Situations that impact financial security include being unemployed or underemployed.
Underemployed means that you are employed but not working in a position that fully uses your skills or pays what your skills are worth.
Lack of Health Insurance
Being uninsured falls under the financial umbrella as well. Government assistance is often available for pregnant women who lack health insurance or have low income, but not everyone qualifies.
Others may have the need but simply not want to rely on such aid.
Affording HealthcareMost Americans qualify forsubsidized coveragethrough an employer or a government program. Don’t assume you cannot get affordable coverage.
Affording Healthcare
Most Americans qualify forsubsidized coveragethrough an employer or a government program. Don’t assume you cannot get affordable coverage.
Options If You’re Pregnant With No Maternity Insurance
Feeling that it isn’t the right time to have a child is the second most commonly cited reason for seeking an abortion.
Unplanned Pregnancy
When pregnancy isunplanned, women may feel they are too old, too busy, or not yet ready. Similarly, some women feel that they are not yet emotionally or mentally prepared to care for a child or even handle a pregnancy.
Negative Future Impacts
About 20% of those who seek an abortion specifically feel that being pregnant or having a child will negatively affect their future.
They may choose to have an abortion because they want to avoid changes to their educational plans or careers, or they want to wait until they’re more settled in life.
Why Do People Have Abortions?
There are many issues in a relationship that affect a woman’s decision to have an abortion.
Unmarried
The majority of women who choose to have an abortion are unmarried. According to data from 2019, 85.5% of those who had abortions were single women.
For some of these women, the fact that they are unmarried contributes to their decision to seek an abortion. About 8% of those responding to the survey on reasons for having an abortion specifically note that they do not want to be a single parent.
Family Pressure
Toxic Relationship
Being in an abusive or unhappy relationship can also affect a person’s decision to abort.
Rape or Incest
The frequency of pregnancy from incest is not as well documented. However, studies show 1% of women disclose their reason for having an abortion is rape or incest.
About 59% of women who have abortions already have previously given birth to at least one child.
In some instances, these women choose to have an abortion because they’re concerned that they don’t have the time or resources to care for more children. These mothers may feel they are done having children or wish to space out their children.
About 12% of abortions are related to health issues.This includes both concerns for the woman’s health related to serious illnesses and congenital medical conditions in the fetus.
Mother’s Health
At times, the pregnancy itself can be a high risk to the mother’s safety and well-being. In fact, an estimated 700 women die from pregnancy complications each year in the U.S.
Pregnancy can exacerbate underlying or pre-existing health conditions that severely compromise a woman’s health. Women with renal or cardiac diseases are particularly at high risk for pregnancy-related death.
Fetal Health
There may also be worries about the health of the fetus. This can be found during genetic testing in early pregnancy or during an anatomy scan at about 20 weeks.
In some cases, concerns over fetal health may be related to the use of alcohol, drugs, or prescription medications that harm fetal development.
Reasons for Late-Term Abortions
In the United States, 93% of abortions occur during the first trimester, before 13 weeks. Another 6% of abortions take place before 20 weeks, the midpoint of the pregnancy. Less than 1% of abortions occur after 20 weeks.
What Is a Late-Term Abortion?
Late-term abortion is not an official medical term. The medical definition of late-term pregnancy is a pregnancy in its 41st week. (After that, it’s a post-term pregnancy.)
Late-term abortion is a sociological or political term that refers to abortions that occur after 20 weeks. This accounts for less than 1% of abortions.
Medical Reasons
Abortions after 20 weeks often occur for medical reasons. Fetal abnormalities are often first identified at the 20-week anatomy scan.
Some women are unable to schedule this scan before 20 weeks. In other cases, they do not get the results until after 20 weeks.
Concerns over the mother’s health are another medical reason for an abortion after 20 weeks. This can be due to pregnancy complications, such as pre-eclampsia orhyperemesis gravidarum(severe nausea and vomiting), or a non-pregnancy-related condition, such as cancer.
Other Factors
Other reasons women seek an abortion after 20 weeks include:
Later abortions are also more common in women who are:
A Verywell Report: Abortion Access Ranked By State
Summary
Reasons for abortion include financial concerns, marital status, and readiness to start a family, among others.
For many women who choose to have an abortion, not being able to manage the cost of raising a child plays a significant role in their decision. In each individual case, though, multiple factors go into making the decision to terminate a pregnancy.
Common reasons for abortion include economic, social, emotional, and family issues. Medical reasons for abortion include underlying health conditions that threaten the mother’s life and fetal malformations that are inconsistent with life outside the womb.
Self-Managed Abortions on the Rise
23 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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