Why Do Pregnant Women Seek Abortions?

The US Supreme Court ended an era that lasted nearly 50 years when it ruled, in Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, that pregnant women no longer have the constitutional right to have abortions to end their pregnancies, instead leaving this right up to individual states to determine, and taking away access to a right many women grew up taking for granted in an instant in many cases. 

While the Pew Research Center has already done extensive surveys to show that the majority of Americans — 62 percent — hold that abortion should be legal in all or almost all cases, 57 percent disapprove of the new ruling, and 43 percent strongly disapprove, that does not seem to make any difference in this modern democracy. 

A right that women have fought for, and that many from younger generations grew up taking for granted, is now no longer guaranteed. As some — including vocal "pro-life" young women of reproductive age — cheered, others in states with trigger laws could suddenly no longer have the abortions they had already scheduled. 

There are certainly those who would paint them as shameless baby killers, but in this post-Roe v Wade era, it's more important than ever to understand why pregnant women generally seek abortions. This article examines the most common reasons for which women seek to end their pregnancies, according to research carried out over the last few decades.

To Protect Their Ability to Work, Attend Education, or Care for Dependents

A large 2004 study carried out among women who had abortions at 11 major clinics revealed that 74 percent decided to take this step because they wanted to protect their ability to carry out their paid jobs, because they were attending school or college and wanted to be able to complete their educational programs, or because they were caring for dependents — whether children or other relatives — and were worried that having a baby would prevent them from doing so. 

Because They Couldn't Afford to Care for a Baby

Seventy-three percent of the study participants indicated that they did not have the financial resources to care for a baby, and thus felt compelled to take the step of ending their pregnancies. It is important to note that, although someone's financial situation can change rapidly in some cases, simply ending the right to have an abortion does not solve the problem of financial hardship. Babies, who later grow into older children, need all sorts of things.

Because of Relationship Problems

Recognizing that raising a child on their own would present unique challenges, 48 percent of the sample said that they were not ready to be single mothers or that they had significant relationship problems. In this case, it is also worth mentioning that having a child with an abusive ex-partner leads to ongoing legal ties that can render a woman's life unbearable.

For Health Reasons

Over 10 percent of women who sought abortions did so either because of concerns over the health of the fetus — some of which are incompatible with life — or their own health. The women in the study had health problems ranging from cystic fibrosis to cancer.  

Their Partner Wanted Them to Terminate the Pregnancy

Women in 2004 felt compelled to have an abortion because their husband or partner had asked them to less often in 2004 than in 1987, but 14 percent of respondents still indicated that this was an important factor that led them to decide to terminate their pregnancies. 

Because They Were Raped

Less than one percent of women who had abortions, both in 1987 and in 2004, reported that they did so because they became pregnant as a result of rape. 

They Were Finished Raising Children, or Not Ready Yet

Among older women, not being ready to raise more children is a large motivator, as well. Nearly 40 percent said that their child-rearing years were behind them, and they were not ready to have another baby. Sixty-one percent of women who had abortions already had children, and decided to focus their efforts on caring for the kids they already had. 

In contrast, pregnant teenagers were more likely to say that they weren't able to care for a child yet.

What Leads Women to Decide to End Their Pregnancies?

All women who participated in the study, and who did end up having an abortion, had at least one reason to share with the research team. Most women had at least four reasons, indicating that women don't choose abortion for one reason, but that a cascade of factors comes together to lead them to this choice. 

A woman might be working a full-time job while already raising multiple children and also going to school, for example. She might have lost her job and her relationship. 

Abortion is a complex topic. Some women who have abortions merely feel relief that the pregnancy has ended, while others go through grief that lasts for many years. If one thing is clear, however, it is that the reasons women give for seeking abortions do not magically dissipate when those abortions become illegal. 

Where does that leave us? In a world with even more complicated problems to solve than before. In a world where American daughters have fewer rights than their mothers. In a world where women will do whatever it takes to end their pregnancies, even if that's in a back alley, and in a world where mothers will be raising children they aren't equipped to care for. In a world with a lot to fight for, and in which we have apparently lost sight of all nuance.