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Many women get put in a position that they are not prepared to become a mother due to financial problems or there stability.

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Criminalising abortion does not stop abortions, it just makes abortion less safe.

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The decision to have an abortion is complex, difficult, and personal. Learn about the different reasons women cite for choosing to terminate a pregnancy.

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The reasons for abortion: Statistics, safety, and access

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People have abortions for many reasons. Some end a pregnancy because of health concerns or fetal anomalies, and others may choose to terminate an unintended pregnancy.

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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.

It's important to remember, however, that a wide range of factors affect the decision to have an abortion. These include very personal issues that cannot easily be understood by others or grouped into general categories.

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.

Having a baby also impacts a woman's future earning potential, a phenomenon known as the motherhood pay gap.

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 Healthcare

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 is unplanned, 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.

Partner and Family Issues

There are many issues in a relationship that affect a woman's decision to have an abortion.

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

About 5% of women say that their choice was influenced by family. This may be because they believe their family will not support them. A small percentage of women also say that they were directly pressured to have an abortion by family or friends.

Toxic Relationship

Being in an abusive or unhappy relationship can also affect a person's decision to abort.

Researchers estimate intimate partner violence is involved in 6% to 22% of abortions. Another study found 77% of rape-related pregnancies were caused by current or former intimate partners.

Rape or Incest

In the United States, an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 pregnancies are caused by rape each year. Half of all rape-related pregnancies end in abortion.

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.

Other Children

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.

Health Reasons

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 or hyperemesis 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:

Barriers to access

Cost

Indecision or disagreeing with the father

Lack of transportation access to care

Not knowing about the pregnancy until later

Later abortions are also more common in women who are:

Depressed or dealing with other mental health diagnoses

In unstable or violent relationships

Single mothers

Using drugs

Younger than 25

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.

Trauma from pregnancy caused by domestic violence, rape, or incest, mental health concerns, and active addiction are other reasons why a woman may decide to have an abortion.

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The decision to have an abortion is complex, difficult, and personal. Learn about the different reasons women cite for choosing to terminate a pregnancy.

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Abstract

PIP: Abortion counseling has 3 purposes: 1) to aid the applicant in making a decision about the unwanted pregnancy, 2) to help her implement the decision, and 3) to assist her in controlling her future fertility. To accomplish the 1st objective, the compulsory use of psychiatrists to prove emotional disorders has been unsatisfactory. Counseling needs to be supportive and nonjudgmental regardless of circumstances. Hostile feelings of the counselor must be suppressed. The applicant should be informed regarding the physical and emotional aspects of the abortion procedure. Also, good counseling should aim at future prevention by determining the reasons for failure that caused the unwanted pregnancy. Of importance in selecting abortion counselors are qualities described as personality traits. These include empathy, nonpossessive warmth, and genuineness. Also, maturity and flexibility are needed in allowing the woman to make the decision, particularly in cases of ambivalence and uncertainty. A program in New York City has used women counselors who themselves have had abortions. This experience alone is not sufficient, but may be significant. The counselor needs basic knowledge of sexual physiology, psychology, and contraceptive technology. Also, the counselor should be able to recognize prodromal psychiatric signs of an imminent crisis, and be able to initiate steps of prevention. Training programs vary widely. Flexibility is needed. Experience in counseling couples is important. Assistance by an experienced counselor is helpful on a continuing basis, particularly for the new counselor. Group sessions and didactic presentations are needed. To obtain acceptance of postabortal contraception may pose special problems. A history of previous psychiatric disturbance may require referral to a trained consultant. Strong religious or ethical feelings modify attitudes. The woman must not feel coerced. She should be able to integrate the experience in such a way as to prevent a recurrence.

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3. "federal government should protect the right to an abortion" (Stoughton).

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