People have abortions for many reasons. Some end a pregnancy because of health risks or because someone assaulted them. Others may choose to end a pregnancy for personal reasons.
Financial concerns, mental health, and stability of a person’s home life can all play a role in the decision to end a pregnancy. Sometimes, people simply do not want to become a parent. Often, there are multiple motivations.
There are no invalid reasons to want autonomy over one’s own body or family size. Many people who have had an abortion feel too judged to discuss it afterward, though. Pregnant individuals should not feel pressured or unsafe when making their decisions.
This article discusses the reasons a person may have an abortion. It also examines why some people have later-term abortions and how they access abortion services.
The Dobbs decision
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that secured a person’s constitutional right to an abortion.
This means that individual states are now able to decide their own abortion laws. As a result, many states will ban or severely restrict abortion access.
The information in this article was accurate and up to date at the time of publication, but the facts may have changed since. Anyone looking to learn more about their legal rights can message the Repro Legal Helpline via a secure online form or call 844-868-2812.
Generally, people use the term “abortion” to refer to the intentional termination of a pregnancy.
The vast majority of abortions take place early in pregnancy. In 2020,
The Turnaway study followed 954 people from across the United States who sought abortions between 2008 and 2010 to learn the reasons for and effects of pursuing pregnancy termination.
The responses fell into several broad themes, with many people reporting that a combination of factors influenced the decision.
Financial circumstances
Around 40% of people mentioned a financial reason for needing an abortion. Most of them had general financial concerns or said they could not afford to support a child.
Around 4% said a lack of employment contributed to their decision, and 0.6% said they terminated their pregnancies because of a lack of insurance or government assistance.
Timing
More than one-third (36%) of study participants cited reasons relating to timing. Some felt they were not emotionally or financially ready to have a baby, while others felt they were too old to have a child.
Partner-related reasons
Almost one-third (31%) of study participants gave reasons relating to their partner.
For example, some said they did not have a good or stable relationship with their partner or that their partner was unsupportive. Around 8% wanted to get married before having children. Others mentioned that they had a partner who was abusive or who did not want the baby.
Help is available
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of domestic violence, call 911 or otherwise seek emergency help. Anyone who needs advice or support can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7 via:
- phone, at 800-799-7233
- text, by texting START to 88788
Many other resources are available, including helplines, in-person support, and temporary housing. People can find local resources and others classified by demographics, such as support specifically for People of Color, here:
Other responsibilities
Around 29% of people mentioned they needed to focus on their other children. They said they already felt overextended with their current children and would be overwhelmed by having another. A small percentage of people thought that having a baby would adversely affect their other children and quality of life.
Additionally, about 20% of people reported having an abortion because the timing would interfere with their future opportunities and goals. They felt they could not continue their education or advance their careers while raising a baby.
Emotions and mental health
Around 19% of people in the study expressed that they were emotionally or mentally unprepared for a child. They mentioned not having the mental capacity to have a baby or not feeling mentally stable enough to raise a child.
Other health-related reasons
Approximately 12% of individuals mentioned health-related reasons for having an abortion, such as:
- concerns for their health
- concerns for the health of the fetus
- drug, tobacco, or alcohol use
- non-illegal prescription drug or birth control use
- worsening of existing health issues, such as back pain and diabetes
- mental health concerns
- the effect of medications for existing health conditions on the fetus
Inability to provide for a baby
Some people — around 12% — chose abortion because of their desire for a better life for the child than they could provide. They mentioned feeling inadequate and unable to care for themselves or a child.
Other people said their housing situation was unsuitable for a baby.
Not independent or mature enough for a baby
Just under 7% of people reported a lack of maturity or said they had to rely on other people. Some explained that they felt they were too young for a baby and were unprepared for parenthood.
Influences from family and friends
About 5% of people described influences from family and friends as a reason they chose abortion. They worried that a child would be a strain on their family or that they would experience judgment from others.
Some people had an abortion because they were too scared to tell their parents about their pregnancy, while a small proportion had pressure from family to end their pregnancy.
People sometimes call abortions that take place during the second trimester (weeks 14 to 27) and third trimester (weeks 28 onward) “late term abortions.”
This is not a medically recognized term. There is no universal definition of what an abortion in the second or third trimester is, and the various cut-off points people use to define it are often arbitrary.
Abortions later in pregnancy are also fairly rare. According to the
Abortions very late in pregnancy have always been restricted in the United States. Claims that abortions can take place “moments before birth” or “after birth” are false.
Because abortions in later trimesters are often more expensive and harder to access than earlier trimester abortions, the reasons for pursuing this option can be slightly different.
A 2024 report summarizes the most common reasons:
Delays in accessing abortion
Among the most common reasons for an abortion in the second or third trimester are delays in accessing a termination. This occurs for various reasons, such as:
- needing to save money to pay for it
- delays in getting insurance coverage
- not knowing they were pregnant
- difficulty finding or traveling to a healthcare facility that provides abortion
- difficulty making a decision
Fetal anomalies
As a pregnancy progresses, people can learn new information about the fetus’s development.
Although tests can detect many genetic fetal anomalies early in pregnancy, structural anomalies are not usually apparent until a fetal anatomy scan at 20 weeks. This scan provides ultrasound imaging of the developing organs.
Some of these anomalies can be fatal, meaning the fetus will die shortly before or after birth or will suffer significantly. In these circumstances, people may make the difficult decision to terminate a desired pregnancy rather than continue.
Life threatening risk
Some people have life threatening health conditions that arise later in pregnancy. In these situations, a person may need or want to end a pregnancy to protect themselves or save their life.
Examples of life threatening conditions that can develop later in pregnancy include:
- severe preeclampsia
- cancer requiring immediate treatment
- intrauterine infection with premature amniotic sac rupture
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, restrictions on accessing abortion care have increased significantly.
Preventing people from accessing safe abortions does not change their reasons for needing one, and it does not reduce the number of abortions, according to the
The WHO reports that around 73 million abortions occur annually worldwide. Almost 33 million of these are unsafe, and of all unsafe abortions, one-third use invasive methods or involve untrained people. As a result, unsafe abortion is a leading preventable cause of maternal deaths.
Unsafe abortions can also result in physical and mental health complications and financial or social burdens. Research has linked the introduction of abortion restrictions to increases in
According to one 2021 estimate, a total abortion ban in the United States could lead to a 21% increase in the total deaths relating to pregnancy. Black females would experience the highest increase in pregnancy-related deaths.
Although there are many restrictions on abortion access, people can use a resource called AbortionFinder from the National Abortion Federation to find in-person and virtual abortion services.
People may have an abortion for several reasons, including lack of finances, health risks, sexual assault, and more.
The vast majority of abortions take place within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. However, some people may need abortions later in pregnancy to preserve their health or the health of the fetus, or they may have had difficulty accessing abortion earlier.
Criminalizing abortion does not stop people from having abortions, but it does increase complications and deaths. To ensure their safety and protect their dignity, it is crucial that people have access to safe abortions performed by trained professionals in sanitary conditions.