Who are the 1 in 4 American women who choose abortion?

The abortion debate is at the center of U.S. political dialogue. Voices from both sides flood social media feeds, newspapers, radio and television programs.

In the last year, attacks on reproductive rights sharply increased. In 2019, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky and Mississippi successfully passed so-called “heartbeat” bans to prohibit abortion as early as 6 to 8 weeks. Alabama is the first state to pass a complete abortion ban without exceptions for rape or incest. Due to ongoing legal challenges, these bans have yet to go into effect.

One important group’s voice is often absent in this heated debate: the women who choose abortion. While 1 in 4 women will undergo abortion in her lifetime, stigma keeps their stories untold. As an obstetrician/gynecologist who provides full spectrum reproductive health care, I hear these stories daily.

Unintended pregnancy

In 2011, nearly half of pregnancies in the United States were unintended. This reflects a 6 percent drop in unintended pregnancies since 2008, largely due to Title X family planning programs and easier access to birth control.

Unintended pregnancy remains most common among poor women, women of color and women without a high school education. Women living in poverty have a rate of unintended pregnancy five times higher than those with middle or high incomes. Black women are twice as likely to have an unintended pregnancy as white women.

Barriers to contraception play a major role. Among women with unintended pregnancies, 54 percent were using no birth control. Another 41 percent were inconsistently using birth control at the time of conception.

Forty-two percent of women with unintended pregnancy choose to end their pregnancies.

The women who choose abortion

Abortion is a routine part of reproductive health care. Approximately 25 percent of women in the U.S. will undergo an abortion before the age of 45. The Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy institute in New York City, has been tracking these data for the last 50 years.

Age group
Under 20
11.9%
20 to 24
33.6%
25 to 29
26.5%
30 to 34
15.9%
35 to 39
9.1%
40 or older
3.1%
Race/ethnicity
White
38.7%
Black
27.6%
Hispanic
24.8%
Asian/Pacific Islander
5.5%
Other
3.4%
Educational attainment
No high school diploma
8.9%
High school graduate/GED
27.0%
Some college/associate degree
40.9%
College graduate
23.1%
Number of prior births
0
40.7%
1
26.2%
2 or more
33.1%
Religious affiliation
Mainline Protestant
17.2%
Evangelical Protestant
12.8%
Roman Catholic
23.7%
Other
8.2%
None
38.0%
Family income level
<100% of federal poverty level
49.3%
100-199% of federal poverty level
25.7%
200% or more of federal poverty level
25.0%