Abortion

Role of Close Relationships in the Abortion Decision

The majority of abortions are of unintended pregnancies. Approximately half of American women will face an unintended pregnancy, and nearly half of those pregnancies will be resolved through abortion. Hence, abortion cannot be separated from the precipitating event of unplanned pregnancy. The small percentage of abortions that are of planned pregnancies usually occur because of fetal anomalies or risks to the woman's health.

Relationship concerns, including the desire to avoid single parenthood, problems within an ongoing relationship, and concerns for or responsibility to others are among the most frequent reasons cited for terminating an unintended pregnancy. Motivations for abortion differ among different subgroups of women. Women at particularly high risk for unintended pregnancy and for abortion tend to be young, unmarried, poor, and women of color. The majority of women obtaining abortions already have one or more children. Adult mothers are more likely than younger women or nonmothers to cite responsibilities to other children as reasons for obtaining an abortion. In contrast, younger women and nonmothers are more likely to cite partner issues and immaturity.

The lack of a stable relationship with a male partner is a primary reason women cite for deciding to abort a pregnancy. Some women believe that it is inappropriate or too difficult emotionally or financially to raise a child without a father. Women also cite problems within an ongoing relationship as major reasons for choosing abortion, including poor quality relationships and concerns about whether the relationship would survive child-bearing (or additional childrearing). Women who have unintended pregnancies and women who have abortions are disproportionately likely to have been the victims of intimate partner violence in their current or former relationships. Possible explanations for this include (a) situational and personal risk factors (e.g., poverty, substance abuse, poor coping skills) that put women at risk of unintended pregnancy and abortion also put [Page 2]women at risk of entering into abusive relationships, (b) women in abusive relationships may be less able to regulate their fertility because they are subordinate to their partners, (c) women in abusive relationships who become pregnant may be more likely to abort the pregnancy rather than have children (or more children) with abusive partners, (d) unwanted pregnancy may be seen as an obstacle to leaving an ongoing abusive relationship, and (e) women in abusive relationships may be more likely to feel pressured by their partners to have an abortion. With regard to this last possibility, however, a national study revealed that less than 1 percent of women cite coercion from others as a major reason for their abortion.

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