IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i4p477-d1375344.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Characteristics and Circumstances of Adolescents Obtaining Abortions in the United States

Author

Listed:
  • Doris W. Chiu

    (Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY 10038, USA)

  • Ava Braccia

    (Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY 10038, USA)

  • Rachel K. Jones

    (Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY 10038, USA)

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe the sociodemographic and situational circumstances of adolescents obtaining abortion in the United States prior to the Dobbs decision. We use data from the Guttmacher Institute’s 2021–2022 Abortion Patient Survey, a cross-sectional survey of 6698 respondents; our analytic sample includes 633 adolescents (<20 years), 2152 young adults (20–24 years), and 3913 adults (25+ years). We conducted bivariate analyses to describe the characteristics and logistical and financial circumstances of adolescents obtaining abortions in comparison to respondents in the other age groups. The majority of adolescents identified as non-white (70%), and 23% identified as something other than heterosexual. We found that 26% of adolescents reported having no health insurance, and two-thirds of adolescent respondents reported that somebody had driven them to the facility. Adolescents differed from adults in their reasons for delays in accessing care; a majority of adolescents (57%) reported not knowing they were pregnant compared to 43% of adults, and nearly one in five adolescents did not know where to obtain the abortion compared to 11% of adults. Adolescents were more likely than adults to obtain a second-trimester abortion, which has increased costs. This study found that this population was more vulnerable than adults on several measures. Findings suggest that adolescents navigate unique barriers with regard to information and logistics to access abortion care.

Suggested Citation

  • Doris W. Chiu & Ava Braccia & Rachel K. Jones, 2024. "Characteristics and Circumstances of Adolescents Obtaining Abortions in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:4:p:477-:d:1375344
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/4/477/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/4/477/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Theodore J. Joyce & Robert Kaestner & Jason Ward, 2020. "The Impact of Parental Involvement Laws on the Abortion Rate of Minors," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 57(1), pages 323-346, February.
    2. Whitney Garney & Kelly Wilson & Kobi V. Ajayi & Sonya Panjwani & Skylar M. Love & Sara Flores & Kristen Garcia & Christi Esquivel, 2021. "Social-Ecological Barriers to Access to Healthcare for Adolescents: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Ernestina Coast & Samantha R Lattof & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers & Brittany Moore & Cheri Poss, 2021. "The microeconomics of abortion: A scoping review and analysis of the economic consequences for abortion care-seekers," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Jenny A. Higgins & Madison Lands & Taryn M. Valley & Emma Carpenter & Laura Jacques, 2021. "Real-Time Effects of Payer Restrictions on Reproductive Healthcare: A Qualitative Analysis of Cost-Related Barriers and Their Consequences among U.S. Abortion Seekers on Reddit," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-11, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kelly, Andrea & Lindo, Jason M. & Packham, Analisa, 2020. "The power of the IUD: Effects of expanding access to contraception through Title X clinics," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    2. Clarke, Damian, 2023. "The Economics of Abortion Policy," IZA Discussion Papers 16395, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Lindo, Jason M. & Pineda-Torres, Mayra, 2021. "New Evidence on the Effects of Mandatory Waiting Periods for Abortion," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    4. Aaron M. Gamino, 2024. "The impact of juvenile curfews on teenage birth rates," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(7), pages 1528-1545, July.
    5. Brittany Moore & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers & Ernestina Coast & Samantha R Lattof & Cheri Poss, 2021. "History and scientific background on the economics of abortion," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(9), pages 1-9, September.
    6. Mumbi Chola & Khumbulani W. Hlongwana & Themba G. Ginindza, 2023. "Mapping Evidence Regarding Decision-Making on Contraceptive Use among Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-16, February.
    7. Jones, Kelly M. & Pineda-Torres, Mayra, 2024. "TRAP’d Teens: Impacts of abortion provider regulations on fertility & education," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 234(C).
    8. Myers, Caitlin Knowles, 2021. "Measuring the Burden: The Effect of Travel Distance on Abortions and Births," IZA Discussion Papers 14556, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Samantha R Lattof & Ernestina Coast & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers & Brittany Moore & Cheri Poss, 2020. "The mesoeconomics of abortion: A scoping review and analysis of the economic effects of abortion on health systems," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(11), pages 1-25, November.
    10. Pleasants, Elizabeth & Parham, Lindsay & Weidert, Karen & Anderson, Emma & Dolgins, Eliza & Prata, Ndola & Upadhyay, Ushma D. & Marshall, Cassondra, 2024. "Waiting to start abortion: A qualitative exploration of narratives of waiting shared in a Reddit community for abortion post-Dobbs leak in 2022," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 349(C).
    11. Caitlin Myers, 2024. "Forecasts for a post‐Roe America: The effects of increased travel distance on abortions and births," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(1), pages 39-62, January.
    12. Gonzalez, Fidel & Quast, Troy, 2022. "The relationship between abortion rates and economic fluctuations," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    13. Iris Mone & Suela Vasil & Albano Alia & Sonela Xinxo & Kliton Muça & Genc Burazeri, 2023. "Socio-Demographic Correlates of Barriers to Access Healthcare Services among Children in Post-Communist Albania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-12, May.
    14. Forsstrom, Matthew P., 2021. "Abortion Costs and Single Parenthood: A Life-Cycle Model of Fertility and Partnership Behavior," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:4:p:477-:d:1375344. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.