The Turnaway Study examined the impact of being denied vs receiving a wanted abortion on families, especially children. We found that denying women abortions negatively affects children—including existing children, children born as a result of abortion denial, and children born from subsequent pregnancies.
Existing children of women denied abortions are more likely to live below the Federal Poverty Level, live in households where the mother lacks the financial means to afford food, transportation and housing, and are three times more likely to live in households that receive public assistance than children of women who received abortions.
Children born as a result of abortion denial experienced significantly poorer maternal bonding: 9 percent of whom met the threshold for poor bonding, compared to only 3 percent of children born subsequently to women who received an abortion.
Women who received a wanted abortion were more likely to have an intended pregnancy in the next five years compared to women who were denied an abortion. Having access to abortion enables women to better achieve their reproductive goals.
Read more the affect being denied abortion has on children and families:
- Effects of Carrying an Unwanted Pregnancy to Term on Women’s Existing Children (The Journal of Pediatrics)
- Comparison of Health, Development, Maternal Bonding, and Poverty Among Children Born After Denial of Abortion vs After Pregnancies Subsequent to an Abortion (JAMA Pediatrics)
- Intended pregnancy after receiving vs. being denied a wanted abortion (Contraception)
For more on the Turnaway Study, see our project page.