When Should a Woman be Forced to Give Birth?

In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that each state should decide when a pregnant woman is required to give birth.  As a result, 18 of 50 (33%) U.S. states have enacted restrictive laws that severely limit a pregnant woman’s ability to get an abortion, and 10 of 50 (20%) states lack exceptions for rape or incest. The laws combine with fewer healthcare providers and other administrative hurdles to limit a woman’s options about childbirth.  The impact has been both unexpected and totally predictable. 

Unexpectedly, the number of U.S. abortions has actually increased in recent years

In spite of the restrictive laws, the number of abortions across the United States has increased in recent years.  The thirty-year downward trend reversed in 2020, and now there are about 1 million U.S. abortions each year (see graph below).  Abortion restrictions combine with cuts in family planning resources to make abortion not only more frequent, but also more required. 

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Predictably, childbirths also increased in the states with restrictions – and with unequal impact

Statistics confirm that states with restrictive abortion laws had a corresponding increase in live childbirths. Also foreseeable, however, is the fact that the those who gave birth were mostly young, poor, and minority women.  Even before Roe’s overturn, 49% of abortion patients had incomes below the federal poverty level.  Women who have the time and resources simply go to another state to get an abortion. And since doctors can no longer exercise medical judgment to end a troubled pregnancy, those who give birth face a higher risk of complications and death from childbirth

Next Steps: Voters must decide what happens to a pregnant woman in each state

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the notion that women have a right to decide what happens to their body after conception.  Now, voters in each state must decide. So, you should have an opinion on abortion. 

Clink on this link to access some simple tools to help you decide how to vote on abortion issues:

• Pregnancy and Abortion Basics – A brief overview of basic facts about pregnancy and abortion
• Abortion Analysis Basics – A scorecard to help you decide what society should do about abortion

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Click on the video below for an quick overview of the history of abortion in the United States (8:36 min).