• Open access
  • Published: 28 June 2021

Impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes: a systematic review protocol

  • Foluso Ishola   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-8644-0570 1 ,
  • U. Vivian Ukah 1 &
  • Arijit Nandi 1  

Systematic Reviews volume  10 , Article number:  192 ( 2021 ) Cite this article

19k Accesses

2 Citations

3 Altmetric

Metrics details

A country’s abortion law is a key component in determining the enabling environment for safe abortion. While restrictive abortion laws still prevail in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many countries have reformed their abortion laws, with the majority of them moving away from an absolute ban. However, the implications of these reforms on women’s access to and use of health services, as well as their health outcomes, is uncertain. First, there are methodological challenges to the evaluation of abortion laws, since these changes are not exogenous. Second, extant evaluations may be limited in terms of their generalizability, given variation in reforms across the abortion legality spectrum and differences in levels of implementation and enforcement cross-nationally. This systematic review aims to address this gap. Our aim is to systematically collect, evaluate, and synthesize empirical research evidence concerning the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs.

We will conduct a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature on changes in abortion laws and women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will search Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases, as well as grey literature and reference lists of included studies for further relevant literature. As our goal is to draw inference on the impact of abortion law reforms, we will include quasi-experimental studies examining the impact of change in abortion laws on at least one of our outcomes of interest. We will assess the methodological quality of studies using the quasi-experimental study designs series checklist. Due to anticipated heterogeneity in policy changes, outcomes, and study designs, we will synthesize results through a narrative description.

This review will systematically appraise and synthesize the research evidence on the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes in LMICs. We will examine the effect of legislative reforms and investigate the conditions that might contribute to heterogeneous effects, including whether specific groups of women are differentially affected by abortion law reforms. We will discuss gaps and future directions for research. Findings from this review could provide evidence on emerging strategies to influence policy reforms, implement abortion services and scale up accessibility.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO CRD42019126927

Peer Review reports

An estimated 25·1 million unsafe abortions occur each year, with 97% of these in developing countries [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Despite its frequency, unsafe abortion remains a major global public health challenge [ 4 , 5 ]. According to the World health Organization (WHO), nearly 8% of maternal deaths were attributed to unsafe abortion, with the majority of these occurring in developing countries [ 5 , 6 ]. Approximately 7 million women are admitted to hospitals every year due to complications from unsafe abortion such as hemorrhage, infections, septic shock, uterine and intestinal perforation, and peritonitis [ 7 , 8 , 9 ]. These often result in long-term effects such as infertility and chronic reproductive tract infections. The annual cost of treating major complications from unsafe abortion is estimated at US$ 232 million each year in developing countries [ 10 , 11 ]. The negative consequences on children’s health, well-being, and development have also been documented. Unsafe abortion increases risk of poor birth outcomes, neonatal and infant mortality [ 12 , 13 ]. Additionally, women who lack access to safe and legal abortion are often forced to continue with unwanted pregnancies, and may not seek prenatal care [ 14 ], which might increase risks of child morbidity and mortality.

Access to safe abortion services is often limited due to a wide range of barriers. Collectively, these barriers contribute to the staggering number of deaths and disabilities seen annually as a result of unsafe abortion, which are disproportionately felt in developing countries [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. A recent systematic review on the barriers to abortion access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) implicated the following factors: restrictive abortion laws, lack of knowledge about abortion law or locations that provide abortion, high cost of services, judgmental provider attitudes, scarcity of facilities and medical equipment, poor training and shortage of staff, stigma on social and religious grounds, and lack of decision making power [ 17 ].

An important factor regulating access to abortion is abortion law [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. Although abortion is a medical procedure, its legal status in many countries has been incorporated in penal codes which specify grounds in which abortion is permitted. These include prohibition in all circumstances, to save the woman’s life, to preserve the woman’s health, in cases of rape, incest, fetal impairment, for economic or social reasons, and on request with no requirement for justification [ 18 , 19 , 20 ].

Although abortion laws in different countries are usually compared based on the grounds under which legal abortions are allowed, these comparisons rarely take into account components of the legal framework that may have strongly restrictive implications, such as regulation of facilities that are authorized to provide abortions, mandatory waiting periods, reporting requirements in cases of rape, limited choice in terms of the method of abortion, and requirements for third-party authorizations [ 19 , 21 , 22 ]. For example, the Zambian Termination of Pregnancy Act permits abortion on socio-economic grounds. It is considered liberal, as it permits legal abortions for more indications than most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa; however, abortions must only be provided in registered hospitals, and three medical doctors—one of whom must be a specialist—must provide signatures to allow the procedure to take place [ 22 ]. Given the critical shortage of doctors in Zambia [ 23 ], this is in fact a major restriction that is only captured by a thorough analysis of the conditions under which abortion services are provided.

Additionally, abortion laws may exist outside the penal codes in some countries, where they are supplemented by health legislation and regulations such as public health statutes, reproductive health acts, court decisions, medical ethic codes, practice guidelines, and general health acts [ 18 , 19 , 24 ]. The diversity of regulatory documents may lead to conflicting directives about the grounds under which abortion is lawful [ 19 ]. For example, in Kenya and Uganda, standards and guidelines on the reduction of morbidity and mortality due to unsafe abortion supported by the constitution was contradictory to the penal code, leaving room for an ambiguous interpretation of the legal environment [ 25 ].

Regulations restricting the range of abortion methods from which women can choose, including medication abortion in particular, may also affect abortion access [ 26 , 27 ]. A literature review contextualizing medication abortion in seven African countries reported that incidence of medication abortion is low despite being a safe, effective, and low-cost abortion method, likely due to legal restrictions on access to the medications [ 27 ].

Over the past two decades, many LMICs have reformed their abortion laws [ 3 , 28 ]. Most have expanded the grounds on which abortion may be performed legally, while very few have restricted access. Countries like Uruguay, South Africa, and Portugal have amended their laws to allow abortion on request in the first trimester of pregnancy [ 29 , 30 ]. Conversely, in Nicaragua, a law to ban all abortion without any exception was introduced in 2006 [ 31 ].

Progressive reforms are expected to lead to improvements in women’s access to safe abortion and health outcomes, including reductions in the death and disabilities that accompany unsafe abortion, and reductions in stigma over the longer term [ 17 , 29 , 32 ]. However, abortion law reforms may yield different outcomes even in countries that experience similar reforms, as the legislative processes that are associated with changing abortion laws take place in highly distinct political, economic, religious, and social contexts [ 28 , 33 ]. This variation may contribute to abortion law reforms having different effects with respect to the health services and outcomes that they are hypothesized to influence [ 17 , 29 ].

Extant empirical literature has examined changes in abortion-related morbidity and mortality, contraceptive usage, fertility, and other health-related outcomes following reforms to abortion laws [ 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. For example, a study in Mexico reported that a policy that decriminalized and subsidized early-term elective abortion led to substantial reductions in maternal morbidity and that this was particularly strong among vulnerable populations such as young and socioeconomically disadvantaged women [ 38 ].

To the best of our knowledge, however, the growing literature on the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes has not been systematically reviewed. A study by Benson et al. evaluated evidence on the impact of abortion policy reforms on maternal death in three countries, Romania, South Africa, and Bangladesh, where reforms were immediately followed by strategies to implement abortion services, scale up accessibility, and establish complementary reproductive and maternal health services [ 39 ]. The three countries highlighted in this paper provided unique insights into implementation and practical application following law reforms, in spite of limited resources. However, the review focused only on a selection of countries that have enacted similar reforms and it is unclear if its conclusions are more widely generalizable.

Accordingly, the primary objective of this review is to summarize studies that have estimated the causal effect of a change in abortion law on women’s health services and outcomes. Additionally, we aim to examine heterogeneity in the impacts of abortion reforms, including variation across specific population sub-groups and contexts (e.g., due to variations in the intensity of enforcement and service delivery). Through this review, we aim to offer a higher-level view of the impact of abortion law reforms in LMICs, beyond what can be gained from any individual study, and to thereby highlight patterns in the evidence across studies, gaps in current research, and to identify promising programs and strategies that could be adapted and applied more broadly to increase access to safe abortion services.

The review protocol has been reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines [ 40 ] (Additional file 1 ). It was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database CRD42019126927.

Eligibility criteria

Types of studies.

This review will consider quasi-experimental studies which aim to estimate the causal effect of a change in a specific law or reform and an outcome, but in which participants (in this case jurisdictions, whether countries, states/provinces, or smaller units) are not randomly assigned to treatment conditions [ 41 ]. Eligible designs include the following:

Pretest-posttest designs where the outcome is compared before and after the reform, as well as nonequivalent groups designs, such as pretest-posttest design that includes a comparison group, also known as a controlled before and after (CBA) designs.

Interrupted time series (ITS) designs where the trend of an outcome after an abortion law reform is compared to a counterfactual (i.e., trends in the outcome in the post-intervention period had the jurisdiction not enacted the reform) based on the pre-intervention trends and/or a control group [ 42 , 43 ].

Differences-in-differences (DD) designs, which compare the before vs. after change in an outcome in jurisdictions that experienced an abortion law reform to the corresponding change in the places that did not experience such a change, under the assumption of parallel trends [ 44 , 45 ].

Synthetic controls (SC) approaches, which use a weighted combination of control units that did not experience the intervention, selected to match the treated unit in its pre-intervention outcome trend, to proxy the counterfactual scenario [ 46 , 47 ].

Regression discontinuity (RD) designs, which in the case of eligibility for abortion services being determined by the value of a continuous random variable, such as age or income, would compare the distributions of post-intervention outcomes for those just above and below the threshold [ 48 ].

There is heterogeneity in the terminology and definitions used to describe quasi-experimental designs, but we will do our best to categorize studies into the above groups based on their designs, identification strategies, and assumptions.

Our focus is on quasi-experimental research because we are interested in studies evaluating the effect of population-level interventions (i.e., abortion law reform) with a design that permits inference regarding the causal effect of abortion legislation, which is not possible from other types of observational designs such as cross-sectional studies, cohort studies or case-control studies that lack an identification strategy for addressing sources of unmeasured confounding (e.g., secular trends in outcomes). We are not excluding randomized studies such as randomized controlled trials, cluster randomized trials, or stepped-wedge cluster-randomized trials; however, we do not expect to identify any relevant randomized studies given that abortion policy is unlikely to be randomly assigned. Since our objective is to provide a summary of empirical studies reporting primary research, reviews/meta-analyses, qualitative studies, editorials, letters, book reviews, correspondence, and case reports/studies will also be excluded.

Our population of interest includes women of reproductive age (15–49 years) residing in LMICs, as the policy exposure of interest applies primarily to women who have a demand for sexual and reproductive health services including abortion.

Intervention

The intervention in this study refers to a change in abortion law or policy, either from a restrictive policy to a non-restrictive or less restrictive one, or vice versa. This can, for example, include a change from abortion prohibition in all circumstances to abortion permissible in other circumstances, such as to save the woman’s life, to preserve the woman’s health, in cases of rape, incest, fetal impairment, for economic or social reasons, or on request with no requirement for justification. It can also include the abolition of existing abortion policies or the introduction of new policies including those occurring outside the penal code, which also have legal standing, such as:

National constitutions;

Supreme court decisions, as well as higher court decisions;

Customary or religious law, such as interpretations of Muslim law;

Medical ethical codes; and

Regulatory standards and guidelines governing the provision of abortion.

We will also consider national and sub-national reforms, although we anticipate that most reforms will operate at the national level.

The comparison group represents the counterfactual scenario, specifically the level and/or trend of a particular post-intervention outcome in the treated jurisdiction that experienced an abortion law reform had it, counter to the fact, not experienced this specific intervention. Comparison groups will vary depending on the type of quasi-experimental design. These may include outcome trends after abortion reform in the same country, as in the case of an interrupted time series design without a control group, or corresponding trends in countries that did not experience a change in abortion law, as in the case of the difference-in-differences design.

Outcome measures

Primary outcomes.

Access to abortion services: There is no consensus on how to measure access but we will use the following indicators, based on the relevant literature [ 49 ]: [ 1 ] the availability of trained staff to provide care, [ 2 ] facilities are geographically accessible such as distance to providers, [ 3 ] essential equipment, supplies and medications, [ 4 ] services provided regardless of woman’s ability to pay, [ 5 ] all aspects of abortion care are explained to women, [ 6 ] whether staff offer respectful care, [ 7 ] if staff work to ensure privacy, [ 8 ] if high-quality, supportive counseling is provided, [ 9 ] if services are offered in a timely manner, and [ 10 ] if women have the opportunity to express concerns, ask questions, and receive answers.

Use of abortion services refers to induced pregnancy termination, including medication abortion and number of women treated for abortion-related complications.

Secondary outcomes

Current use of any method of contraception refers to women of reproductive age currently using any method contraceptive method.

Future use of contraception refers to women of reproductive age who are not currently using contraception but intend to do so in the future.

Demand for family planning refers to women of reproductive age who are currently using, or whose sexual partner is currently using, at least one contraceptive method.

Unmet need for family planning refers to women of reproductive age who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not using any method of contraception.

Fertility rate refers to the average number of children born to women of childbearing age.

Neonatal morbidity and mortality refer to disability or death of newborn babies within the first 28 days of life.

Maternal morbidity and mortality refer to disability or death due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth.

There will be no language, date, or year restrictions on studies included in this systematic review.

Studies have to be conducted in a low- and middle-income country. We will use the country classification specified in the World Bank Data Catalogue to identify LMICs (Additional file 2 ).

Search methods

We will perform searches for eligible peer-reviewed studies in the following electronic databases.

Ovid MEDLINE(R) (from 1946 to present)

Embase Classic+Embase on OvidSP (from 1947 to present)

CINAHL (1973 to present); and

Web of Science (1900 to present)

The reference list of included studies will be hand searched for additional potentially relevant citations. Additionally, a grey literature search for reports or working papers will be done with the help of Google and Social Science Research Network (SSRN).

Search strategy

A search strategy, based on the eligibility criteria and combining subject indexing terms (i.e., MeSH) and free-text search terms in the title and abstract fields, will be developed for each electronic database. The search strategy will combine terms related to the interventions of interest (i.e., abortion law/policy), etiology (i.e., impact/effect), and context (i.e., LMICs) and will be developed with the help of a subject matter librarian. We opted not to specify outcomes in the search strategy in order to maximize the sensitivity of our search. See Additional file 3 for a draft of our search strategy.

Data collection and analysis

Data management.

Search results from all databases will be imported into Endnote reference manager software (Version X9, Clarivate Analytics) where duplicate records will be identified and excluded using a systematic, rigorous, and reproducible method that utilizes a sequential combination of fields including author, year, title, journal, and pages. Rayyan systematic review software will be used to manage records throughout the review [ 50 ].

Selection process

Two review authors will screen titles and abstracts and apply the eligibility criteria to select studies for full-text review. Reference lists of any relevant articles identified will be screened to ensure no primary research studies are missed. Studies in a language different from English will be translated by collaborators who are fluent in the particular language. If no such expertise is identified, we will use Google Translate [ 51 ]. Full text versions of potentially relevant articles will be retrieved and assessed for inclusion based on study eligibility criteria. Discrepancies will be resolved by consensus or will involve a third reviewer as an arbitrator. The selection of studies, as well as reasons for exclusions of potentially eligible studies, will be described using a PRISMA flow chart.

Data extraction

Data extraction will be independently undertaken by two authors. At the conclusion of data extraction, these two authors will meet with the third author to resolve any discrepancies. A piloted standardized extraction form will be used to extract the following information: authors, date of publication, country of study, aim of study, policy reform year, type of policy reform, data source (surveys, medical records), years compared (before and after the reform), comparators (over time or between groups), participant characteristics (age, socioeconomic status), primary and secondary outcomes, evaluation design, methods used for statistical analysis (regression), estimates reported (means, rates, proportion), information to assess risk of bias (sensitivity analyses), sources of funding, and any potential conflicts of interest.

Risk of bias and quality assessment

Two independent reviewers with content and methodological expertise in methods for policy evaluation will assess the methodological quality of included studies using the quasi-experimental study designs series risk of bias checklist [ 52 ]. This checklist provides a list of criteria for grading the quality of quasi-experimental studies that relate directly to the intrinsic strength of the studies in inferring causality. These include [ 1 ] relevant comparison, [ 2 ] number of times outcome assessments were available, [ 3 ] intervention effect estimated by changes over time for the same or different groups, [ 4 ] control of confounding, [ 5 ] how groups of individuals or clusters were formed (time or location differences), and [ 6 ] assessment of outcome variables. Each of the following domains will be assigned a “yes,” “no,” or “possibly” bias classification. Any discrepancies will be resolved by consensus or a third reviewer with expertise in review methodology if required.

Confidence in cumulative evidence

The strength of the body of evidence will be assessed using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system [ 53 ].

Data synthesis

We anticipate that risk of bias and heterogeneity in the studies included may preclude the use of meta-analyses to describe pooled effects. This may necessitate the presentation of our main findings through a narrative description. We will synthesize the findings from the included articles according to the following key headings:

Information on the differential aspects of the abortion policy reforms.

Information on the types of study design used to assess the impact of policy reforms.

Information on main effects of abortion law reforms on primary and secondary outcomes of interest.

Information on heterogeneity in the results that might be due to differences in study designs, individual-level characteristics, and contextual factors.

Potential meta-analysis

If outcomes are reported consistently across studies, we will construct forest plots and synthesize effect estimates using meta-analysis. Statistical heterogeneity will be assessed using the I 2 test where I 2 values over 50% indicate moderate to high heterogeneity [ 54 ]. If studies are sufficiently homogenous, we will use fixed effects. However, if there is evidence of heterogeneity, a random effects model will be adopted. Summary measures, including risk ratios or differences or prevalence ratios or differences will be calculated, along with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Analysis of subgroups

If there are sufficient numbers of included studies, we will perform sub-group analyses according to type of policy reform, geographical location and type of participant characteristics such as age groups, socioeconomic status, urban/rural status, education, or marital status to examine the evidence for heterogeneous effects of abortion laws.

Sensitivity analysis

Sensitivity analyses will be conducted if there are major differences in quality of the included articles to explore the influence of risk of bias on effect estimates.

Meta-biases

If available, studies will be compared to protocols and registers to identify potential reporting bias within studies. If appropriate and there are a sufficient number of studies included, funnel plots will be generated to determine potential publication bias.

This systematic review will synthesize current evidence on the impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health. It aims to identify which legislative reforms are effective, for which population sub-groups, and under which conditions.

Potential limitations may include the low quality of included studies as a result of suboptimal study design, invalid assumptions, lack of sensitivity analysis, imprecision of estimates, variability in results, missing data, and poor outcome measurements. Our review may also include a limited number of articles because we opted to focus on evidence from quasi-experimental study design due to the causal nature of the research question under review. Nonetheless, we will synthesize the literature, provide a critical evaluation of the quality of the evidence and discuss the potential effects of any limitations to our overall conclusions. Protocol amendments will be recorded and dated using the registration for this review on PROSPERO. We will also describe any amendments in our final manuscript.

Synthesizing available evidence on the impact of abortion law reforms represents an important step towards building our knowledge base regarding how abortion law reforms affect women’s health services and health outcomes; we will provide evidence on emerging strategies to influence policy reforms, implement abortion services, and scale up accessibility. This review will be of interest to service providers, policy makers and researchers seeking to improve women’s access to safe abortion around the world.

Abbreviations

Cumulative index to nursing and allied health literature

Excerpta medica database

Low- and middle-income countries

Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols

International prospective register of systematic reviews

Ganatra B, Gerdts C, Rossier C, Johnson BR, Tuncalp O, Assifi A, et al. Global, regional, and subregional classification of abortions by safety, 2010-14: estimates from a Bayesian hierarchical model. Lancet. 2017;390(10110):2372–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31794-4 .

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Guttmacher Institute. Induced Abortion Worldwide; Global Incidence and Trends 2018. https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/induced-abortion-worldwide . Accessed 15 Dec 2019.

Singh S, Remez L, Sedgh G, Kwok L, Onda T. Abortion worldwide 2017: uneven progress and unequal access. NewYork: Guttmacher Institute; 2018.

Book   Google Scholar  

Fusco CLB. Unsafe abortion: a serious public health issue in a poverty stricken population. Reprod Clim. 2013;2(8):2–9.

Google Scholar  

Rehnstrom Loi U, Gemzell-Danielsson K, Faxelid E, Klingberg-Allvin M. Health care providers’ perceptions of and attitudes towards induced abortions in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia: a systematic literature review of qualitative and quantitative data. BMC Public Health. 2015;15(1):139. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-015-1502-2 .

Say L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tuncalp O, Moller AB, Daniels J, et al. Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Glob Health. 2014;2(6):E323–E33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(14)70227-X .

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Benson J, Nicholson LA, Gaffikin L, Kinoti SN. Complications of unsafe abortion in sub-Saharan Africa: a review. Health Policy Plan. 1996;11(2):117–31. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/11.2.117 .

Abiodun OM, Balogun OR, Adeleke NA, Farinloye EO. Complications of unsafe abortion in South West Nigeria: a review of 96 cases. Afr J Med Med Sci. 2013;42(1):111–5.

CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Singh S, Maddow-Zimet I. Facility-based treatment for medical complications resulting from unsafe pregnancy termination in the developing world, 2012: a review of evidence from 26 countries. BJOG. 2016;123(9):1489–98. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.13552 .

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Vlassoff M, Walker D, Shearer J, Newlands D, Singh S. Estimates of health care system costs of unsafe abortion in Africa and Latin America. Int Perspect Sex Reprod Health. 2009;35(3):114–21. https://doi.org/10.1363/3511409 .

Singh S, Darroch JE. Adding it up: costs and benefits of contraceptive services. Estimates for 2012. New York: Guttmacher Institute and United Nations Population Fund; 2012.

Auger N, Bilodeau-Bertrand M, Sauve R. Abortion and infant mortality on the first day of life. Neonatology. 2016;109(2):147–53. https://doi.org/10.1159/000442279 .

Krieger N, Gruskin S, Singh N, Kiang MV, Chen JT, Waterman PD, et al. Reproductive justice & preventable deaths: state funding, family planning, abortion, and infant mortality, US 1980-2010. SSM Popul Health. 2016;2:277–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.03.007 .

Banaem LM, Majlessi F. A comparative study of low 5-minute Apgar scores (< 8) in newborns of wanted versus unwanted pregnancies in southern Tehran, Iran (2006-2007). J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2008;21(12):898–901. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767050802372390 .

Bhandari A. Barriers in access to safe abortion services: perspectives of potential clients from a hilly district of Nepal. Trop Med Int Health. 2007;12:87.

Seid A, Yeneneh H, Sende B, Belete S, Eshete H, Fantahun M, et al. Barriers to access safe abortion services in East Shoa and Arsi Zones of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. J Health Dev. 2015;29(1):13–21.

Arroyave FAB, Moreno PA. A systematic bibliographical review: barriers and facilitators for access to legal abortion in low and middle income countries. Open J Prev Med. 2018;8(5):147–68. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojpm.2018.85015 .

Article   Google Scholar  

Boland R, Katzive L. Developments in laws on induced abortion: 1998-2007. Int Fam Plan Perspect. 2008;34(3):110–20. https://doi.org/10.1363/3411008 .

Lavelanet AF, Schlitt S, Johnson BR Jr, Ganatra B. Global Abortion Policies Database: a descriptive analysis of the legal categories of lawful abortion. BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2018;18(1):44. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-018-0183-1 .

United Nations Population Division. Abortion policies: A global review. Major dimensions of abortion policies. 2002 [Available from: https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/abortion/abortion-policies-2002.asp .

Johnson BR, Lavelanet AF, Schlitt S. Global abortion policies database: a new approach to strengthening knowledge on laws, policies, and human rights standards. Bmc Int Health Hum Rights. 2018;18(1):35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-018-0174-2 .

Haaland MES, Haukanes H, Zulu JM, Moland KM, Michelo C, Munakampe MN, et al. Shaping the abortion policy - competing discourses on the Zambian termination of pregnancy act. Int J Equity Health. 2019;18(1):20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-018-0908-8 .

Schatz JJ. Zambia’s health-worker crisis. Lancet. 2008;371(9613):638–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60287-1 .

Erdman JN, Johnson BR. Access to knowledge and the Global Abortion Policies Database. Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2018;142(1):120–4. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.12509 .

Cleeve A, Oguttu M, Ganatra B, Atuhairwe S, Larsson EC, Makenzius M, et al. Time to act-comprehensive abortion care in east Africa. Lancet Glob Health. 2016;4(9):E601–E2. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(16)30136-X .

Berer M, Hoggart L. Medical abortion pills have the potential to change everything about abortion. Contraception. 2018;97(2):79–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.contraception.2017.12.006 .

Moseson H, Shaw J, Chandrasekaran S, Kimani E, Maina J, Malisau P, et al. Contextualizing medication abortion in seven African nations: A literature review. Health Care Women Int. 2019;40(7-9):950–80. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2019.1608207 .

Blystad A, Moland KM. Comparative cases of abortion laws and access to safe abortion services in sub-Saharan Africa. Trop Med Int Health. 2017;22:351.

Berer M. Abortion law and policy around the world: in search of decriminalization. Health Hum Rights. 2017;19(1):13–27.

PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Johnson BR, Mishra V, Lavelanet AF, Khosla R, Ganatra B. A global database of abortion laws, policies, health standards and guidelines. B World Health Organ. 2017;95(7):542–4. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.17.197442 .

Replogle J. Nicaragua tightens up abortion laws. Lancet. 2007;369(9555):15–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60011-7 .

Keogh LA, Newton D, Bayly C, McNamee K, Hardiman A, Webster A, et al. Intended and unintended consequences of abortion law reform: perspectives of abortion experts in Victoria, Australia. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care. 2017;43(1):18–24. https://doi.org/10.1136/jfprhc-2016-101541 .

Levels M, Sluiter R, Need A. A review of abortion laws in Western-European countries. A cross-national comparison of legal developments between 1960 and 2010. Health Policy. 2014;118(1):95–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthpol.2014.06.008 .

Serbanescu F, Morris L, Stupp P, Stanescu A. The impact of recent policy changes on fertility, abortion, and contraceptive use in Romania. Stud Fam Plann. 1995;26(2):76–87. https://doi.org/10.2307/2137933 .

Henderson JT, Puri M, Blum M, Harper CC, Rana A, Gurung G, et al. Effects of Abortion Legalization in Nepal, 2001-2010. PLoS ONE. 2013;8(5):e64775. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0064775 .

Goncalves-Pinho M, Santos JV, Costa A, Costa-Pereira A, Freitas A. The impact of a liberalisation law on legally induced abortion hospitalisations. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2016;203:142–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2016.05.037 .

Latt SM, Milner A, Kavanagh A. Abortion laws reform may reduce maternal mortality: an ecological study in 162 countries. BMC Women’s Health. 2019;19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-018-0705-y .

Clarke D, Muhlrad H. Abortion laws and women’s health. IZA discussion papers 11890. Bonn: IZA Institute of Labor Economics; 2018.

Benson J, Andersen K, Samandari G. Reductions in abortion-related mortality following policy reform: evidence from Romania, South Africa and Bangladesh. Reprod Health. 2011;8(39). https://doi.org/10.1186/1742-4755-8-39 .

Shamseer L, Moher D, Clarke M, Ghersi D, Liberati A, Petticrew M, et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015: elaboration and explanation. Bmj-Brit Med J. 2015;349.

William R. Shadish, Thomas D. Cook, Donald T. Campbell. Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Boston, New York; 2002.

Bernal JL, Cummins S, Gasparrini A. Interrupted time series regression for the evaluation of public health interventions: a tutorial. Int J Epidemiol. 2017;46(1):348–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyw098 .

Bernal JL, Cummins S, Gasparrini A. The use of controls in interrupted time series studies of public health interventions. Int J Epidemiol. 2018;47(6):2082–93. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyy135 .

Meyer BD. Natural and quasi-experiments in economics. J Bus Econ Stat. 1995;13(2):151–61.

Strumpf EC, Harper S, Kaufman JS. Fixed effects and difference in differences. In: Methods in Social Epidemiology ed. San Francisco CA: Jossey-Bass; 2017.

Abadie A, Diamond A, Hainmueller J. Synthetic control methods for comparative case studies: estimating the effect of California’s Tobacco Control Program. J Am Stat Assoc. 2010;105(490):493–505. https://doi.org/10.1198/jasa.2009.ap08746 .

Article   CAS   Google Scholar  

Abadie A, Diamond A, Hainmueller J. Comparative politics and the synthetic control method. Am J Polit Sci. 2015;59(2):495–510. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12116 .

Moscoe E, Bor J, Barnighausen T. Regression discontinuity designs are underutilized in medicine, epidemiology, and public health: a review of current and best practice. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2015;68(2):132–43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2014.06.021 .

Dennis A, Blanchard K, Bessenaar T. Identifying indicators for quality abortion care: a systematic literature review. J Fam Plan Reprod H. 2017;43(1):7–15. https://doi.org/10.1136/jfprhc-2015-101427 .

Ouzzani M, Hammady H, Fedorowicz Z, Elmagarmid A. Rayyan-a web and mobile app for systematic reviews. Syst Rev. 2016;5(1):210. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0384-4 .

Jackson JL, Kuriyama A, Anton A, Choi A, Fournier JP, Geier AK, et al. The accuracy of Google Translate for abstracting data from non-English-language trials for systematic reviews. Ann Intern Med. 2019.

Reeves BC, Wells GA, Waddington H. Quasi-experimental study designs series-paper 5: a checklist for classifying studies evaluating the effects on health interventions-a taxonomy without labels. J Clin Epidemiol. 2017;89:30–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2017.02.016 .

Guyatt GH, Oxman AD, Vist GE, Kunz R, Falck-Ytter Y, Alonso-Coello P, et al. GRADE: an emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. BMJ. 2008;336(7650):924–6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39489.470347.AD .

Higgins JP, Thompson SG. Quantifying heterogeneity in a meta-analysis. Stat Med. 2002;21(11):1539–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/sim.1186 .

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Genevieve Gore, Liaison Librarian at McGill University, for her assistance with refining the research question, keywords, and Mesh terms for the preliminary search strategy.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Fonds de recherche du Quebec – Santé (FRQS) PhD doctoral awards and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant, “Examining the impact of social policies on health equity” (ROH-115209).

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Purvis Hall 1020 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1A2, Canada

Foluso Ishola, U. Vivian Ukah & Arijit Nandi

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

FI and AN conceived and designed the protocol. FI drafted the manuscript. FI, UVU, and AN revised the manuscript and approved its final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Foluso Ishola .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Not applicable

Consent for publication

Competing interests.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Additional file 1:.

PRISMA-P 2015 Checklist. This checklist has been adapted for use with systematic review protocol submissions to BioMed Central journals from Table 3 in Moher D et al: Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Systematic Reviews 2015 4:1

Additional File 2:.

LMICs according to World Bank Data Catalogue. Country classification specified in the World Bank Data Catalogue to identify low- and middle-income countries

Additional File 3: Table 1

. Search strategy in Embase. Detailed search terms and filters applied to generate our search in Embase

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Ishola, F., Ukah, U.V. & Nandi, A. Impact of abortion law reforms on women’s health services and outcomes: a systematic review protocol. Syst Rev 10 , 192 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01739-w

Download citation

Received : 02 January 2020

Accepted : 08 June 2021

Published : 28 June 2021

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01739-w

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Abortion law/policies; Impact
  • Unsafe abortion
  • Contraception

Systematic Reviews

ISSN: 2046-4053

  • Submission enquiries: Access here and click Contact Us
  • General enquiries: [email protected]

research essays on abortion

one pixel image

Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 50 Abortion Essay Topics: Researching Abortion-Related Subjects

50 Abortion Essay Topics: Researching Abortion-Related Subjects

abortion essay topics

Abortion remains a contentious social and political issue, with deeply held beliefs and strong emotions shaping the debate. It is a topic that has been at the forefront of public discourse for decades, sparking heated arguments and evoking a range of perspectives from individuals, organizations, and governments worldwide.

The complexity of abortion stems from its intersection with fundamental human rights, ethical principles, and societal norms. It raises questions about the sanctity of life, individual autonomy, gender equality, and public health, making it a challenging yet critically important subject to explore and analyze.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the significance of choosing the right abortion essay topics and abortion title ideas , offering valuable insights and practical advice for students navigating this challenging yet rewarding endeavor. By understanding the multifaceted nature of abortion and its far-reaching implications, students can make informed decisions about their topic selection, setting themselves up for success in producing well-researched, insightful, and impactful essays.

Choosing the Right Abortion Essay Topic

For students who are tasked with writing an essay on abortion, choosing the right topic is essential. A well-chosen topic can be the difference between a well-researched, insightful, and impactful piece of writing and a superficial, uninspired, and forgettable one.

This guide delves into the significance of selecting the right abortion essay topic, providing valuable insights for students embarking on this challenging yet rewarding endeavor. By understanding the multifaceted nature of abortion and its far-reaching implications, students can identify topics that align with their interests, research capabilities, and the overall objectives of their essays.

Abortion remains a contentious social and political issue, with deeply held beliefs and strong emotions shaping the debate on abortion topics . It is a topic that has been at the forefront of public discourse for decades, sparking heated arguments and evoking a range of perspectives from individuals, organizations, and governments worldwide.

List of Abortion Argumentative Essay Topics

Abortion argumentative essay topics typically revolve around the ethical, legal, and societal aspects of this controversial issue. These topics often involve debates and discussions, requiring students to present well-reasoned arguments supported by evidence and persuasive language.

  • The Bodily Autonomy vs. Fetal Rights Debate: A Balancing Act
  • Navigating the Ethical Labyrinth of Abortion: Life, Choice, and Consequences
  • Championing Gender Equality and Reproductive Freedom in the Abortion Debate
  • Considering Abortion as a Human Right
  • The Impact of Abortion Stigma on Women's Mental Health and Well-being
  • The Impact of Abortion Restrictions on Poverty, Inequality, and Social Disparities
  • Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Abortion Access and Health Outcomes
  • Analyzing the Impact of Public Opinion and Voter Attitudes on Abortion Legislation
  • Discussion on Whether Abortion is a Crime
  • Abortion Restrictions and Women's Economic Opportunity
  • Government Intervention in Abortion Regulation
  • Religion, Morality, and Abortion Attitudes
  • Parental Notification and Consent Laws
  • Education and Counseling for Informed Abortion Choices
  • Media Representation and Abortion Perceptions

Ethical Considerations: Abortion raises profound ethical questions about the sanctity of life, personhood, and individual choice. Students can explore these ethical dilemmas by examining the moral implications of abortion, the rights of the unborn, and the role of personal conscience in decision-making.

Legal Aspects: The legal landscape surrounding abortion is constantly evolving, with varying regulations and restrictions across different jurisdictions. Students can delve into the legal aspects of abortion by analyzing the impact of laws and policies on access, safety, and the well-being of women.

Societal Impact: Abortion has a significant impact on society, influencing public health, gender equality, and social justice. Students can explore the societal implications of abortion by examining its impact on maternal health, reproductive rights, and the lives of marginalized communities.

Effective Abortion Topics for Research Paper

Research papers on abortion demand a more in-depth and comprehensive approach, requiring students to delve into historical, medical, and international perspectives on this multifaceted issue.

Medical Perspectives: The medical aspects of abortion encompass a wide range of topics, from advancements in abortion procedures to the health and safety of women undergoing the procedure. Students can explore medical perspectives by examining the evolution of abortion techniques, the impact of medical interventions on maternal health, and the role of healthcare providers in the abortion debate.

Historical Analysis: Abortion has a long and complex history, with changing attitudes, practices, and laws across different eras. Students can engage in historical analysis by examining the evolution of abortion practices in ancient civilizations, tracing the legal developments surrounding abortion, and exploring the shifting social attitudes towards abortion throughout history.

International Comparisons: Abortion laws and regulations vary widely across different countries, leading to diverse experiences and outcomes. Students can make international comparisons by examining abortion access and restrictions in different regions, analyzing the impact of varying legal frameworks on women's health and rights, and identifying best practices in abortion policies.

List of Abortion Research Paper Topics

  • The Socioeconomic Factors and Racial Disparities Shaping Abortion Access
  • Ethical and Social Implications of Emerging Abortion Technologies
  • Abortion Stigma and Women's Mental Health
  • Telemedicine and Abortion Access in Rural Areas
  • International Human Rights and Abortion Access
  • Reproductive Justice and Other Social Justice Issues
  • Men's Role in Abortion Decision-Making
  • Abortion Restrictions and Social Disparities
  • Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Abortion Access
  • Alternative Approaches to Abortion Regulation
  • Political Ideology and Abortion Policy Debates
  • Public Health Campaigns for Informed Abortion Decisions
  • Abortion Services in Conflict-Affected Areas
  • Healthcare Providers and Medical Ethics of Abortion
  • International Cooperation on Abortion Policies

By exploring these topics and subtopics for abortion essays , students can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted nature of the abortion debate and choose a specific focus that aligns with their interests and research objectives.

Choosing Abortion Research Paper Topics

When selecting research paper topics on abortion, it is essential to consider factors such as research feasibility, availability of credible sources, and the potential for original contributions.

Abortion is a complex and multifaceted issue that intersects with various aspects of society and individual lives. By broadening the scope of abortion-related topics, students can explore a wider range of perspectives and insights.

  • Demystifying Abortion Statistics: Understanding the Global and Domestic Landscape
  • Abortion and Women's Rights: A Historical and Contemporary Perspective
  • Decoding the Impact of Abortion on Public Health and Social Welfare
  • Unveiling the Role of Media and Public Discourse in Shaping Abortion Perceptions
  • Comparative Analysis of Abortion Laws Worldwide
  • Historical Evolution of Abortion Rights and Practices
  • Impact of Abortion on Public Health and Maternal Mortality
  • Abortion Funding and Access to Reproductive Healthcare
  • Role of Misinformation and Myths in Abortion Debates
  • International Perspectives on Abortion and Reproductive Freedom
  • Abortion and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Abortion and Gender Equality in the Global Context
  • Abortion and Human Rights: A Legal and Ethical Analysis
  • Religious and Cultural Influences on Abortion Perceptions
  • Abortion and Social Justice: Addressing Disparities and Marginalization
  • Anti-abortion and Pro-choice Movements: Comparative Analysis and Impact
  • Impact of Technological Advancements on Abortion Procedures and Access
  • Ethical Considerations of New Abortion Technologies and Surrogacy
  • Role of Advocacy and Activism in Shaping Abortion Policy and Practice
  • Measuring the Effectiveness of Abortion Policy Interventions

Navigating the complex landscape of abortion-related topics can be a daunting task, but it also offers an opportunity for students to delve into a range of compelling issues and perspectives. By choosing the right topic, students can produce well-researched, insightful, and impactful essays that contribute to the ongoing dialogue on this important subject.

The 50 abortion essay ideas presented in this guide provide a starting point for exploring the intricacies of abortion and its far-reaching implications. Whether students are interested in argumentative essays that engage in ethical, legal, or societal debates or research papers that delve into medical, historical, or international perspectives, this collection offers a wealth of potential topics to ignite their curiosity and challenge their thinking.

topics in history

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

research essays on abortion

  • Election 2024
  • Entertainment
  • Newsletters
  • Photography
  • Press Releases
  • Israel-Hamas War
  • Russia-Ukraine War
  • Latin America
  • Middle East
  • Asia Pacific
  • AP Top 25 College Football Poll
  • Movie reviews
  • Book reviews
  • Financial Markets
  • Business Highlights
  • Financial wellness
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Social Media

About as many abortions are happening in the US monthly as before Roe was overturned, report finds

FILE - Activists mark the first anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, by displaying neon signage in support of abortion access in front of the Supreme Court on June 23, 2023, in Washington. A report finds the total number of monthly abortions in the U.S. increased after state bans started kicking in in 2022. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)

FILE - Activists mark the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, by displaying neon signage in support of abortion access in front of the Supreme Court on June 23, 2023, in Washington. A report finds the total number of monthly abortions in the U.S. increased after state bans started kicking in in 2022. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, File)

FILE - An anti-abortion supporter sits behind a sign that advises the Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic is still open in Jackson, Miss., July 6, 2022. A report finds the total number of monthly abortions in the U.S. increased after state bans started kicking in in 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

  • Copy Link copied

The number of abortions performed each month is about the same as before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion more than a year and a half ago, a new report finds.

The latest edition of the #WeCount report conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research on abortion and contraception, finds that between 81,150 and 88,620 abortions took place each month from July through September of last year, the most recent period for which survey results are available. Those numbers are just slightly lower than the monthly average of about 86,800 from April through June 2022, before Roe and just after was overturned.

But abortion data is seasonal, and the same survey found more abortions across the U.S. in the spring months of 2023 than it did in the period the year before leading up to the court’s decision.

The report also finds that prescriptions of abortion pills by telemedicine have become common, accounting for about one in every six abortions in the most recent three months of survey results.

FILE - This Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014 file photo shows a general view of France's Senate prior to a vote on the recognition of a Palestinian state, Paris. France's Senate is to vote on Wednesday on a bill meant to enshrine a woman's right to an abortion in the French Constitution, a measure promised by President Emmanuel Macron following a rollback on rulings in the United States. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)

“Even when a state bans abortion, people continue to need and seek abortion care,” Alison Norris, a professor at Ohio State University’s College of Public Health and one of the co-chairs of the study, said in a statement. “We can’t let the overall consistent number of abortions nationally obscure the incredible unmet need and disastrous impact of abortion bans on people who already have the least access.”

The report estimates that if states had not been allowed to ban abortion, there would have been a total of 120,000 more during the survey period in the 14 states where bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy are now in place.

Although the number of monthly abortions has dropped to nearly zero in states with bans, they have risen in states that allow abortion, including Florida, Illinois and Kansas, which border states with bans.

The tracking effort collects monthly data from providers across the country, creating a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. In some states, a portion of the data is estimated. The effort makes data public with less than a six-month lag, giving a picture of trends far faster than annual reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the most recent report covers abortion in 2021.

The report does not cover self-managed abortions obtained outside the formal health care system — such as if someone gets abortion pills from a friend without a prescription.

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling in June 2022 brought about immediate change in state policies. Currently, 14 states are enforcing bans on abortion in all stages of pregnancy and two more have bans that kick in after the first six weeks — often before women realize they’re pregnant. Other Republican-controlled states have imposed lighter restrictions. Enforcement of some bans has been put on hold by courts.

Meanwhile, most Democrat-controlled states have taken steps to protect access to abortion. Several have executive orders or laws that seek to keep states with bans from reaching across state lines in abortion-related investigations. And five — Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Washington — have laws seeking to protect providers who give abortion care via telehealth .

The report’s total numbers includes cases where providers in those states prescribed medication abortion to patients in states with abortion bans or restrictions on the pill versions in its national count but does not break down how many there were by state.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether mifepristone, one of the two drugs most commonly prescribed in combination to cause abortions was properly approved.

research essays on abortion

  • - Google Chrome

Intended for healthcare professionals

  • Access provided by Google Indexer
  • My email alerts
  • BMA member login
  • Username * Password * Forgot your log in details? Need to activate BMA Member Log In Log in via OpenAthens Log in via your institution

Home

Search form

  • Advanced search
  • Search responses
  • Search blogs
  • News & Views
  • Abortion rights:...

Abortion rights: history offers a blueprint for how pro-choice campaigners might usefully respond

  • Related content
  • Peer review
  • Agnes Arnold Forster , research fellow
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

In October 1971, the New York Times reported a decline in maternal death rate. 1 Just 15 months earlier, the state had liberalised its abortion law. David Harris, New York’s deputy commissioner of health, speaking to the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, attributed the decline—by more than half—to the replacement of criminal abortions with safe, legal ones. Previously, abortion had been the single leading cause of maternity related deaths, accounting for around a third. A doctor in the audience who said he was from a state “where the abortion law is still archaic,” thanked New York for its “remarkable job” and expressed his gratitude that there was a place he could send his patients and know they would receive “safe, excellent care.” Harris urged other states to follow the example set by New York and liberalise their abortion laws.

Just two years later, in 1973, the US Supreme Court intervened. In the landmark decision, Roe v. Wade, the Court ruled that the constitution protected a woman’s liberty to choose to have an abortion, and in doing so, struck down the “archaic” abortion laws that still existed in many states.

As surely everyone knows by now, Roe v. Wade was repealed on 24 June 2022, setting off a wave of fear, uncertainty, rage, and apprehension among those committed to the right to choose. Thirteen states with “trigger bans,” designed to take effect automatically if the ruling was ever struck down, are due to prohibit abortion within 30 days. 2 At least eight states banned the procedure the day the ruling was released. Several others are expected to act, with lawmakers moving to reactivate their dormant legislation. But as the 1971 New York Times article indicates, banning abortion only bans safe abortion.

In November 1955, Jacqueline Smith found out she was about six weeks pregnant. Historian Gillian Frank describes what happened next. 3 Unmarried and anxious about the social consequences for mothers and babies born out of wedlock, Jacqueline and her boyfriend Daniel started looking for methods to end the pregnancy. On the 24 December 1955, Daniel paid a hospital attendant, $50 to perform an illegal abortion in the living room of the boyfriend’s Manhattan apartment. Just a few hours later, Jacqueline was dead. Before abortion was legalised in Great Britain in 1967, the situation on this side of the Atlantic was similar.

As the New York Times article suggests, these names were just some of thousands of women who lost their lives to backstreet abortions or forced birth, and of many more who had their lives irreparably altered by being made to carry babies to term that they were not able to care for or that they simply did not want. But if history foreshadows a terrifying history for women in America, it also offers a blueprint for how pro-choice campaigners might usefully respond.

Roe v. Wade was a landmark legal decision, but it came only after decades of grassroots feminist activism. In early 1960s California, radical activist Pat Maginnis taught women how to fake the symptoms that would get them a “therapeutic abortion” (then the only legal kind). 4 She founded a group called the Society for Humane Abortion that demanded the repeal of abortion laws and ran an underground network focused on helping women obtain safe abortions, compiling lists of abortion providers outside the US, and providing women with tips on how to evade suspicion at the Mexican border. While some doctors and others were advocating reformed abortion laws in the first half of the twentieth century, it was feminists like Maginnis who were the first to publicly insist that abortion should be completely decriminalised. In 1969, the radical feminist group Redstockings organised an “abortion speakout” in New York City, where women talked about their experiences with illegal terminations. This history shows that women have always been at the forefront of pro-choice activism, and sadly will have to be once again.

But abortion rights also need to be protected closer to home. While abortion is legal in Northern Ireland, millions of women, girls, and people remain without access and must travel to England to receive appropriate reproductive care. Similarly, due to the legacy of nineteenth-century legislation, abortion remains a criminal offence in England—and doctors must lend their substantial social and political capital to the campaign to overturn the 1861 Offences Against the Person Act. 5

The world is radically different to how it was in the 1960s. But two things remain constant. Reproductive rights are fundamental to women’s health, safety, and autonomy. And if access to abortion is to be reinstated or expanded in both the United Kingdom and the United States, then healthcare professionals need to be led by, and work in collaboration with, feminist activists.

Competing interests: AA-F’s research is funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Provenance and peer review: commissioned, not peer reviewed.

  • ↵ The New York Times. Decline in Maternal Death Rate Linked to Liberalized Abortion. https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/13/archives/decline-in-maternal-death-rate-linked-to-liberalized-abortion.html?searchResultPosition=1
  • ↵ NPR. 'Trigger laws' have been taking effect now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/24/1107531644/trigger-laws-have-been-taking-effect-now-that-roe-v-wade-has-been-overturned
  • ↵ Slate. The Death of Jacqueline Smith. https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/12/jacqueline-smiths-1955-death-and-the-lessons-we-havent-yet-learned-from-it.html
  • ↵ NPR. Inside Pat Maginnis' radical (and underground) tactics on abortion rights in the '60s. https://www.npr.org/2021/10/29/1047068724/pat-was-an-early-radical-abortion-rights-activist-her-positions-are-now-common
  • ↵ Freeman H. The Guardian. Abortion should be a medical matter, not a criminal one. The law needs to change. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/01/uk-abortion-criminal-offence-24-week-time-limit

research essays on abortion

Read our research on: Immigration & Migration | Podcasts | Election 2024

Regions & Countries

What the data says about abortion in the u.s..

Pew Research Center has conducted many surveys about abortion over the years, providing a lens into Americans’ views on whether the procedure should be legal, among a host of other questions. In a Center survey conducted after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to end the constitutional right to abortion , 62% of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. Another survey showed that relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the issue.

Here is a look at data on the number of legal abortions that take place in the United States each year – and other related measures – from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which have tracked these patterns for several decades. The latest data from both organizations is from 2020 and therefore does not reflect the period after the Supreme Court’s recent decision.

This compilation of data on abortion in the United States draws mainly from two sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which have regularly compiled national abortion data for approximately half a century, and both of which collect their data in different ways.

The CDC data that is highlighted in this post comes from the agency’s “abortion surveillance” reports, which have been published annually since 1974 (and which have included data from 1969). Its figures from 1973 through 1996 include data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City – 52 “reporting areas” in all. Since 1997, the CDC’s totals have lacked data from some states (most notably California) for the years that those states did not report data to the agency. The three reporting areas that did not submit data to the CDC in 2020 – California, Maryland and New Hampshire – accounted for approximately 19% of all abortions in the U.S. in 2017, according to Guttmacher’s data. Most states, though,  do  have data in the reports, and the figures for the vast majority of them came from each state’s central health agency, while for some states, the figures came from hospitals and other medical facilities.

Discussion of CDC abortion data involving women’s state of residence, marital status, race, ethnicity, age, abortion history and the number of previous live births excludes the low share of abortions where that information was not supplied. The methodology for the CDC’s latest abortion surveillance report, which includes data from 2020, can be found  here . Previous reports can be found at  stacks.cdc.gov  by entering “abortion surveillance” into the search box.

Guttmacher data in this post comes from national surveys of abortion providers that Guttmacher has conducted 19 times since 1973. Guttmacher compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and it provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. (In 2020, the last year for which it has released data on the number of abortions in the U.S., it used estimates for 12% of abortions.) For most of the 2000s, Guttmacher has conducted these national surveys every three years, each time getting abortion data for the prior two years. For each interim year, Guttmacher has calculated estimates based on trends from its own figures and from other data.

The latest full summary of Guttmacher data came in the institute’s report titled “ Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2020 .” It includes figures for 2020 and 2019 and estimates for 2018. The report includes a methods section.

In addition, this post uses data from the  National Center for Biotechnology Information  (NCBI) on complications from abortion. The NCBI is part of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.

How many abortions are there in the U.S. each year?

An exact answer is hard to come by. The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute each try to measure this, but they use different methods and publish different figures.

The CDC compiles figures voluntarily reported by the central health agencies of the vast majority of states (including separate figures for New York City) and the District of Columbia. Its latest totals do not include figures from California, Maryland or New Hampshire, which did not report data to the CDC. (Read the  methodology from the latest CDC report .)

The Guttmacher Institute compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. Guttmacher’s figures are higher than the CDC’s in part because it includes data (and in some instances, estimates) from all 50 states. The institute’s latest full report, and its methodology, can be  found here . While the Guttmacher Institute supports abortion rights, its empirical data on abortions in the U.S. has been widely cited by  groups  and  publications  across the political spectrum, including by a  number of those  that  disagree with its positions .

The last year for which the CDC and Guttmacher reported a yearly national total for abortions is 2020, and neither organization reported a large change from the previous year. The CDC says there were 620,327 abortions nationally in 2020 in the District of Columbia and 47 states, a 1.5% decrease from 629,898 in 2019. Guttmacher’s national total for 2020 was 930,160, a 1.5% increase from 916,460 in 2019.

The figures reported by both organizations include only legal induced abortions conducted by clinics, hospitals or physicians’ offices, or those that make use of abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities such as clinics or physicians’ offices. They do not account for the use of abortion pills that were obtained  outside of clinical settings .

How has the number of abortions in the U.S. changed over the years?

A line graph showing the changing number of legal abortions in the U.S. since the 1970s. The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called “a slow yet steady pace.”

The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called  “a slow yet steady pace.”

Guttmacher recorded more than 1.5 million abortions in the U.S. in 1991, about two-thirds more than the 930,160 it reported for 2020. The CDC reported just over 1 million abortions in 1991 and 620,327 in 2020, looking at just the District of Columbia and the 47 states that reported figures in both years. (This line graph shows the long-term trend in the number of legal abortions reported by both organizations. To allow for consistent comparisons over time, the CDC figures in the chart have been adjusted to ensure that the same states are counted from one year to the next. Using that approach, the CDC figure for 2020 is 615,911 legal abortions.)

There have been occasional breaks in this long-term pattern of decline – during the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, and then again in the late 2010s. The CDC reported modest 1% and 2% increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, respectively, while Guttmacher reported an 8% increase in abortions over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

As noted above, these figures do not include abortions that use pills that were obtained outside of clinical settings.

What is the abortion rate among women in the U.S.? How has it changed over time?

Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

The CDC says that in 2020, there were 11.2 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, Maryland, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia.) Like Guttmacher’s data, the CDC’s figures also suggest a general decline in the abortion rate over time. In 1980, when the CDC reported on all 50 states and D.C., it said there were 25 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.

That said, both Guttmacher and the CDC say there were slight increases in the rate of abortions during the late 2010s. Guttmacher says the abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. The CDC says it rose from 11.2 in 2017 to 11.4 in 2019 before falling back to 11.2 in 2020. (The CDC’s figures for those years exclude data from California, Maryland, New Hampshire and the District of Columbia).

What are the most common types of abortion?

The CDC broadly divides abortions into two categories: surgical abortions and medication abortions, which involve pills. Since the Food and Drug Administration first approved abortion pills in 2000, their use has increased over time as a share of abortions nationally, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. In fact, 2020 marked the first time that a majority of legal abortions in the U.S. involved pills: 53%, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. That was up from 44% in 2019 and 40% in 2018, according to the CDC. (The CDC’s figures for 2020 include D.C. and 44 states that provided this data; its figures for 2019 figures included D.C. and 45 states, and its figures for 2018 included D.C. and 43 states.) Guttmacher, which measures this every three years, said that in 2017, 39% of U.S. abortions involved pills.

Two pills commonly used together for medication abortions are mifepristone, which, taken first, blocks hormones that support a pregnancy, and misoprostol, which then causes the uterus to empty. Medication abortions are safe to use until 10 weeks into pregnancy, according to the FDA.

Surgical abortions conducted  during the first trimester  of pregnancy typically use a suction process, while the relatively few surgical abortions that occur  during the second trimester  of a pregnancy typically use a process called dilation and evacuation, according to the UCLA School of Medicine website.

How many abortion providers are there in the U.S., and how has that number changed?

In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions,  according to Guttmacher . This included 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

A bar chart showing that the total number of abortion providers is down since 1982. In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions, including 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

While clinics make up half of the facilities that provide abortions, they are the sites where the vast majority (96%) of abortions are administered, either through procedures or the distribution of pills, according to Guttmacher’s 2020 data. (This includes 54% of abortions that are administered at specialized abortion clinics and 43% at nonspecialized clinics.) Hospitals made up 33% of the facilities that provided abortions in 2020 but accounted for only 3% of abortions that year, while just 1% of abortions were conducted by physicians’ offices.

Looking just at clinics – that is, the total number of specialized abortion clinics and nonspecialized clinics in the U.S. – Guttmacher found the total virtually unchanged between 2017 (808 clinics) and 2020 (807 clinics). However, there were regional differences. In the Midwest, the number of clinics that provide abortions increased by 11% during those years, and in the West by 6%. The number of clinics  decreased  during those years by 9% in the Northeast and 3% in the South.

The total number of abortion providers has declined dramatically since the 1980s. In 1982, according to Guttmacher, there were 2,908 facilities providing abortions in the U.S., including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals and 714 physicians’ offices.

The CDC does not track the number of abortion providers.

What percentage of abortions are for women who live in a different state from the abortion provider?

In the District of Columbia, New York City and the 46 states that provided abortion and residency information to the CDC in 2020, 9.7% of all abortions were performed on women whose state of residence was known to be different than the state where the abortion occurred – virtually the same percentage as in 2019 (9.3%).

The share of reported abortions performed on women outside their state of residence was much higher before the 1973 Roe decision that stopped states from banning abortion. In 1972, 41% of all abortions in D.C. and the 20 states that provided this information to the CDC that year were performed on women outside their state of residence. In 1973, the corresponding figure was 21% in the District of Columbia and the 41 states that provided this information, and in 1974 it was 11% in D.C. and the 43 states that provided data.

In the months prior to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, politicians in some states with permissive abortion laws (such as New York , California and Oregon ) introduced measures to assist women from states with restrictive abortion laws. Some examples included providing additional state funds for women’s travel expenses and for abortion clinics that were expecting more out-of-state patients.

What are the demographics of women who had abortions in 2020?

In the 46 states that reported data to  the CDC  in 2020, the majority of women who had abortions (57%) were in their 20s, while about three-in-ten (31%) were in their 30s. Teens ages 13 to 19 accounted for 8% of those who had abortions, while women in their 40s accounted for 4%.

The vast majority of women who had abortions in 2020 were unmarried (86%), while married women accounted for 14%, according to  the CDC , which had data on this from 39 states and New York City (but not the rest of New York).

In the District of Columbia and 29 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to  the CDC , 39% of all women who had abortions in 2020 were non-Hispanic Black, while 33% were non-Hispanic White, 21% were Hispanic, and 7% were of other races or ethnicities.

A pie chart showing that in 2020, a majority (58%) of abortions were for women who had never had one before. For 24% of women it was their second abortion, for 10% it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or higher.

Among those ages 15 to 44, there were 24.4 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women; 11.4 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women; 6.2 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women; and 12.7 abortions per 1,000 women of other races or ethnicities in that age range, the  CDC reported  from those same 29 states and the District of Columbia.

Most U.S. abortions in 2020 were for women who had previously given birth. 39% of women who had abortions in 2020 had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion, 25% had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 6% had four or more previous live births.

For 58% of U.S. women who had induced abortions in 2020, it was the first time they had ever had one,  according to the CDC. For nearly a quarter (24%), it was their second abortion. For 10% of women, it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or higher. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City (but not the rest of New York).

Nearly four-in-ten women who had abortions in 2020 (39%) had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion,  according to the CDC . A quarter of women who had abortions in 2020 had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 6% had four or more previous live births. These CDC figures include data from 42 states and New York City (but not the rest of New York).

When during pregnancy do most abortions occur?

The vast majority of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. In 2020, 93% of abortions occurred during the first trimester – that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation,  according to the CDC . An additional 6% occurred between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, and 1% were performed at 21 weeks or more of gestation. These CDC figures include data from 40 states and New York City (but not the rest of New York).

How often are there medical complications from abortion?

About 2% of all abortions in the U.S. involve some type of complication for the woman, according to an article in Statpearls, an online health care resource. The article says that “most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications.”

The CDC calculates  case-fatality rates  for women from legal induced abortions – that is, how many women die from abortion-related complications, for every 100,000 abortions that occur in the U.S .  The rate was lowest during the most recent period examined by the agency (2013 to 2019), when there were 0.43 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate reported by the CDC was highest during the first period examined by the agency (1973 to 1977), when it was 2.1 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. During the five-year periods in between, the figure ranged from 0.5 (from 1993 to 1997) to 0.8 (from 1978 to 1982). The CDC says it calculates death rates by five-year and seven-year periods because of year-to-year fluctuation in the numbers and due to the relatively low number of women who die from abortion.

In 2019, the last year for which the CDC has information, four women in the U.S. died due to complications from induced abortions, according to the CDC . Two women died in this way in 2018, and three women in 2017. (These deaths all followed legal abortions.) In 2016, the CDC reported seven deaths due to either legal (six) or illegal (one) induced abortions. Since 1990, the annual number of deaths among women due to induced abortion has ranged from two to 12, according to the CDC.

The annual number of reported deaths from induced abortions tended to be higher in the 1980s, when it ranged from nine to 16, and from 1972 to 1979, when it ranged from 13 to 54 (1972 was the first year the CDC began collecting this data). One driver of the decline was the drop in deaths from  illegal  abortions. There were 35 deaths from illegal abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade. The total fell to 19 in 1973 and to single digits or zero every year after that. (The number of deaths from legal abortions has also declined since then, though with some slight variation over time.)

The number of deaths from induced abortions was considerably higher in the 1960s than afterward. For instance, there were 235 deaths from abortions in  1965  and 280 in  1963 , according to reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is a division of Health and Human Services.

CORRECTION (Jan. 13, 2023): This post has been updated to reflect the correct attribution of data on the percentage of abortions in the U.S. that involve some type of medical complication for the woman. The correct source is Statpearls.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published May 27, 2022, and first updated June 24, 2022.

research essays on abortion

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

Fresh data delivered Saturday mornings

Key facts about the abortion debate in America

Public opinion on abortion, three-in-ten or more democrats and republicans don’t agree with their party on abortion, partisanship a bigger factor than geography in views of abortion access locally, do state laws on abortion reflect public opinion, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

  • Dissertation
  • PowerPoint Presentation
  • Book Report/Review
  • Research Proposal
  • Math Problems
  • Proofreading
  • Movie Review
  • Cover Letter Writing
  • Personal Statement
  • Nursing Paper
  • Argumentative Essay
  • Research Paper

How to Write Abortion Research Paper Homework?

Jason Burrey

Table of Contents

research essays on abortion

Looking for easy tips on how to write a research paper on abortion? We’ve got you covered!

Abortion is probably the most controversial subject in modern society. It includes a number of complex questions concerning ethical, moral, legal, medical, philosophical, and religious issues related to the deliberate ending of pregnancy before normal childbirth.

Public opinions are polarized; they have strong feelings for or against this subject. That’s why writing a good abortion research paper with work cited requires in-depth research of existing literature. Students have to find a decent amount of relevant arguments (statistics, facts) about positive and negative aspects of the problem and create a convincing piece.

Abortion research paper specifics

Abortion research paper is a piece of academic writing based on original research performed by a writer. The author’s task is to analyze and interpret research findings on a particular topic.

Although research paper assignments may vary widely, there are two common types – analytical and argumentative.

  • In argumentative essay students have to establish their position in a thesis statement and convince their audience to adopt this point of view.
  • In analytical essay students state a research question, take a neutral stance on a topic, presenting information in a form of well-supported critical analysis without persuading the audience to adopt any particular point of view.

Thorough writing a college research paper on the subject is critical – it can help students develop their own opinions and build a strong argument.

Research paper on abortion: writing hints & tips

Abortion is among political and moral issues on which Americans are genuinely split. Their opinions on this controversial issue remain unchanged since 1995. There are two primary moral and legal questions related to the abortion debate, which divides public opinion for generations:

  • Are abortions morally wrong?
  • Should they be legal or banned?

Although these questions seem straightforward, they are more complex than students think. There are two separate camps. People who favor the “pro-choice” stance support the right of women to choose whether she carries a pregnancy to term or not. They think that abortions are acceptable.

People who take the strict religious “pro-life” stance think that abortions are always wrong because the fetus has rights and we should treat it the same way as any other human being.

If you have to write an argumentative research paper, you must choose either “pro-life” or “pro-choice” stance and develop a convincing argument to persuade readers.

If your research paper is analytical, you should examine both sides of the issue, evaluate the most important arguments, provide a balanced overview of both approaches, analyzing their weak and strong points.

Religion plays a great role in the debate but there are a lot of non-religious issues. Here are the most important ethical and legal issues, involving the rights of women and the rights of a fetus.

  • Is fetus a human being and does it have the basic legal right to live?
  • Does life begin at conception?
  • Should we consider the fetus a separate being or is it a part of its mother?
  • Does the fetus’ right to life have a priority over the woman’s right to control her body?
  • Under what circumstances is it acceptable to terminate the fetus’ life?
  • Can the removing of a fetus be considered as a murder?
  • Is it better to abort an unwanted child or allow it to be neglected by parents?
  • Can adoption be alternative to termination of pregnancy?
  • Is it possible to find a balance between the rights of a mother and those of a fetus?

A lot of arguments in favor of this procedure are based on respect for women’s reproductive rights.

“Pro-choice” camp argues that a woman is a person with her own rights and not a fetus’ carrier.

They say that governmental or religious authorities shouldn’t limit a woman’s right to control her own body. Besides, the fetus can’t be regarded as a separate entity because it can’t exist outside a woman’s womb.

Opponents of this procedure speak about respect for all forms of life, fetus’ right to life, and argue that it is actually the kill of an innocent human being.

research essays on abortion

Best abortion research paper topics

The first step in writing a research paper is selecting a good manageable topic that interests you and defining a research question or a thesis statement.

Wondering where to find powerful abortion research paper topics? Here is a short list of interesting ideas. Feel free to pick any of them for creating your own writings. You may also use them as a source of inspiration and further research of a specific issue.

  • Impact of legalizing abortions on the birth rate.
  • How terminations of pregnancies are regulated around the world.
  • How termination of pregnancy is considered within moral terms.
  • Analyze regional differences in Americans’ attitude to termination of pregnancy.
  • Examine the generation gap in abortion support.
  • Feminist beliefs and abortion rights supporters.
  • What is the future of abortion politics?
  • Give an overview of the legislation on the termination of pregnancies around the world.
  • The medical complications of pregnancy termination.
  • Discuss the abortion debate and human rights.
  • How having an abortion affects a woman’s life.
  • Will the abortion debate ever end?
  • How can we reduce the demand for termination of pregnancy?
  • Moral aspects of pregnancy termination.
  • Legal aspects of the abortion conflict.
  • Should termination of pregnancy be treated as a health issue?
  • Electoral politics and termination of pregnancy.
  • Is the termination of pregnancy a human issue or a gender issue?
  • Philosophical aspects of the abortion debate.
  • Liberal views on the termination of pregnancy.
  • Abortion demographics: race, poverty, and choice.
  • Why does the public support for legal termination of pregnancy remains high?
  • Should men be allowed to discuss the termination of pregnancy?
  • Is the abortion a “women’s only” issue?
  • Woman’s mental health after abortion.

How to write an abortion research paper outline?

Now let’s discuss how to write an abortion research paper outline. First, you have to write a thesis statement that summarizes the main point of your paper and outlines supporting points. The thesis will help you organize your structure and ensure that you stay focused while working on your project. Make a thesis statement strong, specific, and arguable.

After defining the thesis statement, you need to brainstorm ideas that are supporting the thesis in the best way. When it comes to the level of detail in an outline, you should take into account the length of a college project. You should choose the most suitable subtopics and arrange them logically. Decide which order is the most effective in arguing your thesis. Your paper should include at least 3 parts: an introduction, main body, and conclusion.

Have a look at simple abortion research paper outline example .

Introduction

  • Hook sentence
  • Thesis statement
  • Transition to Main Body
  • History of abortion
  • Abortion demographics in countries where it is legal
  • Impact of legal termination of pregnancy on women’s life and health
  • Negative consequences of illegal termination of pregnancy
  • What measures should be taken to reduce the number of abortions?
  • Transition to Conclusion
  • Unexpected twist or a final argument
  • Food for thought

Academic writing is very challenging, especially if it involves complex controversial topics . Writing an abortion research paper is a time-consuming and arduous task, which involves a lot of researching, reading, writing, revising, rewriting, editing, and proofreading. Make sure you are ready to create several drafts and then improve the content and style to make your paper perfect.

We hope that our quick tips will help you get started. But if you are new to academic writing, a good idea is to find well-written abortion research paper examples. Read and analyze them to have a better idea about proper paper structure, academic writing style, references, and different approaches to organizing thoughts.

How about we take care of your abortion research paper, while you enjoy your free time? Several clicks and we’re on!

1 Star

Starting an Essay on Advertising

research essays on abortion

What Is The Best App for Taking Lecture Notes?

research essays on abortion

What Is Beauty?

Banner

PHI 240: Ethics of Fetal Development & Abortion (Daniels)

  • Start here!
  • Search for More

Bertha Alvarez Manninen

Donald marquis, judith jarvis thomson, mary anne warren, essay:  the value of choice and the choice to value: expanding the discussion about fetal life within prochoice advocacy.

Free Resource

Essay:  Why Abortion is Immoral

Essay:  a defense of abortion, essay: on the moral and legal status of abortion.

  • << Previous: Search for More
  • Next: Help >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 14, 2024 4:33 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.pittcc.edu/phi240

U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

  • Publications
  • Account settings
  • Advanced Search
  • Journal List
  • v.83(1); 2016 Feb

Abortion and public health: Time for another look

Four decades after Roe v. Wade , abortion remains highly contentious, pitting a woman's right to choose against a fetal claim to life. Public health implications are staggering: the US annual total of more than one million induced abortions equals nearly half the number of registered deaths from all causes. Sentiment regarding abortion is roughly evenly split among the general public, yet fundamental debate about abortion is largely absent in the public health community, which is predominantly supportive of its wide availability. Absence of substantive debate on abortion separates the public health community from the public we serve, jeopardizing the trust placed in us. Traditional public health values—support for vulnerable groups and opposition to the politicization of science—together with the principle of reciprocity weigh against abortion. Were aborted lives counted as are other human lives, induced abortion would be acknowledged as the largest single preventable cause of loss of human life.

Lay Summary: Four decades after Roe v. Wade , abortion remains highly divisive. Public sentiment regarding abortion is roughly evenly split, yet fundamental debate is largely absent in the public health community, which supports abortion’s wide availability. Absence of substantive debate separates the public health community from the public it serves. Traditional public health values—support for vulnerable populations and opposition to politicization of science—and the principle of reciprocity (“the Golden Rule”) weigh against abortion. Were aborted lives counted as are other human lives, induced abortion would be acknowledged as the largest single preventable cause of loss of human life.

Introduction

More than four decades have passed since the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing most induced abortions in the United States of America (US) ( U.S. Supreme Court 1973 ). In the wake of this and companion decisions, the US has one of the world's most liberal abortion regimes, allowing early abortion for any reason and extending to viable fetuses throughout pregnancy for reasons related to the mother's physical or mental health. Far from settling the issue, there has been continuous and fractious debate in society at large over persistent ethical and legal issues ( Kaposy 2012 ; Marquis 1989 ; Nathanson 1979 ; Thomson 1971 ). Polling data, despite their limitations, have consistently shown the general population to be roughly evenly split between “pro-choice” and “pro-life” positions, i.e., between support and opposition, respectively, regarding legalized abortion ( Gallup Poll 2015 ). Yet within the public health community, discussion about fundamental ethical aspects of abortion has been largely absent, and there is broad and vocal support for its wide availability ( APHA 2003 ).

Reflections

The absence of substantive debate in the public health community represents a danger to our profession and society, because we thereby distance ourselves from the communities we serve, jeopardizing our credibility and the trust placed in us. At this juncture one often hears that opposition to abortion is based on sectarian religious beliefs that have no place in setting public policy in a secular society. This is an arguable point because our social and legal systems have religious roots impossible to disentangle fully from the secular, and I will not address that topic here. Rather, I hold that the application of reason, in the context of our shared secular ethical values as considered below, militates against abortion.

Our shared values: We stand with the vulnerable and marginalized

Our public health community has a proud history of championing the rights of marginalized and voiceless groups, such as immigrants, the poor, and others, often to angry opposition from society's powerful. Yet we must also acknowledge our historical complicity with decidedly illiberal forces. In the previous century members of the public health community were important proponents of the eugenics movement, which argued for forced sterilization, denial of citizenship, and other sanctions against groups considered undesirable ( Pernick 1997 ).

African-Americans in particular have suffered greatly from these historical injustices and continue to do so. The Tuskegee study, in which the public health establishment stood by to observe the course of syphilis as a “natural experiment” among poor African-Americans rather than intervene with available treatment, occurred within living memory and to this day troubles relations between the African-American and scientific communities ( Reverby 2009 ). Planned Parenthood, the US abortion industry's largest provider, was founded by Margaret Sanger, an outspoken racist and eugenicist who believed that artificial contraception was necessary for controlling the populations of non-White races. Today, African-Americans are 3.7-fold more likely than Whites to have an abortion, and over one-third of all recognized pregnancies among African-Americans end in abortion ( Pazol et al. 2014 ). Let us take justifiable pride in our history, but not be blind to its cautionary tales. They are invitations to humility, to question our assumptions, and above all to honest debate.

Our shared values: We cherish truth and guard against the politicization of science

The previous US administration raised concern to high levels over attempts to deny, distort, and suppress fact and opinion interfering with cherished political goals ( Union of Concerned Scientists 2004 ). We in public health must avoid falling into the same trap. With respect to abortion, the inconvenient truth that is often ignored or obfuscated is the biologic status of the human embryo or fetus. There is often failure to distinguish between biologic fact—the embryo or fetus as a unique human life—and philosophical construct—the embryo or fetus as a “person” deserving of protections that normally pertain to that status. The very term “human being” is disputed, with one group using it in the factual biologic sense denoting species and the other reserving it for those with advanced cognitive abilities, conveniently excluding the embryo and fetus ( Marquis 1989 , 2008 ).

The biologic nature of the fetus is in the realm of verifiable scientific fact and admits but one answer: the fetus is a unique human life. To argue otherwise is irrational and deeply anti-scientific. The question—is the fetus a person ?—is, in contrast, a much-debated philosophical matter carrying life-and-death implications. The answer to the question of fetal personhood and associated rights depends on whom, where, and when one asks. Prior to 1973 in the US, the human fetus had certain legal protections for its life; today it does not.

Reciprocity: A universal human value

While some argue that a right to life is based on developmental milestones rather than membership in the human species ( Singer 1993 ), a more universal reading of human values points to the principle of reciprocity, commonly known as “The Golden Rule” ( Gensler 2013 ; Hare 1975 ). This notion is present in nearly all societies, religious and secular, and expresses the idea that we should treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated in similar circumstances. (Some groups extend reverence for life to all animals, but the most universally prevalent form, and that to which I refer here, is limited to members of the human species.) Despite obvious individual exceptions such as suicidality accompanying physical or mental illness, human life universally acts to sustain itself. Because we act to preserve our own lives, reciprocity holds that it is therefore wrong to take the lives of innocent others. In the context of abortion, because we ourselves appreciate living, and therefore not having been aborted, we in turn should not take human life through abortion. Under the principle of reciprocity, the developing human's stage of development and legal standing as a person—the basis of today's denial of the fetus's right to live—are irrelevant. Marquis reaches a similar conclusion in pointing out that the wrong of abortion lies in robbing the fetus of its future, regardless of the fetus's cognitive capabilities at the moment of abortion ( Marquis 1989 , 2008 ).

The “pro-choice” argument

Many who are personally opposed to abortion believe that their personal convictions should not affect social policy and law, and thus they support the availability of legal abortion. This approach elevates non-judgmentalism to the highest possible value, above even life itself. While attractive at first glance, this argument does not survive scrutiny. A century and a half ago in the US, this same logic was used to support slavery. As with abortion today, many tried to stifle debate by arguing that slavery was a matter of settled law based on US Supreme Court decisions (e.g., Dred Scott v . Sandford , 1857) and therefore not a matter for further discussion. Prefiguring today's pro-choice arguments, many who were personally opposed to slavery accepted slaveholder arguments that they had no right to prevent others from exercising the constitutionally guaranteed property right to own slaves. Abolitionists responded that, although property rights were important, these and other rights must be considered within a hierarchy of values. Thus, one's right to property should not, in a rational and humane society, be held higher than another's right to his or her own life. Where these two values directly and unavoidably conflict, life deserves primacy.

In 1971 Dr. Judith Jarvis Thomson triggered decades of robust debate about abortion with a series of analogies, most famously including one involving an uninvited violinist requiring attachment to a host's body for nine months to survive ( Finnis 1973 ; Thomson 1971 ; Williams 2004 ). Thomson argued the fetus's right to life was secondary to a woman's right to control her body throughout gestation. In its essence, this argument holds that maternal autonomy may not be constrained by any living thing—neither fetus, nor father, nor family—and neither by society.

Thomson's analogy has been criticized on several grounds, including its failure to take into account limits on autonomy in other contexts and their implications for pregnancy, the direct role of the parents in bringing the new human life into existence (cases of rape and coercion excepted), and the familial relationship. There are deep historical and ethical responsibilities, many codified in law, that we have toward our own flesh and blood. Thomson's analogy takes on a different complexion if the violinist is the host's dependent offspring.

I find argument based on reciprocity in the context of a hierarchy of values compelling and relevant to abortion. In our society most agree that a mother's right to control her own life should not outweigh the newborn's right to live. Thus, parents may not kill a newborn because they suddenly realize the unwelcome changes parenthood will bring in their lives. (In a dramatic illustration of the “slippery slope” on which legalized abortion places us, influential voices in the academic bioethics community have posited a parental right to end the life of even normal infants after birth [ Giubilini and Minerva 2012 ; Singer 1993 ].)

Support for abortion means that the principle of protection for human life above a parental interest in autonomy does not hold for the days, weeks, and months prior to delivery. Thus, calls for reproductive justice and compassion apply only to the woman with an unintended pregnancy and not to the human life she temporarily shelters. Is there something deficient about that human life prior to birth that upends the rational ordering of values, with life at its head? Arguments center around the early stage of development, lack of faculties such as self-awareness as requisite for personhood, and (temporary) dependence on the specialized environment of the womb ( Marquis 1989 ; Singer 1993 ). Yet nowhere else do we declare that those in similar states of dependency or reduced function, even when that state is permanent , must forfeit their lives based on the opinions and desires of others, be those others family members or not.

The modern face of eugenics

Whereas abortion has traditionally been justified based on developmental abnormalities or social hardship, scientific advances in prenatal diagnosis since Roe v. Wade have increasingly opened its use for selection based on parental preference for normal human characteristics. Sex-selective abortion reprises society's and our profession's century-old dalliance with eugenics. Demographers have drawn attention to extreme sex ratios in China, India, and other countries where fetal sex can be inexpensively determined early in pregnancy and a fetus of the “wrong” sex aborted ( Hvistendahl 2011 ). There are, worldwide, approximately 163 million “missing” girls, victims of sex-selective abortion ( Hvistendahl 2011 ). Societies where this is most prevalent face dire demographic and social consequences, such as trafficking of women and girls, child marriage, and large numbers of single men with little likelihood of establishing families ( Hvistendahl 2011 ). There is evidence that sex-selective abortion occurs in certain demographic groups in the US ( Almond and Edlund 2008 ). Does our public health community have nothing to say about abortion for sex selection, except to affirm it as a right? It is clear which sex bears the brunt of this practice.

As heretical as some may view it, core public-health values—concern for the vulnerable and respect for scientific fact—coupled with reciprocity and belief in a rational and humane hierarchical ordering of values support the conclusion that the human life prior to birth has intrinsic worth and deserves protection. Living or dying during a period of temporary dependency should not hinge on whether the fetus is wanted by others.

Public health and clinical medicine are professions endowed with compassion and deep concern for human rights. We must acknowledge that the first human right is to live one's life. The public health implications of this view are staggering: there have been over fifty million abortions in the US since 1973, and the annual total of more than one million abortions ( Jones and Jerman 2014 ) is equal to nearly half of the total number of yearly registered deaths (2.4 million) from all other causes combined ( Xu et al. 2010 ). We in the health professions teach that tobacco is the leading actual cause of death in the US ( Mokdad et al. 2004 ). Yet if aborted lives were counted as others are, abortion would be acknowledged as by far the largest single preventable cause of loss of human life, far outstripping the 480,000 annual deaths ascribed to tobacco ( U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2014 ).

We must also consider the public health cost in lives should abortion become legally unavailable. Inevitably some would seek “back-alley” abortions and suffer severe consequences, including death. How many such deaths might occur is uncertain, but that total would be small in comparison to the more than one million fetal lives lost annually to legalized abortion in the US. (In 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade , the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] reported thirty-nine maternal deaths from illegal abortion [ Lawson et al. 1989 ].) While the number remains indeterminate, the toll would be affected by social and economic factors and thus amenable to social and government action in support of women with an unintended pregnancy.

Any death from abortion is one too many, be it maternal or fetal. Forty-two years after Roe v. Wade , it remains a modern tragedy that the energy and resources devoted to abortion are not instead dedicated to supporting both women in crisis and the human lives they bear.

Stephen A. McCurdy, M.D., M.P.H., professor and director, University of California, Davis Master of Public Health (MPH) Program; Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Medicine.

  • Almond D., and Edlund L.. 2008. Son-biased sex ratios in the 2000 United States Census . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 105 ( 15 ): 5681–2. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0800703105. [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • American Public Health Association (APHA) 2003. Support for sexual and reproductive health and rights in the United States and Abroad. Policy statement 2003–14. November 18. http://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database/2014/07/24/15/12/support-for-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-in-the-united-states-and-abroad .
  • Finnis J. 1973. The rights and wrongs of abortion: A reply to Judith Thomson . Philosophy & Public Affairs 2 ( 2 ): 117–45. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Gallup Poll 2015. Abortion. http://www.gallup.com/poll/1576/abortion.aspx?version=print .
  • Gensler Harry J. 2013. Ethics and the golden rule . New York: Routledge. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Giubilini A., and Minerva F.. 2012. After-birth abortion: Why should the baby live? Journal of Medical Ethics 39 (5): 261–3 doi: 10.1136/medethics-2011-100411 . [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Hare R.M. 1975. Abortion and the golden rule . Philosophy & Public Affairs 4 ( 3 ): 201–22. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Hvistendahl Mara. 2011. Unnatural selection: Choosing boys over girls, and the consequences of a world full of men . New York: Public Affairs. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Jones R.K., and Jerman J.. 2014. Abortion incidence and service availability in the United States, 2011 . Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 46 ( 1 ): 3–14. doi: 10.1363/46e0414 . [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Kaposy C. 2012. Two stalemates in the philosophical debate about abortion and why they cannot be resolved using analogical arguments . Bioethics 26 ( 2 ): 84–92. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8519.2010.01815.x . [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Lawson H.W., Atrash H.K., Saftlas A.F., Koonin L.M., Ramick M., and Smith J.C.. 1989. Abortion surveillance, United States, 1984–1985 . MMWR CDC Surveillance Summaries 38 ( 2 ): 11–45. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Marquis D. 1989. Why abortion is immoral . Journal of Philosophy 86 ( 4 ): 183–202. doi: 10.2307/2026961 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Marquis D. 2008. Abortion and human nature . Journal of Medical Ethics 34 ( 6 ): 422–6. doi: 10.1136/jme.2007.023564 . [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Mokdad A.H., Marks J.S., Stroup D.F., and Gerberding J.L.. 2004. Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000 . JAMA 291 ( 10 ): 1238–45. doi: 10.1001/jama.291.10.1238 [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Nathanson Bernard. 1979. Aborting America . Garden City, NY: Doubleday. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Pazol K., Creanga A.A., Burley K.D., and Jamieson D.J.. 2014. Abortion surveillance—United States, 2011, surveillance summaries. Washington, DC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Pernick M.S. 1997. Eugenics and public health in American history . American Journal of Public Health 87 ( 11 ): 1767–72. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.87.11.1767 [ PMC free article ] [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Reverby Susan M. 2009. The Tuskegee study: The infamous syphilis study and its legacy . Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Singer Peter. 1993. Practical ethics . Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Thomson Judith Jarvis. 1971. A defense of abortion . Philosophy & Public Affairs 1 ( 1 ): 47–66. [ Google Scholar ]
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2014. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress. A report of the Surgeon General . Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health. [ Google Scholar ]
  • U.S. Supreme Court 1973. Roe v. Wade , 410 U.S. 113.
  • Union of Concerned Scientists 2004. Scientific integrity in policymaking: An investigation into the bush administration's misuse of science . Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists. [ Google Scholar ]
  • Williams M. 2004. An ethics ensemble: Abortion, Thomson, Finnis and the case of the violin-player . Ratio Juris 17 ( 3 ): 381–97. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9337.2004.00274.x [ PubMed ] [ CrossRef ] [ Google Scholar ]
  • Xu Jiaquan, Kochanek Kenneth D., Murphy Sherry L., and Tejada-Vera Betzaida. 2010. Deaths: Final data for 2007 . National Vital Statistics Reports 58 ( 19 ): 1–135. [ PubMed ] [ Google Scholar ]

Persuasive Essay Guide

Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Caleb S.

Crafting a Convincing Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Published on: Feb 22, 2023

Last updated on: Nov 22, 2023

Persuasive Essay About Abortion

People also read

A Comprehensive Guide to Writing an Effective Persuasive Essay

200+ Persuasive Essay Topics to Help You Out

Learn How to Create a Persuasive Essay Outline

30+ Free Persuasive Essay Examples To Get You Started

Read Excellent Examples of Persuasive Essay About Gun Control

How to Write a Persuasive Essay About Covid19 | Examples & Tips

Learn to Write Persuasive Essay About Business With Examples and Tips

Check Out 12 Persuasive Essay About Online Education Examples

Persuasive Essay About Smoking - Making a Powerful Argument with Examples

Share this article

Are you about to write a persuasive essay on abortion but wondering how to begin?

Writing an effective persuasive essay on the topic of abortion can be a difficult task for many students. 

It is important to understand both sides of the issue and form an argument based on facts and logical reasoning. This requires research and understanding, which takes time and effort.

In this blog, we will provide you with some easy steps to craft a persuasive essay about abortion that is compelling and convincing. Moreover, we have included some example essays and interesting facts to read and get inspired by. 

So let's start!

On This Page On This Page -->

How To Write a Persuasive Essay About Abortion?

Abortion is a controversial topic, with people having differing points of view and opinions on the matter. There are those who oppose abortion, while some people endorse pro-choice arguments. 

It is also an emotionally charged subject, so you need to be extra careful when crafting your persuasive essay .

Before you start writing your persuasive essay, you need to understand the following steps.

Step 1: Choose Your Position

The first step to writing a persuasive essay on abortion is to decide your position. Do you support the practice or are you against it? You need to make sure that you have a clear opinion before you begin writing. 

Once you have decided, research and find evidence that supports your position. This will help strengthen your argument. 

Check out the video below to get more insights into this topic:

Step 2: Choose Your Audience

The next step is to decide who your audience will be. Will you write for pro-life or pro-choice individuals? Or both? 

Knowing who you are writing for will guide your writing and help you include the most relevant facts and information.

Order Essay

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That's our Job!

Step 3: Define Your Argument

Now that you have chosen your position and audience, it is time to craft your argument. 

Start by defining what you believe and why, making sure to use evidence to support your claims. You also need to consider the opposing arguments and come up with counter arguments. This helps make your essay more balanced and convincing.

Step 4: Format Your Essay

Once you have the argument ready, it is time to craft your persuasive essay. Follow a standard format for the essay, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. 

Make sure that each paragraph is organized and flows smoothly. Use clear and concise language, getting straight to the point.

Step 5: Proofread and Edit

The last step in writing your persuasive essay is to make sure that you proofread and edit it carefully. Look for spelling, grammar, punctuation, or factual errors and correct them. This will help make your essay more professional and convincing.

These are the steps you need to follow when writing a persuasive essay on abortion. It is a good idea to read some examples before you start so you can know how they should be written.

Continue reading to find helpful examples.

Persuasive Essay About Abortion Examples

To help you get started, here are some example persuasive essays on abortion that may be useful for your own paper.

Short Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Persuasive Essay About No To Abortion

What Is Abortion? - Essay Example

Persuasive Speech on Abortion

Legal Abortion Persuasive Essay

Persuasive Essay About Abortion in the Philippines

Persuasive Essay about legalizing abortion

You can also read m ore persuasive essay examples to imp rove your persuasive skills.

Examples of Argumentative Essay About Abortion

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents both sides of an argument. These essays rely heavily on logic and evidence.

Here are some examples of argumentative essay with introduction, body and conclusion that you can use as a reference in writing your own argumentative essay. 

Abortion Persuasive Essay Introduction

Argumentative Essay About Abortion Conclusion

Argumentative Essay About Abortion Pdf

Argumentative Essay About Abortion in the Philippines

Argumentative Essay About Abortion - Introduction

Abortion Persuasive Essay Topics

If you are looking for some topics to write your persuasive essay on abortion, here are some examples:

  • Should abortion be legal in the United States?
  • Is it ethical to perform abortions, considering its pros and cons?
  • What should be done to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies that lead to abortions?
  • Is there a connection between abortion and psychological trauma?
  • What are the ethical implications of abortion on demand?
  • How has the debate over abortion changed over time?
  • Should there be legal restrictions on late-term abortions?
  • Does gender play a role in how people view abortion rights?
  • Is it possible to reduce poverty and unwanted pregnancies through better sex education?
  • How is the anti-abortion point of view affected by religious beliefs and values? 

These are just some of the potential topics that you can use for your persuasive essay on abortion. Think carefully about the topic you want to write about and make sure it is something that interests you. 

Check out m ore persuasive essay topics that will help you explore other things that you can write about!

Tough Essay Due? Hire Tough Writers!

Facts About Abortion You Need to Know

Here are some facts about abortion that will help you formulate better arguments.

  • According to the Guttmacher Institute , 1 in 4 pregnancies end in abortion.
  • The majority of abortions are performed in the first trimester.
  • Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, with less than a 0.5% risk of major complications.
  • In the United States, 14 states have laws that restrict or ban most forms of abortion after 20 weeks gestation.
  • Seven out of 198 nations allow elective abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
  • In places where abortion is illegal, more women die during childbirth and due to complications resulting from pregnancy.
  • A majority of pregnant women who opt for abortions do so for financial and social reasons.
  • According to estimates, 56 million abortions occur annually.

In conclusion, these are some of the examples, steps, and topics that you can use to write a persuasive essay. Make sure to do your research thoroughly and back up your arguments with evidence. This will make your essay more professional and convincing. 

Need the services of a professional essay writing service ? We've got your back!

MyPerfectWords.com is a persuasive essay writing service that provides help to students in the form of professionally written essays. Our persuasive essay writer can craft quality persuasive essays on any topic, including abortion. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What should i talk about in an essay about abortion.

When writing an essay about abortion, it is important to cover all the aspects of the subject. This includes discussing both sides of the argument, providing facts and evidence to support your claims, and exploring potential solutions.

What is a good argument for abortion?

A good argument for abortion could be that it is a woman’s choice to choose whether or not to have an abortion. It is also important to consider the potential risks of carrying a pregnancy to term.

Caleb S. (Marketing, Linguistics)

Caleb S. has been providing writing services for over five years and has a Masters degree from Oxford University. He is an expert in his craft and takes great pride in helping students achieve their academic goals. Caleb is a dedicated professional who always puts his clients first.

Paper Due? Why Suffer? That’s our Job!

Get Help

Keep reading

Persuasive Essay About Abortion

We value your privacy

We use cookies to improve your experience and give you personalized content. Do you agree to our cookie policy?

Website Data Collection

We use data collected by cookies and JavaScript libraries.

Are you sure you want to cancel?

Your preferences have not been saved.

U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v Wade abortion decision

Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press

Leave your feedback

  • Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/u-s-abortion-rates-remain-steady-but-some-states-offer-more-access-than-others-report-finds

U.S. abortion rates remain steady but some states offer more access than others, report finds

The number of abortions performed each month is about the same as before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion more than a year and a half ago, a new report finds.

READ MORE: More patients rely on early prenatal testing as states toughen abortion laws

The latest edition of the #WeCount report conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research on abortion and contraception, finds that between 81,150 and 88,620 abortions took place each month from July through September of last year, the most recent period for which survey results are available. Those numbers are just slightly lower than the monthly average of about 86,800 from April through June 2022, before Roe and just after was overturned.

But abortion data is seasonal, and the same survey found more abortions across the U.S. in the spring months of 2023 than it did in the period the year before leading up to the court’s decision.

The report also finds that prescriptions of abortion pills by telemedicine have become common, accounting for about one in every six abortions in the most recent three months of survey results.

“Even when a state bans abortion, people continue to need and seek abortion care,” Alison Norris, a professor at Ohio State University’s College of Public Health and one of the co-chairs of the study, said in a statement. “We can’t let the overall consistent number of abortions nationally obscure the incredible unmet need and disastrous impact of abortion bans on people who already have the least access.”

The report estimates that if states had not been allowed to ban abortion, there would have been a total of 120,000 more during the survey period in the 14 states where bans on abortion at all stages of pregnancy are now in place.

Although the number of monthly abortions has dropped to nearly zero in states with bans, they have risen in states that allow abortion, including Florida, Illinois and Kansas, which border states with bans.

The tracking effort collects monthly data from providers across the country, creating a snapshot of abortion trends after Roe v. Wade was overturned. In some states, a portion of the data is estimated. The effort makes data public with less than a six-month lag, giving a picture of trends far faster than annual reports from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where the most recent report covers abortion in 2021.

The report does not cover self-managed abortions obtained outside the formal health care system — such as if someone gets abortion pills from a friend without a prescription.

READ MORE: Mental health emerges as a dividing line in abortion rights initiatives planned for state ballots

The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson ruling in June 2022 brought about immediate change in state policies. Currently, 14 states are enforcing bans on abortion in all stages of pregnancy and two more have bans that kick in after the first six weeks — often before women realize they’re pregnant. Other Republican-controlled states have imposed lighter restrictions. Enforcement of some bans has been put on hold by courts.

Meanwhile, most Democrat-controlled states have taken steps to protect access to abortion. Several have executive orders or laws that seek to keep states with bans from reaching across state lines in abortion-related investigations. And five — Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Washington — have laws seeking to protect providers who give abortion care via telehealth.

The report’s total numbers includes cases where providers in those states prescribed medication abortion to patients in states with abortion bans or restrictions on the pill versions in its national count but does not break down how many there were by state.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether mifepristone, one of the two drugs most commonly prescribed in combination to cause abortions was properly approved.

Support Provided By: Learn more

Educate your inbox

Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else.

Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm.

research essays on abortion

Study estimates 64,000 pregnancies from rape in states that enacted abortion bans post-Roe

Nation Jan 25

  • Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

One in Six Abortions Is Done With Pills Prescribed Online, Data Shows

The first nationwide count of telehealth abortions includes pills mailed to states with abortion bans by clinicians in states with shield laws.

research essays on abortion

By Claire Cain Miller and Margot Sanger-Katz

A growing share of abortions is now being administered through telemedicine, with clinicians prescribing mail-order abortion pills after online consultations, according to the first nationwide count of telehealth abortions in the U.S. medical system. At least one in six abortions, around 14,000 a month, was conducted via telehealth from July through September, the most recent months with available data.

How It Works

Pills are prescribed by virtual-only providers and by clinics that also offer in-person services. Patients fill out an online questionnaire or meet with a clinician via video or text chat. This method began nationwide in 2020, when the Food and Drug Administration began allowing abortion providers to mail pills without an in-clinic visit during the pandemic.

Some of the prescriptions included in the new count were given to patients in states where abortion is banned, a new development made possible by shield laws . These laws protect clinicians in states where abortion is legal when they prescribe and mail pills to patients in states where it is not. Shield laws were in effect in Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont and Washington during the period covered by the new data, and California has since passed one.

Why It Matters

The growth of telemedicine abortion has made it easier and often less expensive for women to get abortions, particularly if they live far from an abortion clinic or in one of the roughly one-third of states that have banned or substantially restricted abortions since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022.

Activists, legislators and prosecutors in the states with bans are working to stem the flow of these mail-order pills. But they have so far proven hard to regulate.

The new data, from WeCount, a research group that collects abortion numbers from providers nationwide and supports abortion rights, suggests that the overall number of abortions provided by clinicians in the United States is slightly higher now than it was before the Dobbs decision.

Part of the reason that the total number of abortions hasn’t declined is that some women who live in states with abortion bans are traveling to clinics in other states or ordering pills from out-of-state providers. Research also suggests that more women are getting abortions in states where it has always been legal, because of increased financial and logistical assistance, a surge of publicity about ways to get abortions, and the expansion of telehealth.

An Upshot analysis of the WeCount data suggests that there were, on average, around 3.5 percent more abortions per month in the United States from July through September than in the two months before the Dobbs decision.

Pills are now the most common method of abortion, and are frequently prescribed to women who visit clinics in person as well as those who seek consultations online.

“The attention that everyone has been paying to abortion since June 2022 has really spiked public knowledge of all the issues around abortion, in particular abortion pills ,” said David S. Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University. “A lot of people are getting abortions who might not have otherwise.”

What We Don’t Know

WeCount did not report the number of telehealth abortions provided under shield laws, because of agreements with some of the providers that gave them data. But the largest such provider, Aid Access, shipped roughly 5,000 prescriptions a month from July through September, said Abigail Aiken, an associate professor of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, who studies the effects of abortion restrictions.

There are several other smaller providers that operate this way, so the total number of abortions under shield laws was somewhat higher.

Also unknown is how many abortions are happening with pills purchased outside the U.S. medical system, including from overseas providers. While demand for this service has probably shrunk since shield laws were passed, some people are still ordering pills this way, Professor Aiken said.

Finally, researchers do not know how many women in states with bans who wanted an abortion but could not access one have carried their pregnancies to term. But recent research has found increases in birthrates in states after they banned abortions.

Claire Cain Miller writes about gender, families and the future of work for The Upshot. She joined The Times in 2008 and was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for public service for reporting on workplace sexual harassment issues. More about Claire Cain Miller

Margot Sanger-Katz is a reporter covering health care policy and public health for the Upshot section of The Times. More about Margot Sanger-Katz

From The Upshot: What the Data Says

Analysis that explains politics, policy and everyday life..

Parenting: Surveys of young adults show that most parents are highly involved in their grown children’s lives. Yet in many ways, their relationships seem healthy and fulfilling .

Today’s Teenagers: The current generation of young Americans feels particularly apprehensive, new polling shows — anxious about their lives, disillusioned about the direction of the country  and pessimistic about their futures.

Nighttime Deaths: Why are so many American pedestrians dying at night? Nothing resembling this pattern has occurred in other comparably wealthy countries .

N.Y.C. Neighborhoods: We asked New Yorkers to map their neighborhoods and to tell us what they call them . The result, while imperfect, is an extremely detailed map of the city .

Dialect Quiz:  What does the way you speak say about where you’re from? Answer these questions to find out .

IMAGES

  1. ≫ Legalization of Abortion Free Essay Sample on Samploon.com

    research essays on abortion

  2. How to Write an Abortion Research Paper Correctly

    research essays on abortion

  3. ⇉Abortion Research Paper Essay Example

    research essays on abortion

  4. Abortion Essay Writing Guide That Will Help You Get A+ Grade

    research essays on abortion

  5. ⇉Persuasive about abortions Essay Example

    research essays on abortion

  6. Interdisciplinary Views on Abortion: Essays from Philosophical

    research essays on abortion

COMMENTS

  1. Views on whether abortion should be legal, and in ...

    Overall, 25% of adults initially said abortion should be legal in all cases, but about a quarter of this group (6% of all U.S. adults) went on to say that there should be some exceptions when abortion should be against the law. One-in-ten adults initially answered that abortion should be illegal in all cases, but about one-in-five of these ...

  2. Abortion Care in the United States

    Abortion services are a vital component of reproductive health care. Since the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling in Dobbs v.Jackson Women's Health Organization, access to abortion services has been increasingly restricted in the United States. Jung and colleagues review current practice and evidence on medication abortion, procedural abortion, and associated reproductive health care, as well as ...

  3. A research on abortion: ethics, legislation and socio-medical outcomes

    Abstract. This article presents a research study on abortion from a theoretical and empirical point of view. The theoretical part is based on the method of social documents analysis, and presents a complex perspective on abortion, highlighting items of medical, ethical, moral, religious, social, economic and legal elements.

  4. Abortion bans and their impacts: A view from the United States

    In "Association of Texas' 2021 Ban on Abortion in Early Pregnancy with the Number of Facility-Based Abortion in Texas and Surrounding States," White et al. used a large dataset containing information before and after the passage of SB8 in September 2021. 1 This bill banned most abortions after 6 weeks in the state of Texas.

  5. The abortion and mental health controversy: A comprehensive literature

    Abortion and mental health controversy is a complex and contentious issue that has been debated for decades. This article examines the obstacles that hinder research, understanding, and consensus on this topic, such as methodological challenges, ideological biases, and political pressures. The article also discusses the implications of the controversy for clinical practice, policy, and public ...

  6. Impact of abortion law reforms on women's health services and outcomes

    A country's abortion law is a key component in determining the enabling environment for safe abortion. While restrictive abortion laws still prevail in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many countries have reformed their abortion laws, with the majority of them moving away from an absolute ban. However, the implications of these reforms on women's access to and use of health ...

  7. The facts about abortion and mental health

    The women in the Turnaway Study who were denied an abortion reported more anxiety symptoms and stress, lower self-esteem, and lower life satisfaction than those who received one (JAMA Psychiatry, Vol. 74, No. 2, 2017).Women who proceeded with an unwanted pregnancy also subsequently had more physical health problems, including two who died from childbirth complications (Ralph, L. J., et al ...

  8. 50 Abortion Essay Topics for In-Depth Discussion by

    Effective Abortion Topics for Research Paper. Research papers on abortion demand a more in-depth and comprehensive approach, requiring students to delve into historical, medical, and international perspectives on this multifaceted issue. ... The 50 abortion essay ideas presented in this guide provide a starting point for exploring the ...

  9. Women's social and emotional experiences with abortion

    research, abortion stigma is a relatively "under-researched and under-theorized" field (Norris et al., 2011, p. S49). The purpose of this study is to expand the field of abortion stigma research by exploring whether women who have an abortion(s) internalize stigma significantly more than women who have not had an abortion.

  10. How Abortion Views Are Different

    By David Leonhardt. May 19, 2021. For nearly 50 years, public opinion has had only a limited effect on abortion policy. The Roe v. Wade decision, which the Supreme Court issued in 1973 ...

  11. Opinion

    The Case Against Abortion. Nov. 30, 2021. Crosses representing abortions in Lindale, Tex. Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times. 3367. By Ross Douthat. Opinion Columnist. A striking thing about the ...

  12. The Economic Burden of Abortion and Its Complication Treatment Cares: A

    Objective: Abortion related procedures contribute to a significant economic burden because it resulted in prolonged hospital stays for patients. We aimed to gather available evidence on the economic burden of abortion and post-abortion complication treatment cares worldwide. Materials and methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase databases were searched through November 2019.

  13. Abortion

    Abortion is a common health intervention. It is safe when carried out using a method recommended by WHO, appropriate to the pregnancy duration and by someone with the necessary skills. Six out of 10 of all unintended pregnancies end in an induced abortion. Around 45% of all abortions are unsafe, of which 97% take place in developing countries.

  14. About as many abortions are happening in the US monthly as before Roe

    The number of abortions performed each month is about the same as before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and the nationwide right to abortion more than a year and a half ago, a new report finds. The latest edition of the #WeCount report conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research on abortion and contraception, finds that between ...

  15. Abortion rights: history offers a blueprint for how pro-choice

    In October 1971, the New York Times reported a decline in maternal death rate.1 Just 15 months earlier, the state had liberalised its abortion law. David Harris, New York's deputy commissioner of health, speaking to the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, attributed the decline—by more than half—to the replacement of criminal abortions with safe, legal ones ...

  16. Abortion in the U.S.: What the data says

    Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range. The CDC says that in 2020, there were 11.2 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, Maryland, New ...

  17. Abortion Research Paper: Get Ideas on How to Write Your Essay

    Abortion research paper is a piece of academic writing based on original research performed by a writer. The author's task is to analyze and interpret research findings on a particular topic. Although research paper assignments may vary widely, there are two common types - analytical and argumentative. In argumentative essay students have ...

  18. Essays

    Research Guides; Course Guides; PHI 240: Ethics of Fetal Development & Abortion (Daniels) ... One of the most famous, and most derided, arguments against the morality of abortion is the argument from potential, which maintains that the fetus' potential to become a person and enjoy the valuable life common to persons, entails that its ...

  19. Abortion and public health: Time for another look

    Introduction. More than four decades have passed since the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v.Wade decision legalizing most induced abortions in the United States of America (US) (U.S. Supreme Court 1973).In the wake of this and companion decisions, the US has one of the world's most liberal abortion regimes, allowing early abortion for any reason and extending to viable fetuses throughout pregnancy ...

  20. Persuasive Essay About Abortion: Examples, Topics, and Facts

    Here are some facts about abortion that will help you formulate better arguments. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in abortion. The majority of abortions are performed in the first trimester. Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures, with less than a 0.5% risk of major complications.

  21. Find Abortion Essay Examples

    Check essays & research papers [Free] about abortion 🗨️ More than 20000 essays Find the foremost abortion essay examples to get real academic results! ... Introduction Over time, research findings show that ambivalence is evident when a woman decides on keeping the child; however, abortion becomes a choice when there are fears about ...

  22. U.S. abortion rates remain steady but some states offer more ...

    The latest edition of the #WeCount report conducted for the Society of Family Planning, a nonprofit organization that promotes research on abortion and contraception, finds that between 81,150 and ...

  23. One in Six Abortions Is Done With Pills Prescribed Online, Data Shows

    The new data, from WeCount, a research group that collects abortion numbers from providers nationwide and supports abortion rights, suggests that the overall number of abortions provided by ...