college essay about abortion

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50 Abortion Essay Topics: Researching Abortion-Related Subjects

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
• Exploring Abortion Rights: An Argumentative Analysis
• 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
• Abortion: A Controversial Issue
• Persuasive Speech Outline on Abortion
• Laughing Matters: Satire and the Abortion Debate
• Abortion Is Bad
• 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
• A Persuasive Paper on the Issue of Abortion

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.

• Abortion Social Issue
• Exploring the Complexity of Abortion: Historical, Medical and Personal Perspectives
• Abortion: A Comprehensive Research
• An Examination of Abortion and its Health Implications on Women
• Abortion Introduction
• 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.

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Abortion - List of Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Abortion is a highly contentious issue with significant moral, legal, and social implications. Essays on abortion could explore the various aspects of the debate including the ethical dimensions, the legal frameworks governing abortion, and the social attitudes surrounding it. They might delve into historical changes in public opinion, the different arguments presented by pro-life and pro-choice advocates, and the impact of legal rulings on the accessibility and safety of abortion services. Discussions could also explore the intersection of abortion with issues like gender equality, religious freedom, and medical ethics. We have collected a large number of free essay examples about Abortion you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Issue of Sex-Selective Abortion

Sex-selective abortion is the practice of ending a pregnancy due to the predicted gender of the baby. It has been occurring for centeriues in many countries many people believe that males are more valuable than females. This practice has been happening in many Asian countries but even in the US many Asians still hold strong to those beliefs. Due to these beleifs there is a huge shift in sex ratio in Asian countries. People are using the technology to determine […]

Abortion and Women’s Rights

In spite of women's activist desires, the matter of conceptive decision in the United States was not settled in 1973 by the important Supreme Court choice on account of Roe v. Wade. From the beginning there was animal-like restriction by the Catholic Church. Anyway, in the course of at least the last 20 years, the too early or soon birth discussion has changed into a definitely spellbound, meaningful debate between two differentiating societal talks that are moored to the problems […]

Women’s Rights in the United States in the 1970s

In the 1940’s-1960’s, there was a blurred distinction between clinical and sexual exams within the medical field (Wendy Kline, She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry). For example, many male doctors would provide pelvic exams as a means to teach women sex instruction, and were taught to assert their power over their patients. This led to women instituting new training programs for proper examinations, creating a more gentle and greatly-respected method of examining women and their bodies. There was also an increase […]

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Abortion: a Woman’s Choice

Women have long been criticized in every aspect of their lives. They have even little to no choice about how to live their lives. Much like, abortion, which is the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus. It has been one of the most sensitive topics, society sees it as a murderous act. On, January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court ruled on making the availability of abortion […]

Abortion: the most Debated Topic

There is no question that abortion is one of the most debated topics of the last 50 years. Women all over the United States tend to feel passionately over one side or the other, either pro-choice or anti-abortion. Not one to shy away from controversial subjects, I chose this topic to shed light on both sides of the ethical and moral decision of this important issue surrounding a termination of pregnancy. There is no question the gravity of this decision, […]

Women’s Rights to Choose

Every person in the United States is granted inalienable rights, whether it be to practice their own religion or vote, which should include autonomy over their own bodies.  A woman should have the right to choose what she does with her own body, and in 1973 that became a possibility for American women.  In 1973 Roe v. Wade made it possible for women to legally choose to terminate unwanted pregnancies within their first two trimesters.  The government finally took into […]

Don Marquis’s View on Abortion

Don Marquis begins his argument of abortion being immoral by mentioning the pro-choice premise, which was that the statement of a fetus is never a person being too narrow. It's too narrow because if the fetus is never a person, then what would be the difference of a 9-month-old fetus and a newborn baby? That would just mean that infanticide isn't considered murder because a 9-month-old fetus and newborn weren't ever considered to be a person. Marquis further mentions that […]

Effects of Abortion on Young Women

Abortion is defined as the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. It is a controversial conversation that most people avoid having.  Abortion is different than most issues in politics, because it directly impacts women, rather than men. Young women being targeted over the last forty-five years, has changed the way the public views abortion and what it does to women. A rise in physical complications, mental health problems, and the modern wave of feminism are the effects of legalized abortion […]

The Murder of Innocence

Abortion is a new generation's way of shrugging off accountability of their action at the cost of human life agreeing to the first revision to the structure that says we have the proper way to give of discourse. Me personally for one beyond any doubt that most of us would agree to the reality that ready to say and do what we need and select. For it is our choice to control of speech our conclusions. In connection, moms at […]

The History of Abortion

The history of abortion' is more complex than most people realize. There has been a lot of debate in the past few years about abortion being murder/not murder. Abortion has become illegal in most states. There are several women who believe in "pro-choice" which means they want to have a choice taking care of the baby. I, personally, believe abortion is murder. You are killing a fetus that is going to be born within months and they don't have a […]

Abortion: Go or no Go

Premature birth ends a pregnancy by killing an actual existence yet the mother isn't accused of homicide. Is this right? Shockingly, this has happened roughly twenty million times in the previous twenty years. Tragically, in South Africa, an unborn human has been slaughtered lawfully because of the nation's insufficient laws! The enemy of a honest unprotected human is a killer, accordingly, the individual merits the discipline proportional to a killer by law. Premature birth on interest just gives a mother […]

Abotion: Right or Wrong

When does a person learn right from wrong?  Is someone that knows right from wrong, different from someone who does not? These questions bring up the topic of the difference between a "Human" and a "Person". A human would be of human genetics and have a certain build. On the other hand, a human can also not be a person at certain points in the stage of life. If you can distinguish right from wrong, and are able to make […]

Let’s Talk about my Abortion Article

Why is something that requires two people, almost always considered the woman's problem? Every answer to this question is different, more aggressive in some cases, but it narrows down to basic human rights. Now you may be asking "What the hell is she talking about?" and I can assure you, we will get to that. I'd like for you to first put yourself in a situation: You're given a puppy, yet you're allergic to dogs and absolutely do not have […]

Debates on Abortion Theme

Abortion has proved to be a highly controversial topic in religion, politics, and even ethics. Its debate has caused division between factions with some supporting and others opposing its practice. This issue has also landed in the realm of philosophy where several ethicists have tried to explain why they think the method should either be supported or opposed. This essay looks at the works of Judith Thomson and Don Marquis as a representation of both sides of arguments (advocates and […]

Abortion on Teens should be Abolished

Am sure we have all heard of the girl meets boy story, where the girl falls in love with the boy despite receiving plenty of warnings and criticism from any person who has ever mattered in the girl's life. Everything is merry and life is good for the girl until one day she realizes she has missed her period and rushes to her man's home telling herself that everything will be okay. Reality checks in, hard, when the boy declines […]

The Mother and Abortion

For Gwendolyn Brooks, writing poetry that would be considered out of the ordinary and frowned upon was a common theme for her. Her widespread knowledge on subjects like race, ethnicity, gender, and even abortion placed this African American poet apart from many others. Like many poets, Brooks based many of her works on her own life experiences. Although it's unclear whether or not Brooks had an abortion herself, she creates hints and provokes strong feelings towards the issue, revealing the […]

An Issue of Women’s Reproductive Rights

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that men and women are created equal (Elizabeth Cady Stanton). In America this has been the basis of what our nation stands for. It is stated that every citizen has the right to equality that shall not be stripped away, in many cases that is not true. Whether man or women you should possess the same rights, but more often than not the women's rights are taken away. There are many instances in […]

What is Abortion

Every year, approximately 40-50 million abortions are conducted. That's about 125,000 little human beings being vacuumed, sucked out, and dissolved, everyday. That's 1 baby being aborted every 26 seconds. As of 58% of Americans think abortion should be legal.. Only 37% thinks it should be illegal in all, Or most cases. Abortion should be eliminated because it is murder, gives women mental health issues, and can cause high risks in the mother's future baby's health. There are two different types […]

The Complex Debate: Exploring Abortion Laws and their Implications

There has been a disputed discussion in history among religious, political, ethical, moral and practical grounds when it comes to the case about abortion. Abortion law forbids, allows, limits and governs the availability of abortion. Abortion laws alter to a high degree by country. For example, three countries in Latin America and two others in Europe ban the act of abortion altogether. In other countries like the United Kingdom contains the abortion act of 1967 that clarifies and prescribes abortion […]

My Beliefs on Abortion

Society today condones the killing of a life, they call it abortion, but I will try to show you why this is wrong.  Life begins at conception.  The Bible provides proof that God knew us before we were even formed.  This provides truth that what is inside a woman's body is a human life. I believe that when you decide to have an abortion, you are deciding to kill an innocent baby.  Whether you're doing it because the baby may […]

Research on Abortion Issues

The raging battle for women's rights can be found in almost every avenue of American culture. Whether it be in the workplace, in the government, in churches, or within families, females are fighting for their freedom to control their own lives. They want to work in whichever field they desire, to love whomever they want, and to make decisions for themselves. One of the biggest cases in the quarrel for feminism is the legalization of abortion. Women argue that it […]

Reasons the Constitution of Texas should be Rewritten

The constitution of Texas was written in 1876 but this constitution is not successful in this modern time. Rules and set of protocols which are written in this constitution are not valid for urban Texas these rules need to be amended. From the time of the adoption of this constitution, a total number of 653 amendments were proposed and out of these 653 a total of 474 amendments were approved by the voters and 179 were rejected. Some ?urrent political […]

Get Rid of Abortion or Not?

The world includes a huge variety of people who share different beliefs and morals, however, the Bible states that no one should judge others. One is supposed to respect another for whom they are as a person. The people in this world are beginning to divide because of the debate concerning if abortion is right, or if it is wrong. People identifying themselves to be pro-choice are in support of abortion because they believe a woman should be allowed to […]

Abortion Issues in Modern World

Premature birth alludes to the end of a pregnancy by evacuating or removing the baby or fetus from the uterus before it is prepared for birth. There are two noteworthy types of premature birth: unconstrained, which is regularly alluded to as an unsuccessful labor or the intentional fetus removal, which is frequently instigated fetus removal. The term fetus removal is normally used to allude to the prompted premature birth, and this is the premature birth, which has been loaded up […]

My Understanding of Abortion

Life has a beginning and an end and every individual knows this, as much as they may not want to know or understand it. An abortion, however, brings a thought to many people within our modern society: Is a baby alive before it is born? There are many ways to look at this but scientist have found out that there is an age of viability, where a baby is considered alive after a certain period of a woman's pregnancy. Before […]

Potential Factors that Influence Abortion

When it comes to women and unplanned pregnancies, there are alternatives other than abortions that a woman can use who and go for who isn't interested in having a child. Adoptions could be one of those alternatives; however, some women can't bear the thought of actually carrying a child. Therefore, they turn to their only option which is the abortion. For women, there are several reasons that may lead to them wanting to have an abortion. According to Stacey (2018), […]

The Status of Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights

The consequences of sexual behaviour between women and men have driven a desire and determination of women to control their fertility, yet in an environment in which anti-choice legislators and organizations do not protect women's reproductive rights, there is an ongoing dispute on who decides the fate of such rights. The status of women's sexual and reproductive rights remains controversial and while there have been many attempts to gain such basic human right, the fight for reproductive freedoms remains intense. […]

Abortion and Fathers Rights

In this section I will be focusing on the fathers' situation before and after conception, and bring out arguments how he could effectively avoid becoming a parent in any way (biological, bearer of financial costs, emotional). The father after conception has no alternatives left, unlike the mother has. She is in a position that can terminate the pregnancy by opting for an abortion, or she can carry out (or at least try to) the pregnancy until the end. The father […]

Abstinence only Vs. Abortion Rates

If an individual decides to have premarital sex and becomes pregnant it is likely that they will be shamed by someone no matter what decision they make.  If they decide to keep the baby they will be shamed.  If they decided to put the baby up for adoption they will be shamed.  If they decide to get an abortion they will be shamed.  Although the United States of America was founded on the ideas of freedom of religion and the […]

Why Abortion should be Illegal

Abortion is an issue in today’s society, people that agree or disagree about taking an innocent life away. Even though women now have the legal right to decide what to do with their bodies and to decide whether to end a baby’s life, there are options other than abortions. Each and every life is valuable, and babies should be able to experience a future ahead of them. Abortions should be illegal. Making abortion illegal could allow children to live a […]

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why abortion is legal.

Due to the outcome of a Supreme Court hearing, abortion is completely legal. In 1973, the Supreme Court's ruling on Roe vs Wade provided people legal access to abortion across the entire country. While legal, some doctors will not perform abortions.

How Abortion Affects Economy?

Women who have access to legal abortion will have the ability to continue their education and careers. Women denied an abortion because of gestational limits are more than 80% more likely to experience bankruptcy or face eviction.

Where Abortion is Illegal?

Abortion is legal in the entire country of the US, but some states have restrictions based on gestational status, fetal fatal conditions, and even rape. Other countries around the world have different laws and some have completely outlawed abortion, including Honduras, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador.

Will Abortion Affect Health?

Women who have an abortion by a medical professional are at no risk for future pregnancies and there are no risks to overall health. Abortions do not increase any risk of breast cancer or have any effect on fertility.

Is Abortion Morally Justifiable?

This will depend on the person and their beliefs. Many women find abortion to be moral and a choice they are allowed to make in regards to their own bodies. Some religions have a strict stance on abortion and deem it immoral, regardless of the reason.

How To Write an Essay About Abortion

Introduction to the topic of abortion.

Abortion is a deeply complex and often controversial topic, encompassing a range of ethical, legal, and social issues. In your essay's introduction, it is important to define abortion and the various viewpoints and ethical considerations surrounding it. This introduction should establish the scope of your essay, whether you are focusing on the moral arguments, the legal aspects, the impact on individuals and society, or a combination of these. Your introduction should set a respectful and scholarly tone, acknowledging the sensitivity of the topic and the diverse opinions held by different groups.

Developing a Balanced Argument

The body of your essay should be dedicated to presenting a balanced and well-reasoned argument. Whether your essay is persuasive, analytical, or exploratory in nature, each paragraph should focus on a specific aspect of the abortion debate. This could include the ethical implications of abortion, the legal history and current laws regarding abortion in different regions, the psychological and physical effects on individuals, or the societal impacts. It's crucial to back up your points with evidence, such as statistical data, legal texts, ethical theories, medical research, and sociological studies. Addressing counterarguments is also important to show that you have considered multiple viewpoints and to strengthen your own argument.

Exploring Ethical and Societal Implications

An essay on abortion should also delve into the ethical dilemmas and societal implications surrounding the topic. This might involve discussing the moral philosophies related to the right to life, bodily autonomy, and the definition of personhood. The societal perspective might include the impact of abortion laws on different socio-economic groups, public health considerations, and the role of education and family planning. This section of your essay should challenge readers to think critically about their own values and the role of societal norms and laws in shaping the abortion debate.

Concluding the Discussion

In your conclusion, bring together all the threads of your argument, emphasizing the complexity of the abortion debate. This is your final opportunity to reinforce your main points and leave a lasting impression on your readers. Reflect on the broader implications of the debate and the ongoing challenges in finding a consensus in such a polarized issue. You might also offer recommendations for future policy, research, or public discourse. Remember, a strong conclusion doesn't just restate what has been said; it provides closure and offers new insights, prompting readers to continue thinking about the topic long after they have finished reading your essay.

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Persuasive Essay About Abortion

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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!

• 1. How To Write a Persuasive Essay About Abortion?
• 2. Persuasive Essay About Abortion Examples
• 3. Examples of Argumentative Essay About Abortion
• 4. Abortion Persuasive Essay Topics
• 5. Facts About Abortion You Need to Know

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.

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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!

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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. 

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MyPerfectWords.com 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. 

So, just ask our experts ' do my essay ' and get professional help.

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.

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Abortion Bans Are Causing Students To Radically Rethink Their College Plans

Young women across the country weigh their options against a quickly changing access landscape.

Anna swivels from side to side in her plush black desk chair. The afternoon sunlight streams into the room from a big window beside her. It’s spring in Charlotte, North Carolina, and track practice has just let out. There are only a few short weeks left of high school, then she’s finished with childhood forever.

“I started the college process kind of late,” Anna says, dark hair framing her face, big headphones over her ears. She started her college application list last summer, right around the time the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which had made abortion legal across the U.S. for five decades.

Anna always dreamed of the “classic college experience”—going to a big school with a football team and an abundance of school spirit. Her main sources of college information came from her dad, her friends, and what she saw online. “Should I apply to Auburn?” Anna asked her dad one day. “A lot of my friends are.”

Instead of answering directly, he asked if she wanted to spend her college years in a red state. “He was like, ‘You’re a woman; they don’t like you.’ And I was like, ‘Okay. Hyperbolic, but fair enough.’”

The college decision process has always been complex and emotional. High school seniors ask themselves, ‘Can I afford tuition? Will I fit in and be happy? How far from home is it? What does my college say about me?’ And now, for the first time in two generations, young women are making these decisions in a world where access to reproductive health care is not guaranteed.

This spring, in a case that might have potentially made the abortion pill mifepristone illegal, the Supreme Court instead issued a stay on a lower-court ruling, allowing the drug to remain legal and available. The SCOTUS ruling also kicked the case back to a lower appeals court.

Pregnant people in red states aren’t the only ones affected. Roe ’s overturning has had far-reaching effects across the country, influencing national politics, life , love , art , career, and education decisions.

While a college’s prestige, tuition, and acceptance rates remain the dominant factors in applicants’ decision-making process, abortion access is now a consideration as well. Young women must imagine what their lives might look like in a state where they may not have total bodily autonomy. For many, choosing a college is their first big, life-altering decision. And for some, that decision is now more complicated.

Women’s Health talked to three young women from different backgrounds who are considering their college choices, and to experts, college admissions officers, and activists as well to find out how Roe ’s overturning has changed the higher education application process.

Students care about abortion access when choosing their college, research shows.

“Students are not only deciding, ‘Can I afford to go to this college?’” says Leslie Rios, a policy associate at Temple University’s Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice. “They also have to think about which basic health services will be available, what right to privacy they might have when choosing what’s best for their body, as well as if they feel safe at the college.”

It’s still too soon to know how heavily abortion access weighs on students’ college decisions, Rios says, but some studies provide insights.

Nearly 75 percent of currently enrolled college students said reproductive health laws in their college’s state are at least somewhat important in their decision to stay enrolled, and 60 percent of people without a degree yet say these laws are at least somewhat important in their enrollment decisions, according to an April 2023 Gallup Poll . More than 80 percent of college students and college hopefuls say they would prefer going to school in a state with greater access to reproductive health services.

Last summer, just after Roe was overturned, an Intelligent poll found that 45 percent of students were considering or planning to transfer to an abortion-friendly state, and 20 percent of students in states where abortion was now illegal, or at risk of becoming so, “definitely” planned to transfer.

The survey questions’ framing is important. “I don’t know the extent to which [the responses will] actually, practically have meaningful shifts,” says Kristen Jozkowski, professor in sexual health and principal investigator for the Indiana Abortion Attitudes Study. Just because someone says abortion is important to their decision doesn’t mean they’ll act on it. But ​​attitude does influence behavior, Jozkowski says.

“Never underestimate the sophistication of an 18-year-old,” says Nanci Tessier, principal at Art & Science Group , a consulting firm for higher educational institutions, nonprofits, and independent schools. “They think about big questions and big issues that relate to not only themselves as an individual, but also to their world at large.”

States’ constantly changing and complicated rulings on abortion over the past 12 months have been hard to keep track of and confusing. But young people are paying attention, and they’re talking about it. They’re also aware that how a state deals with abortion can be a bellwether for other hot-topic issues: gun control, transgender rights, the status of queer people, and more.

On Reddit, a forum on “college admissions questions, advice and discussions,” r/ApplyingToCollege , is 1 million members strong, and questions around abortion access’s impact on college choice are common. In the “important links” section threads, a link for “The End of Roe v. Wade and What it Means for Your Application Process” sits near “Decision Calendar” and “Questions About AP Scores.” It includes resources for updated state restrictions, a color-coded map, and a deep comments thread.

“I’m in Kansas but I had fully intended on changing my university if they voted to ban abortions,” one user wrote. “I live in the South and it’s too late unless I transfer. But for grad school I’m out of here :>,” wrote another. “Indiana off the list,” a third commented, to which users responded, “Yeah, even I ditched Purdue,” while another commenter wrote, “I refuse to go below Maryland.”

These surveys and Reddit comments play out in real time too. Alex McNeil, one of the Reddit forum’s moderators, runs a private college consulting company in the Bay Area and has been helping families across the country research schools. These days, that might include having a frank conversation about a state’s legislative environment.

“We are having discussions with students who have shifted their admissions plans based around these issues that we’ve never had before,” he says. McNeil estimates about a quarter of clients who identified as women “changed their process” based on legislation, deciding, for example, not to apply to schools in Ohio, such as Kenyon and Oberlin.

Lina, an 18-year-old senior living in Austria, dreamed of going to school in America since she was a little girl. “It’s all I ever wanted,” she says. “​​But you grow up a little bit and you realize that’s not the way it is. There’s so much more to it than Pop-Tarts and American Girl dolls.”

Since ninth grade, she’s been envisioning herself at Savannah College of Art and Design, where she hoped to study film. But Lina, who is gay, ultimately decided against going to school in Georgia because of the regressive attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community and abortion laws. She needed to be in a state that would protect her and other people’s right to an abortion, “no matter the reason,” she says. Instead, she’ll start her American adventure in Chicago this fall.

Advocates for Youth , a group that helps young people promote sexual health and equity, saw membership in its newly created Youth Abortion Support Collective boom since launching in 2020. The group is a network of young people who are experts on abortion resources and options. The roughly 100 to 150 original members now number over 1,000, according to Tamara Marzouk, the director of Abortion Access at Advocates for Youth . “This is a moment where we’re seeing that young people are angry,” she said. “And they’re also catalyzed to act.”

Geography has always played a role in college choice.

But that criteria was usually discussed in relation to travel distance and costs. Today, “geography” often doubles as shorthand for political and social climate.

“We’ve had conversations like, ‘Okay, you’re interested in Northwestern and Boston College. What do you think about Tulane or Duke, or what about Vanderbilt or Rice University?’” McNeil says. “Those schools have been ruled out because they’re in states that have very regressive legislative climates for reproductive rights and for abortion specifically.”

In Austria, Lina realized her college decision couldn’t be based solely on education. “You’re going to be there for at least the next four years, if not the rest of your life,” she says. “And even though you may be accepted and supported and acknowledged in your educational environment, that may not always be the case outside [of it].”

Last October, Ava, an 18-year-old from New Jersey, sat down to answer a college essay question for the University of Texas at Austin, her “dream school.” She decided to write about abortion. “I didn’t really want to steer away from [the topic],” she says. “So I just wrote about it.”

The Dobbs decision came down only a few weeks after junior year wrapped at Ava’s public high school. That spring, she had taken a government class in which students learned about Roe v. Wade . And as friends finalized college lists, reproductive health care became part of the conversation. Ava would hear friends say, “My mom wouldn’t let me go there,” or “My parents don’t want me to apply.”

The UT essay made Ava pause to reflect on state policies. Currently, Texas bans abortions with no exceptions for rape or incest, and abortion providers can be sued for assisting in abortions after week six. Her list of 12 to 14 schools (she wanted to go to a big school with a strong political science department) were mostly in the North, but she included schools in Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia too. She later toured Cornell University, an Ivy League college in Ithaca, New York, fell in love with it, and applied early. But she kept schools like UT on her list.

In December of 2022, Ava received her acceptance to Cornell and quickly withdrew her other applications.

“I feel pretty sad for everyone,” Ava reflects, noting that the men in her class didn’t seem to bear the same burden. “[It’s] very unfortunate. We really have to take into consideration basic health care...A choice was kind of made for us.”

In Charlotte, Anna says Roe and abortion bans were a big topic of conversation among her friends. Several got into schools in states like Georgia, but if they were accepted to another school, some opted out, concerned about their status as a woman, she says. (Georgia has a six-week abortion ban, and in March, the state banned most gender-affirming procedures and hormone-replacement therapies for transgender people under 18.) While abortion access wasn’t the main factor in their final college decision, Anna explains, it definitely played a role.

“Up until last year, we had landmark legislation saying ‘privacy is a right and a woman has that right,’” she explains. “And it was the fundamental betrayal of those kinds of ideals—that I held, and I thought other people held—that made me realize, if they’re willing to cross that line, I don’t want to be in that state for the next four years to see which other ones [they cross].”

The week after Anna spoke to Women’s Health , North Carolina, which previously allowed abortion up to 20 weeks, passed a 12-week abortion ban. Anna had been tracking the bill and wasn’t surprised by the outcome. “I just feel a bit helpless,” she wrote in an email. The ban goes into effect in July.

It’s still too early to see hard data on how college enrollment patterns have changed.

It’s difficult to get an accurate numerical snapshot of how Roe ’s overturning affects young women’s final decisions, because many factors affect enrollment numbers, including the pandemic, population growth in some states, and declining birth rates in others.

While overall college enrollment has declined across the U.S. since the pandemic, the toll on women seems to be heaviest.

Community colleges have seen an almost 5 percent enrollment decline for women, with public four-year institutions clocking a post-pandemic decline of almost 2 percent, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC), a nonprofit that provides educational reporting, verification, and research services to colleges and universities.

“Women enroll at higher rates in higher education, and so when you see these losses, it’s kind of stark,” says Shannon Lee, one of the center’s research associates. NSCRC does not collect data on how reproductive health laws play a role in college decisions. To explain this shift, Lee points to the economic burden of college, a higher demand for jobs that don’t necessarily require a college degree, and caregiving responsibilities as the main reasons women’s enrollment may have been affected.

As for Anna, her college decision came down to tuition. Despite careful consideration of how restricted access to reproductive health care might affect her, college cost was the deciding factor, and she picked the more affordable option. Anna proudly points to her Tar Heel T-shirt over Zoom.

“If I had the money to afford it, I would be going out of state,” she says. Instead, this fall, she will be going to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “As excited as I am, and I am very excited, I did not want to stay in North Carolina for the next four years.”

State leaders and reproductive rights advocates are worried about the impact abortion bans will have on communities.

It’s no secret that restrictive abortion legislation disproportionately affects marginalized groups, including Black, brown, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, and low-income communities who already face hurdles with health care access, Rios says.

And while students from middle-class families might be able to fly home or organize transportation for an abortion, it’s students who are attending community colleges for cost reasons who will suffer most, adds Mary Banks, a former Columbia University admissions officer and a consultant at Quad Education Group, a college admissions consulting company.

Add that to the statistic that roughly 61 percent of women who have children after enrolling in community college drop out, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, and you’ve got a perfect storm. “That’s an astonishing figure for kids who are trying to get through school,” Banks says.

And it’s not just education that’s lost. A state’s business, culture, art, and industry sectors can suffer too. If students do, in fact, start to reject college offers in places with restrictive health laws, it could affect those states in big ways. Half of recent grads stick around to work near their college campus after graduation, and over two-thirds stay in state, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research . One of the study’s authors, Johnathan G. Conzelmann, a graduate research consultant at UNC Chapel Hill, speculates that “areas less likely to protect reproductive rights could become more insular over time.”

Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell (D) is “very concerned” about brain drain in her state. Currently, Tennessee has a no-exception, total abortion ban. The governor signed a new bill in April that provides exemptions for ectopic and other nonviable pregnancies and allows abortions if a woman’s life is at risk.

“We’re losing ob-gyns and we’re losing academics,” Campbell says. In fact, states banning abortions saw a “steep” 10.5 percent drop in obstetrics and gynecology residency applications in 2023, according to an April study from the Association of American Medical Colleges . That has potential long-term effects on doctor availability in the South and Midwest, since many stay to work where they’re trained.

And this is also where the story hits home for me.

Just before the Republican-majority legislature voted to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s abortion ban veto in North Carolina, my best friend, Carson, a current student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, a top medical school in the country, sat in her apartment and desperately began calling legislators from our home state. “I’m actually panicking,” she texted me.

Ever since she was an 18-year-old college freshman, Carson has talked about working as a doctor in North Carolina, serving the communities that raised and nurtured her. And she wants to eventually live closer to family. Carson plans to apply to ob-gyn residency programs next year—UNC and Duke University are at the top of her list. She says that both schools have fantastic programs, and has heard glowing reports from attendings and residents at NYU about the two Carolina institutions.

But Carson says she can’t train with restrictions—she can’t risk losing essential high-risk pregnancy counseling and care training. Right now, many residency programs in states banning abortion face a tough paradox: If they continue providing abortion training, they might face prosecution, but if they don’t offer proper abortion training, they could lose their accreditation status, per The New York Times . (Losing accreditation would make it hard to recruit staff and would block residents from obtaining specialty board certification.)

“Applying and matching to a residency program is hard enough. I wish this wasn’t even a factor I had to consider,” she texted as soon as the news came down. Carson hasn’t officially crossed the schools off her list yet, but the news made her heart sink. The new law makes her “exponentially less excited” about her options in North Carolina, she says.

Sen. Campbell’s own daughter is a high school senior, but the lawmaker wants her out of Tennessee for college.

“I don’t want her to be in a state where she doesn’t have reproductive rights,” Sen. Campbell says. “I don’t want my daughter to be in school in a state where she feels diminished, and she was in agreement with that.”

But despite the chaos and confusion, life must go on for these young women. Lina dreams of directing a SuperBowl commercial. Ava is ready to dive into public policy. And come August, Anna will pack up her life and make a two-hour drive to set up her new dorm room in Chapel Hill. They will persist in getting an education and making their mark on the world, carrying their concerns with them.

“We’re all teenage girls, so this affects us,” Anna explains. “You hear of things that happen at colleges, happen at frats, and there’s fear.”

Currie Engel is the news and features editor at Women's Health. She loves working on zeitgeisty news, culture, mental health, and reproductive rights stories. When she's not editing stories, she's writing them. Currie previously worked as an award-winning local reporter specializing in health investigations and features, and as a researcher at Time magazine.  

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Persuasive Essay Writing

Persuasive Essay About Abortion

Learn How to Craft a Compelling Persuasive Essay About Abortion With Examples!

Published on: Jan 12, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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Writing an essay on abortion is a controversial and often difficult undertaking. 

But with the right approach, you can craft an effective persuasive essay that brings awareness to this complex issue. 

In this blog post, we’ll outline how to approach your research. You will also learn how to create a strong argumentative structure to support your stance. 

So without further ado, let's dig in to learn more about this.

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How to Write a Persuasive Essay About Abortion?

Writing a persuasive abortion essay can be tricky. After all, abortion is an emotionally charged topic, and it can be hard to write objectively. 

But with careful planning and research, you can write an effective persuasive essay on abortion. 

Here are five steps to get you started. 

Step 1: Research Both Sides of the Issue

Before writing your essay, you should familiarize yourself with both sides.

 Read up on both pro-choice and pro-life arguments so that you have a comprehensive understanding of the debate. 

This will help ensure that your argument is well-informed and balanced.

Step 2: Choose a Stance and Develop Your Thesis Statement.

Once you've researched, decide which side of the debate you want. Construct a thesis statement that reflects this stance. 

This statement should be clear, concise, and specific enough to guide your essay.

Step 3: Support Your Argument With Evidence & Sources.

Now it's time to back up your thesis statement with evidence from credible sources such as scholarly articles or government reports. 

As much as possible, use facts rather than opinions when citing evidence to make your argument more convincing. 

Be sure to cite any sources used properly in either MLA or APA format so readers can easily find them. Check out this video explaining the importance of supporting your persuasive essays with evidence.

Step 4: Keep a Formal and Persuasive Tone Throughout Your Essay. 

When writing about such a sensitive subject, it’s important to maintain a formal tone throughout your essay.  

Avoid emotional language or personal anecdotes, as these can be biased or unprofessional.

Instead, focus on presenting logical arguments backed up by reliable evidence. 

This helps to create an argument that is compelling yet unbiased in presenting both sides of the issue.

Step 5: Make Sure You’ve Addressed Counterarguments & Objections. 

Before submitting your essay for grading or publication, take some time to reflect on potential counterarguments.

Address these issues directly, if necessary, to strengthen your argument’s validity and persuasiveness further. 

Read our extensive guide on crafting a persuasive essay , so that you know all ins and outs of crafting a perfect persuasive essay.

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Outline of a Persuasive Essay on Abortion

Here is a detailed outline of a persuasive essay about abortion. Follow this to make sure your essays stand out.

Read our extensive blog on how to create a persuasive essay outline here!

Persuasive Essay About Abortion Examples 

Having different examples and points of view on an abortion essay is a great way to learn about this controversial issue. 

Here are a  few examples of persuasive essays about abortion that you can look at for more information.

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

Check out some more persuasive essay examples to learn more!

Example of Argumentative Essay About Abortion 

Reading samples of argumentative abortion essays can provide insight into different perspectives.

Argumentative essays seek to challenge existing beliefs as well as propose new ones. 

Here are a few examples of argumentative essays about abortion that you can look at for more information: 

Abortion Persuasive Essay Introduction

Argumentative Essay About Abortion Conclusion

Argumentative Essay About Abortion Pdf

Argumentative Essay About Abortion in the Philippines

Abortion Persuasive Essay Topics

Here is a list of few topics that can inspire you for your next essay. Take a look at them.

• Should abortion remain legal? 
• Are there any circumstances where abortion should be illegal? 
• Is there a moral obligation to have an abortion in certain situations? 
• Why is the debate on abortion so contentious?
• What are the psychological effects of abortion? 
• How can society better support pregnant women who do not wish to have a baby? 
• Should there be stricter regulations around access to abortion services? 
• What are the long-term effects of abortion on a woman’s reproductive health? 
• Could pro-choice and pro-life advocates come together to compromise on abortion policies? 
• Does a woman’s right to choose trump the potential life of a fetus? 
• What are some of the possible medical complications related to abortion? 
• Can men have an opinion on abortion that is just as valid as a woman’s? 
• Are there any alternatives to abortion that can be used in cases where the baby cannot survive? 
• How has the legality of abortion affected women’s rights over the years?
• What is the best way to reduce abortions without denying a woman her right to choose? 

Check out our comprehensive list of  persuasive essay topics . You might find the inspiration to write your next persuasive essay!

A Few Interesting Facts About Abortion 

Abortion is a highly controversial topic, and many different viewpoints exist.

Some people believe that abortion is morally wrong, while others believe that it is a woman's right to choose what happens to her body. 

There are many facts about abortion that both sides of the debate can agree on, however. Here are some key points

1. Globally, an estimated 56 million abortions are performed each year. 

2. In the US, about 1 in 4 pregnancies end in abortion. 

3. Most women who have abortions (78%) are unmarried, and 25% are younger than 20. 

4. About half of all abortions performed in the US are done in the first eight weeks of pregnancy. 

5. There is a direct correlation between the legal availability of abortion and decreased infant mortality rates. 

6. In countries where abortion is illegal, women are more likely to die during childbirth due to a lack of access to safe, medical abortions. 

7. Most women (75%) who have abortions do so because they cannot afford to care for a child. 

8. The most common reasons why a woman would choose to have an abortion are financial, relationship issues, and feeling unprepared for the responsibility of parenting. 

9. Most abortions in the US occur in clinics or doctor’s offices rather than hospitals. 

10. Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures available, with a low rate of complications (less than 0.3%). 

In the end, a persuasive essay is all about making your point convincingly. With the right evidence, logical reasoning, and engaging tone, you can make an argument for any topic you choose. 

If you’re still struggling to put your thoughts together or need help getting started, don’t worry. Trust our professional essay writer with your next essay.

CollegeEssay.org offers top essay writing service  that will take care of everything for you. We guarantee a high-quality persuasive essay writing service that will get you the grades you deserve. So what are you waiting for? 

Contact us today, and let our essay writer AI help you write the perfect essay about abortion!

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Abortion Issues: Articles and Arguments about Abortion

• History of Abortion
• Articles and Arguments about Abortion
• Books and eBooks about Abortion
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• Should women have the right to an abortion?
• Can Roe v. Wade be overturned?
• Should pharmacists or other health care providers be obligated to provide morning after pills even if it's against their beliefs?
• Should states seeking to ban abortions consider victims of non-consensual sex?
• Should the government fund abortion providers?

Proquest SIRS Knowledge Base - Abortion

• Proquest SIRS Knowledge Base - Abortion Abortion has long been a divisive issue in American culture and politics. In 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment's right to privacy provision. The ruling far from settled the public debate or legal battles. While the pro-choice and pro-life movements stand at opposite ideological fences, many Americans advocate for abortion but on a limited basis.

CQ Researcher

• Abortion - CQ Researcher Nearly a half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court declared a constitutional right to abortion in Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling is under sustained attack by anti-abortion forces hoping the current court's conservative majority will impose new limits on the procedure or overturn Roe altogether.
• Abortion Rights The death of liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg just six-and-a-half weeks before the 2020 election dramatically shifted the legal landscape for abortion in the United States. Her replacement on the high court, Amy Coney Barrett, altered the court’s makeup, and the new lineup of justices is set to consider its first big challenge to Roe v. Wade, a case involving a highly restrictive Mississippi abortion law. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization will be a crucial test of whether the long-held goal of abortion opponents — overturning Roe, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States — is achievable. Meanwhile, states where anti-abortion lawmakers dominate have stepped up their efforts to restrict the procedure. Abortion rights advocates are hoping President Biden, and Democratic majorities in Congress, will help protect access to abortion.

CredoReference Abortion Topic Page

• Credo Reference Topic Page for Abortion A great starting point with over 3000 articles and images relating to the topic of abortion.

Recommended Databases

Subject Guide

A Sampling of Articles from the Library

• The Supreme Court and Abortion Rights In Gonzales v. Carhart, the Supreme Court ruled that a physician can be prohibited from performing a partial-birth abortion, even if the physician believes the procedure is necessary to protect a woman's health. The author discusses the important implications of this decision for patients and physicians.
• Abortion: rights, responsibilities, obligations. - American Journal of Bioethics A fuller defense of the specifically moral right to abortion, I have argued, requires an explication of the notion of a moral right, specifically whether it can be outweighed or relinquished. It also requires an account of the nature of the obligations owed by partners to any embryo or fetus that results from their consensual sexual activity
• US Supreme Court Ends Constitutional Right to Abortion The US Supreme Court has overturned the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, ending women's 50 year old right to abortion and leaving the issue for individual states to decide.
• Unborn in the USA: What Happened and What's Next for Roe v Wade and Abortion Rights? "The US appears poised to remove the guaranteed right of access to abortion -- but it was already halfway there."
• Reframing Conscientious Care: Providing Abortion Care When Law and Conscience Collide Article suggests a broader frame for thinking about claims of conscience in health care highlighting how providers may be motivated by matters of conscience, including relational concerns, in the active provision of certain forms of care. What emerges are two possibilities: not only conscientious refusal to comply with a policy mandate but also conscientious compliance-working conscientiously within a mandate's confines.
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• Last Updated: Apr 16, 2024 11:17 AM
• URL: https://libguides.rccc.edu/abortion

sociology for the public

Abortion bans could deepen the college drop-out crisis.

The anti-abortion movement is feeling hopeful in the wake of Texas’s abortion ban and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the ban. But what seems like a resounding victory for pro-life advocates will have an unintended consequence: derailing the educational plans of millions of Americans—women and men. Reproductive rights and educational attainment go hand in hand. Cutting off access to safe abortions will limit college-going opportunities for millions of Americans—especially those who are poor and who benefit the most from a college degree.  – Ilana Horwitz

The essay below will be published in the Fall 2021 issue of Contexts Magazine and is being released online first in the wake of the recent abortion ban referenced above.

Isabella works at her mother’s laundromat to save up for college tuition. Ambitious and diligent, she aspires to earn a degree in Criminal Justice, which would go a long way in helping her get out of poverty. Little does she know that she is already eight weeks pregnant by the time she enrolls in college.

Abortion bans being passed all over the United States, including the recent ban in Texas, would make it impossible for Isabella to terminate her unintended pregnancy after the fetal heartbeat is detected, usually at six weeks of gestation.  Most women don’t even know they are pregnant at this point. If Isabella lived in Texas, she couldn’t terminate her pregnancy even if she were raped.

But what seems like a resounding victory for Pro-Life advocates will have an unintended consequence: derailing the educational plans of millions of Americans, both women and men.

Caring for a child that you did not plan for, especially as a single parent, is at odds with attending college. Isabella is just one example, dropping out of college one semester after her daughter is born. Despite excelling in her classes, she was overwhelmed by the rivaling responsibilities of motherhood, school, and working full-time to provide for her daughter. “I’m like a sponge. I love going to school, I do. It’s just when I’m in school, I need to be one hundred percent focused…I did one semester after my baby was born and then I needed to take a break. [College] is too much right now.”

The prevalence of people like Isabella who aspire to complete college but drop out after becoming parents surprised us. As sociologists of education, we were curious why nearly a third of all college students still don’t have a degree six years later. We analyzed longitudinal interviews from a diverse sample of 220 American teenagers who were interviewed repeatedly between 2003-2013 as part of the National Study of Youth and Religion. We found that people dropped out of college for several reasons: financial hardship, academic difficulties, health crisis, and yearning to enter the workforce. But the most common reason was unplanned pregnancy.

This trend was especially prevalent at community colleges, where nearly half of all students, both male and female, have experienced an unplanned pregnancy.  We found that young parents often abandoned their academic pursuits to work long hours at minimum-wage jobs to provide for their children. Though almost everyone in our sample wanted to finish college before becoming a parent, they often had to modify their plans. Forced to split time, energy, and resources between their child and their degree, 61% of community college students who have children after enrolling do not finish their education.

The struggle to finish college is especially acute for low-income Americans. Ruby grew up in the foster care system, and her foster family scraped by on disability insurance and food stamps. Determined to escape poverty and become a registered nurse, Ruby earned a tuition grant and enrolled in community college. However, an unintended pregnancy impeded her plans. She worked the night shift from 7 PM to 7 AM to provide for her son. Sleep-deprived and strung out on pain pills with no time to devote to her studies, she dropped out. With no college degree, her job prospects were low, and Ruby fell into a state of despair. By age 25, she had two more children, was addicted to painkillers, and had no money to feed her family—let alone finish her degree.

Unintended pregnancies aren’t just a problem that affects women—they also derail the educational plans for millions of men. Two years into his degree at a public university in Texas, Ty found out that his girlfriend was pregnant. He dropped out of college, married his girlfriend, and took a job as a prison guard to provide for his new family. “My girlfriend got pregnant and we ended up picking up more bills. I needed to get a job that paid more…going to college wasn’t worth it…[now] I have to go to work at a job I don’t really like to pay off [$80,000] in student debt.”

Reproductive rights and educational attainment go hand in hand. And the people who are most at risk of dropping out of college—low-income Americans and racial minorities—are also the ones who are most likely to unexpectedly become pregnant at an early age. Cutting off access to safe abortions could exacerbate existing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in college completion and will limit college-going opportunities for millions of Americans. Accessible abortion is a catalyst for college completion, and without it, the dropout crisis might only deepen.

Dr. Ilana Horwitz is an Assistant Professor and Fields-Rayant Chair of Contemporary Jewish Life at Tulane University.

Kaylee Matheny is a PhD candidate at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Natalie Milan is an undergraduate at Stanford University. 

Sarah Farkas

Important connections not often made in the pro-choice debate.

James Simpson

It's a little strange that "ambitious and diligent" Isabella or her partner was not diligent enough to use any form of contraception. What is this, 1821? Whilst indeed it's true that abortion should, as here in the UK, be free at the point of delivery and freely available, abortion should not be used as a contraceptive which seems to be the case here. Is forethought really so difficult?

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Following the leak of a draft decision by the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the Medical School’s Louise King discusses how the potential ruling might affect providers.

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How a bioethicist and doctor sees abortion

Alvin Powell

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Her work touches questions we can answer and questions we can’t. But her main focus is elsewhere: ‘the patient in front of me.’

With the leak Monday of a draft decision by the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the future of abortion in the U.S. has been a highly charged topic of conversation all week. Doctors are among those wondering what’s next. Louise King is an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School and a Brigham and Women’s Hospital physician whose practice includes abortion services. King, who is also the director of reproductive bioethics for the Center for Bioethics at the Medical School, spoke with the Gazette about ethical dimensions of abortion and how a ruling against Roe might affect providers.

Louise King

GAZETTE: In the U.S., abortion is framed in broad ethical terms: life versus death, privacy versus government intrusion, etc. From a medical ethics standpoint, what are the important concerns to be balanced on this issue?

KING: I frame the topic in the context of the patient in front of me. In other words, I look primarily to autonomy and beneficence in the context of doing good for the patient. That might mean upholding that person’s choice not to proceed with what is still a very dangerous proposition, namely carrying a pregnancy to term and delivering. If someone says to me, “I’m pregnant and do not wish to be pregnant,” for a multitude of reasons, I support that decision, because the alternative of carrying to term is risky. I want to protect that person’s bodily autonomy. From a reproductive justice standpoint, I want to support persons who have uteri in making decisions about when they wish to have a family, how they want that to look, whether they want to have a family at all, in expressing their sexuality, and in all kinds of different things.

I don’t believe that life begins at conception. Among the minority of people in this country who believe that’s the case, some are vocal and aggressive in imposing that belief on others, which may happen with this upcoming decision. But quite a number of students that I meet who believe life begins at conception still don’t believe that they have the right to impose that belief on others. To contextualize what we ask of persons with uteri when we make abortion illegal, it’s helpful to compare instances where we could ask people to undergo very risky procedures to help others. For example, we don’t demand that people give blood. It’s not a big deal and it could save lives every day, but we don’t demand that anybody donate blood or bone marrow. We don’t demand kidney donations, which are less risky than childbirth nowadays.

So we generally don’t ask one human being to give so completely of themselves to another, but we do so when it’s a pregnant person. That, I believe, does not comport with our ethics. But it also doesn’t fully address the concerns of persons who believe life begins at conception. They come to those beliefs honestly, but I think they have to explore them more deeply and figure out whether, even if true — do they hold up to the point where we require somebody to have a forced pregnancy to term? I would say, within my understanding of ethics, no.

“It’s not a big deal and it could save lives every day, but we don’t demand that anybody donate blood or bone marrow. We don’t demand kidney donations, which are less risky than childbirth nowadays.”

GAZETTE: Abortion is one of the most divisive issues in the country. Is the medical profession unified on it one way or another?

KING: That’s hard to say definitively. No study or survey exists to truly quantify this. The American Medical Association and the America College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that abortion is health care, and I agree. ACOG is very strong in their wording about supporting the right to access abortion. Unfortunately, only 14 percent of practicing OBGYNs provide abortion care. As a profession, our words and actions don’t match. I think there’s a multitude of reasons for that. One is the stigma associated with providing abortion care in some parts of the country.

I would guess that most providers feel similarly to the majority of Americans — that abortion is health care and should be available. While I’ve met some medical students and practicing physicians in all kinds of disciplines who feel strongly that abortion is unethical, the vast majority that I’ve spoken to feel as I feel: that it’s health care and should be provided.

GAZETTE: A big part of the debate over the decades has centered on viability. Is this an issue for science to determine? Is it an issue for society? Is it an issue for religion?

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KING: I don’t think that science can tell us definitively when life begins. Life is a broad term and includes a variety of living entities. I don’t think that religion can define it because we have freedom of religion and religions see this differently. Rabbis will explain that in the Torah, it’s very clear that an embryo is simply an extension of a woman’s body, like a limb, and should not be considered another person until birth. The leaked decision presumes that one version of Christianity’s assessment of this prevails, which seems to violate our understanding of freedom of religion in this country.

Ultimately, “when life begins” isn’t the right question because it’s unanswerable. The question then must be: How do we as a society come up with a compromise that upholds the autonomous rights of the persons in front of us who may become pregnant, who may have excessive risks associated with a pregnancy, or who may simply not wish to be pregnant, that also observes whatever our society’s agreed-upon understanding is of when a protected entity exists.

I think Massachusetts absolutely gets it right. If you read the Roe Act : Abortion is allowed for any reason in the first and second trimesters, and then abortion for medical reasons or lethal fetal anomalies can extend into the third trimester with careful consideration between patient and medical teams. To me, that is an exceptionally well-thought-out compromise. This is a societal decision. It shouldn’t be made by a minority of persons based on their narrow definition of “when life begins.”

GAZETTE: If something like the leaked draft decision emerges, is there a potential for medical providers to get caught in the middle?

KING: Overturning Roe would turn the question over to the states. That would mean that those providers who exist within the states that are clearly going to go forward with legislation to outlaw abortion would be in dire situations. In Massachusetts, we could provide the care we’re already providing and would expect people to travel from out of state to us. I don’t think that the long-arm statutes would reach a provider here, that somebody could come after me from Texas if somebody traveled from Texas to me and I provided care. But if I traveled to Texas, for a conference, it might. Legal experts aren’t sure.

GAZETTE: Have you ever been threatened because you’ve offered abortions?

KING: I haven’t, but many of my colleagues have. I did my training in Texas, so I lived a long time in the South. I’ve not been threatened directly, but spoken sternly to by many people who disagreed with me. I mentioned earlier that there are plenty of people who believe life begins at conception but who do not feel they should impose their viewpoints on others — those are people I met in Texas and Louisiana. There are a lot of people like that, but they can’t speak up for fear of being ostracized. The sense that I have through all the conversations I’ve had over many years is that we are all talking past each other. You started off by saying this is a topic that divides our country, but it doesn’t. The vast majority of people are settled on having abortion as an option, having contraception as an option, and having sex education available. There’s a group of politicians who make it appear that we’re divided and build their political careers off of that. It’s incredibly disheartening and unethical for them to do so.

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

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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.

Essay:  Why Abortion is Immoral

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

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Essay on Abortion in English in 650 Words

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• Feb 5, 2024

Essay on Abortion: Abortion is the termination of pregnancy. The termination happens due to the removal of the embryo or fetus. 

The process of abortion can be natural as well as intentional. The intentional forces abortion involves a decision to end the pregnancy while when this process unfolds naturally without any external forces such as genetic abnormalities, maternal age, hormonal imbalances, or lifestyle, it is termed as miscarriage or spontaneous abortion. It is important to understand the difference between intentional abortion and miscarriage to explore reproductive health. 

Master the art of essay writing with our blog on How to Write an Essay in English .

Table of Contents

• 1 Types of Abortion
• 2 Law in India for Abortion
• 3.1 1. Comprehensive Sex Education 
• 3.2 2. Access to Contraceptives
• 3.3 3. Support System for Pregnant Women 

Also Read: 3-Minute Speech on Motherhood and Education

Types of Abortion

Abortion procedures can be classified into two main types, Medical abortion and Surgical abortion. Medical abortion involves the termination of pregnancy using medications, such as the combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. This medication method is generally effective within nine weeks of pregnancy and does not involve any penetration or incision of the body or the insertion of instruments into the body. 

On the other hand, surgical abortion involves a physical procedure to remove the pregnancy. The common surgical abortion method includes aspiration (suction) abortion, dilation and curettage (D&C), and dilation and evacuation (D&E) also called vacuum aspiration.

Law in India for Abortion

Laws of abortion play a vital role in the complexities of reproductive health. These laws aim to safeguard the well-being of women by ensuring that the abortion procedures are conducted under safe and medically supervised conditions.

In India, the legal framework for governing abortion primarily comes under the guidance of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act. The act was enacted in the year 1971 and aimed to liberalize the voluntary absorption largely decriminalized Section 312 of the IPC. To have safe and legal abortion services in India The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations,2003 were issued under the MTP Act. 

Further in the year 2021, certain amendments were passed for safe abortion services in case of failures of contraceptive failures, increase in gestation limit to 24 weeks, and the opinion of one abortion service provider up to 20 weeks of gestation. Moreover, the amendment also supported abortion until 24 weeks of pregnancy. The amendment acknowledges 7 specific circumstances to the MTP Act where a female can go for an abortion and those include Minor pregnancies, rape survivors, women with mental and physical disabilities, and more. 

Alternative and Support of Abortion

Some alternative measures that will help to raise awareness about abortion are as follows:

1. Comprehensive Sex Education 

The physical experience of abortion for women can be hazardous too, therefore, to provide an alternative it is necessary that comprehensive sex education should be provided in schools beyond subjects like Biology, healthy relationships, consent, and making responsible choices. Through this knowledge, students will not only be equipped with information but will also navigate relationships and avoid unintended pregnancies.

2. Access to Contraceptives

Easy access to contraceptives is another way to empower women to take charge of their reproductive health. Whether it is condoms, birth control pills, or any other methods of protection ensures to make responsible decisions and help in taking precautions against unplanned pregnancies.

3. Support System for Pregnant Women 

To support women with unwanted pregnancies it is important to create a supportive environment for them mentally as well as emotionally. The government can offer counselling services, and access to healthcare information, and can provide resources to help pregnant women make informed choices or decisions about their future for example parenting classes, legal guidance and financial assistance programs. 

In conclusion, we can say that the topic of abortion is complex as well as deep with emotions as well as with different perspectives. The ethical, religious, and legal debate on this sophisticated topic makes it challenging to find a common ground. Therefore it is necessary to have open and respectful communication, understanding empathy and healthcare options for the women. 

Also Read: National Safe Motherhood Day 2023

Ans. 1 Abortion is the termination of pregnancy. The termination happens due to the removal of the embryo or fetus. 

Ans. 2 As she was going through many health issues the family decided to go for an abortion. 

The causes of abortion in the first trimester can be emotional or psychological, maternal health concerns, unintended pregnancies, contraceptive failure and more.  

Ans. 4 The opposite of abortion is success, continuation, accomplishment, and achievement.

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Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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Abortion and College Admissions: Roe v. Wade Decision Makes Students Reconsider School Choices

By Melissa Malamut

This story was supported by the journalism nonprofit the Economic Hardship Reporting Project .

For 13-year-old Alena, receiving acceptance to the University of Alabama (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine through an early assurance program was a dream come true. Alena, whose passion “is to create a space for girls of color in STEM” and some might call a prodigy, is already dual-enrolled in bachelor’s programs (and on full scholarships) at Oakwood University in Alabama and Arizona State University. UAB is on her list of top medical schools. 

It might be too bad for UAB. “Right now, if the leaked decision stands, I would not consider going to school in a state where abortion is against the law,” Alena, tells Teen Vogue . “This matters to me.” (Alena, a minor, preferred to only use her legal first name).

She’s not alone. The Supreme Court’s intention to overturn Roe v. Wade , the landmark abortion legislation that has been law for almost 50 years, will transform so many aspects of daily life in the United States. One will likely be college enrollments. Young people who can get pregnant may reconsider going to school in places where abortion is banned or severely restricted. The choice will likely be particularly agonizing for low-income students , who are less able to afford to travel to seek care in states that still provide the procedure.

Shortly after the decision was leaked several people, including former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill and activist Amy Siskind , wondered how the decision would affect college students. McCaskill, a former prosecutor and University of Missouri alumnus, says that the state of Missouri has gone to an “extreme place,” pushing legislation to ban abortion with no exceptions for rape or incest and even criminalize physicians .

“If a state does not tell a young woman that they are entitled to terminate a pregnancy after a rape, I’m not sure I’d be spending my money on education in that state,” McCaskill tells Teen Vogue . “It will be interesting to track enrollments at colleges in these states.” McCaskill notes that Washington University in St. Louis “attracts some of the brightest minds in the country.… I wonder how many of those graduates would reconsider staying in Missouri because of what has been created by officeholders with extreme views,” she says.

Washington University in St. Louis declined to comment. A spokesperson at the University of Missouri told Teen Vogue via email that they have “not had any current, incoming, or prospective students indicate that they had concerns about coming to the university.”

Federal officials have pointed to the economic ripple effects of forcing people to go through with pregnancies they do not want. As Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the Senate Banking Committee in May, banning abortion “would have very damaging effects on the U.S. economy and would set women back decades.”

According to Pew Research Center , as of mid-May 2022, 61% of U.S. adults polled say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 37% say it should be illegal in all or most cases.

McCaskill suggests that young people research the reproductive rights laws in states where they’re applying to colleges. Fortunately, there’s an abundance of information available online. The 19th , an independent news site, has published a thorough guide to the laws in each state, while The Cut recently published a comprehensive package, which included information on how to get an abortion . 

Her Campus spoke to a University of Tennessee health professional who is urging school health centers to get more involved. “If the colleges in [some of] these states are as progressive as they claim to be, they should offer help to women who need it,” says Amelia McNeil, 20, a rising junior at Elmhurst University in Illinois.

In 2019, when McNeil was a high schooler in Maine, she created “ My College, My Choice ” — a community that provides a form letter to send to schools you are no longer considering because of policies enacted by their state’s government. “It’s a protest, a movement, to commit to choosing a college that will protect your rights,” McNeil tells Teen Vogue . “When it started, I was 17 and could not vote and I wanted to do something. I took a break from the account after the last election because we thought reproductive freedom would be protected, but now there’s more interest.”

Still, getting to “choose” where you go to college is a privileged conversation. State schools cost less and many students won’t have the opportunity to leave their home states for school and they can't travel to another state for care. (And if some Missouri lawmakers get their way, that sort of travel would be illegal , too). 

In places like Texas, the whisper networks are already active. In 2021, Bustle reported from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, a self-described “sanctuary city for the unborn,” where abortion is banned. They heard from students passing around sticks of gum containing information about where to get medical abortion pills.

“It is so important to do research now when looking at schools,” says Alena, who is from the Fort Worth, Texas, area. “What laws are in place to protect women? If I am raped, am I protected? What does a post-Roe world look like in the state of Alabama? Or if I were to go to school at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona? All of these things you have to take into consideration now.”

Students like Alena, who are going into medicine and other health care fields, will have even more to consider. McCaskill says doctors will be some of the primary targets for these extreme abortion laws, especially those who work in women’s health, fertility, and IVF. “What's going to happen,” McCaskill says, “is [there will be] states where it is not clear what a doctor can do without stepping over the line of criminal liability insurance.”

Aarya Ghonasgi, 21, a rising senior at the University of Oklahoma, who is currently working on her applications for medical school, has lived in the state since she was a toddler and for financial reasons stayed in Oklahoma for college. “Staying in-state was very important to me. I am on scholarship and I am a National Merit Scholar,” Ghonasgi tells Teen Vogue . “I wanted to keep my costs low for undergrad and be close to my family.”

By Kara Nesvig

By Iman Balagam

By Teen Vogue Style Team

Ghonasgi is from Bartlesville, which, she says, is “very red,” even for Oklahoma. Still, Ghonasgi considers herself politically independent, even though she is “against the moves that legislators in Oklahoma have [made] towards abortion.” “I’m studying to become a doctor. [These laws] affect my future career,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons I’m considering moving out of state to practice. Oklahoma laws won’t allow health care workers to properly do their jobs. Why would anyone want to practice here if they are threatened with being thrown in jail?”

Oklahoma was recently listed as the worst state in the U.S. for women to live in a WalletHub ranking. According to U.S. News & World Report, the state has the fourth-highest teen birth rate in the nation. “Our sex ed in high school was abstinence-only,” Ghonasgi says. And Oklahoma has the second-highest rate of women in prison in the country. According to Oklahoma’s Health Department , the number of women reporting rape and attempted rape to law enforcement “has been 35–45% higher than the U.S. rate for the past decade.” “All of these things intersect,” Ghonasgi says. “I love the people here in Oklahoma, and my teachers are awesome. I’m torn [about leaving]. There is a lot of need here.”

On the flip side, some students heading for college in the fall to states with GOP-controlled legislatures see it as an opportunity for change. Sophie Zerrouki, 18, will be a freshman at Emory University in Atlanta this fall, where she’ll be playing for the school’s volleyball team. The Illinois native knows that abortion will stay safe in her home state ( for now ). But in Georgia, she hopes she can make an impact. “For me, going to school in [a] red state is a happy thought because I’m going to register to vote in Georgia,” Zerrouki says. “It is going to be a close election [for governor] and I think it's going to fall on young people to get out and vote.”

Not everyone can do so yet. Alena, for example, won’t be able to vote until she’s practically graduating from medical school. So she’s using whatever power of choice she has. “I can’t vote yet, but I can choose my [medical] school,” Alena says. “I’m keeping my options open. I’m going to change the world.”

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clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

College-shopping students have a new query: Is abortion legal there?

State laws on reproductive rights are a sudden new variable for students mulling where to apply

Teenagers ponder many questions when they draw up college application lists. Should they go for rural or urban? Cold or warm? Big or small? Public or private? Pricey or affordable? Near home or far away?

Now comes, suddenly, another variable. Abortion : Protected or banned?

“It’s so incredibly disheartening,” Charlotte Hawthorn said. The 17-year-old from Orinda, Calif., doesn’t want to rule out colleges based on regional politics. She cares about weather — “I want somewhere that isn’t Arctically cold,” she said — and wants a place that will challenge her liberal beliefs. Ideally, she said, it would be a school “that isn’t just a bunch of super politically correct California kids.”

But the Supreme Court decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade , erasing the constitutional right to abortion, scrambled her calculations. Upset over the ruling, she is torn over whether to apply to a well-known university in a state that is moving to ban most abortions. She finds strict antiabortion laws disturbing. “It’s really hard to ignore,” she said.

The rapid emergence of state abortion bans in the South, Midwest and elsewhere has jolted many parents and college-bound students, forcing hard questions within families about what matters in the college search. Many schools in abortion-banning states, meanwhile, face the risk of losing potential students from huge swaths of the country that favor abortion rights.

Several prominent schools in this situation declined requests for interviews about how they would respond to prospective students concerned about abortion access. But some acknowledged the issue in written statements.

In Texas, leaders of Rice University wrote that the court’s ruling “has serious consequences for women,” imposing new hurdles to the effective management of reproductive health. The state has banned abortion, with narrow exceptions.

“The added burdens, including out of state travel for those seeking abortion services, will fall most harshly on the least economically advantaged,” the university’s outgoing president, David W. Leebron, and provost (now president), Reginald DesRoches, wrote to their community June 28. “Rice is committed to gender equality and to supporting our faculty, staff, and students. We are exploring how we can best continue to appropriately support the reproductive rights of our community, including access to abortion services.”

The private university in Houston, with about 4,000 undergraduates, illuminates an enrollment fact crucial for many big-name colleges and universities: Most of its students come from out of state.

A Washington Post analysis of federal enrollment data for fall 2020 found that 25 percent of incoming freshmen at Rice were from California, New York, Illinois and other states where abortion is legal and likely to remain protected . Forty percent hailed from Texas, and another 13 percent from other states where abortion bans are in place or imminent. The rest were mostly from overseas or states where abortion is legal now.

Of course, the laws of any given state do not determine how individuals who live there feel about abortion. But the geographic divides on the issue underscore unique tensions for colleges and universities in abortion-banning states. These schools are often recruiting far beyond state lines, and they don’t want to turn off potential students or families.

HBCU students are being disproportionately affected by Roe’s reversal

The court ruling is already shaping college tours for the Burke family of Atlanta.

Heather Burke said her teenage daughter, now in high school, plans to look out of state for college because Georgia has banned abortion after about six weeks of pregnancy. After the court ruling, Burke and her daughter remapped a trip planned for this summer. Originally, they were going to fly to Baltimore and drive through Pennsylvania and Ohio to check out liberal arts colleges and midsize universities. But Ohio’s six-week abortion ban and the uncertainties of politics in Pennsylvania — where abortion is legal for now — led Burke to switch their travel to Massachusetts, Rhode Island and California.

Burke said she wants her daughter to be able to focus on learning in college, not on the distractions likely to arise if she or someone she knows faces an unwanted pregnancy without the option of abortion. “I don’t want my kid to be panic-stricken,” Burke said.

Many people believe students who want an abortion could travel to get one. Burke questions that assumption. “What if it becomes a situation where you can’t travel?” she said. “Where do you go from there?”

But Burke also worries about the cost of restricting her daughter’s college search. What if her daughter doesn’t apply to a college in an abortion-banning state that would have offered a generous scholarship? The court ruling “was a huge curveball,” she said. “I feel like our options have become much more limited.”

A race to teach abortion procedures, before the bans begin

Massive numbers of students, especially those who are financially strapped, attend college close to home regardless of abortion views. But federal enrollment data indicates that about a quarter of freshmen leave their home state to enroll in four-year colleges and universities.

At Oberlin College, a private liberal arts school in Ohio with 2,700 students and a left-leaning reputation, the out-of-state share is larger. About 5 percent of its 2020 freshmen were from Ohio. More than half of its incoming students came from states that protect abortion, The Post’s analysis found, including 9 percent from California and 12 percent from New York.

“As our understanding of this new post- Roe world emerges, Oberlin will evaluate the ways we are able to continue offering our community the best possible access to reproductive health care,” the college’s president, Carmen Twillie Ambar, said in a June 25 statement.

Washington University in St. Louis, another private institution with national reach, must reckon with Missouri’s abortion ban. But just across the Mississippi River lies an abortion-protecting state.

“Students coming to WashU have access to reproductive health care through the resources that are legally available in Missouri and our neighboring state of Illinois,” Ronné P. Turner, the university’s vice provost for admissions and financial aid, said in a statement. About half of its 2020 freshmen came from abortion-protecting states, The Post found. The university has about 7,700 undergraduates.

Prestigious colleges and universities are likely to be in high demand regardless of changes in abortion law.

“Interest in Vanderbilt remains strong,” the private university in Nashville said in a statement. With about 7,000 undergraduates, the university draws about 35 percent from Tennessee and other states with current or imminent abortion bans. More than 40 percent come from states likely to protect abortion.

Public universities are often cautious in what they say about abortion, fearful of rousing the wrath of lawmakers and governors who control their funding. Clemson University in South Carolina, Georgia Tech and the universities of Alabama, Georgia and Texas — all public — declined or did not respond to requests for interviews about the potential impact of state abortion restrictions on out-of-state recruiting.

The University of Texas at Austin said in a statement that it offers “a variety of reproductive health care services,” including wellness exams, pregnancy testing and information on contraceptives. But it said the university’s health services do not “dispense abortive medications” or “provide abortion services.”

By contrast, California’s public universities are preparing to follow a state law that will require student health centers to offer access to abortion pills — a method of terminating early pregnancies without an abortion provider inserting tools into the uterus.

Whatever their abortion policies, most public universities share this in common: They yearn for out-of-state students because those students typically pay higher tuition.

For schools in abortion-protecting states, the legal upheaval could provide a marketing opportunity.

“We can talk about states that respect the rights of all its residents and all its citizens,” said Jon Boeckenstedt, vice provost for enrollment management at Oregon State University. “Kids who are smart enough will figure it out.” Most of Oregon State’s 26,000 undergraduates come from Oregon, but the university is pushing to expand its reach in states such as Idaho, Utah and Texas.

Boeckenstedt said he believes political climate, including state abortion laws, “will have some effect around the edges” on recruiting. “We’re talking about students who have the luxury of crossing state lines to go to college,” he said.

The court ruling could also influence college choices for some students who oppose abortion. Mackenzie Grace Smethers, 17, of Greenville, N.C., is active in the antiabortion group Students for Life of America. Smethers said she is considering public East Carolina University in her hometown and private Hillsdale College, a conservative-leaning school in Michigan.

The fight to overturn Roe v. Wade energized her, Smethers said, and she wants to continue her activism in college. She finds Michigan appealing because the state appears to be a battleground in the quest to make abortion illegal. “Over the last two years, I’ve been so involved in pro-life politics,” she said. “I’ve never been in a state where I have not had to fight for pro-life laws.”

Colleges scramble to recruit students as nationwide enrollment plunges

The urge toward activism animates both sides.

Sophie Anderson-Haynie, 18, of Albuquerque, said she is about to enter Agnes Scott College in Georgia. She called her mother, Aeron Haynie, an associate professor of English at the University of New Mexico, on June 24 to commiserate over the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization . The two of them knew that Anderson-Haynie’s journey to the 1,100-student women’s college would take her from a place where abortion is protected to one where it is mostly banned.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” Anderson-Haynie told The Post. “I still want to go there. In fact, I think I want to go there even more now there are women who aren’t going to have access to abortion the same way we have it here in New Mexico.” Anderson-Haynie aims to get involved in movements to change Georgia. “If there’s a chance I could make a difference, I would want to,” she said.

Admission experts say it’s unlikely the Dobbs decision will lead many students who just graduated from high school to forfeit deposits paid to start college in the fall. That entering class appears mostly set.

One Alabama mother, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect her daughter’s privacy, said she offered to help engineer a last-minute switch to a university in abortion-protecting Colorado if the daughter wanted to renege on a commitment to a school in Georgia. But the daughter stuck with her plan. “She’s got a roommate, done the orientation,” this mother said. “It would just be heart-wrenching to abandon it.”

Future classes are another matter. Agitated parents are pressing children to think twice about applying to schools in abortion-ban states. Carissa Hawthorn said she tore into a list that a counselor suggested for her daughter Charlotte: “Tennessee? … That’s a no-go. … Ohio? No, thank you. … Louisiana? No, thank you. … St. Louis? I’m not giving money to a state that doesn’t think she’s an equal member of society.”

But Hawthorn acknowledged Charlotte’s enduring curiosity about a certain university in a southern state with an abortion ban. “Yes. She is interested … ugh,” the mother wrote. “We would have to have long talk about it.”

U.S. abortion access, reproductive rights

Tracking abortion access in the United States: Since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade , the legality of abortion has been left to individual states. The Washington Post is tracking states where abortion is legal, banned or under threat.

Abortion and the election: Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year. Biden supports legal access to abortion , and he has encouraged Congress to pass a law that would codify abortion rights nationwide. After months of mixed signals about his position, Trump said the issue should be left to states . Here’s how Biden and Trump’s abortion stances have shifted over the years.

New study: The number of women using abortion pills to end their pregnancies on their own without the direct involvement of a U.S.-based medical provider rose sharply in the months after the Supreme Court eliminated a constitutional right to abortion , according to new research.

Abortion pills: The Supreme Court seemed unlikely to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone . Here’s what’s at stake in the case and some key moments from oral arguments . For now, full access to mifepristone will remain in place . Here’s how mifepristone is used and where you can legally access the abortion pill .

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• America’s Abortion Quandary

1. Americans’ views on whether, and in what circumstances, abortion should be legal

Table of contents.

• Abortion at various stages of pregnancy 
• Abortion and circumstances of pregnancy 
• Parental notification for minors seeking abortion
• Penalties for abortions performed illegally 
• Public views of what would change the number of abortions in the U.S.
• A majority of Americans say women should have more say in setting abortion policy in the U.S.
• How do certain arguments about abortion resonate with Americans?
• In their own words: How Americans feel about abortion 
• Personal connections to abortion 
• Religion’s impact on views about abortion
• Acknowledgments
• The American Trends Panel survey methodology

As the long-running debate over abortion reaches another  key moment at the Supreme Court  and in  state legislatures across the country , a majority of U.S. adults continue to say that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. About six-in-ten Americans (61%) say abortion should be legal in “all” or “most” cases, while 37% think abortion should be  illegal  in all or most cases. These views have changed little over the past several years: In 2019, for example, 61% of adults said abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 38% said it should be illegal in all or most cases.    Most respondents in the new survey took one of the middle options when first asked about their views on abortion, saying either that abortion should be legal in  most  cases (36%) or illegal in  most  cases (27%). 

Respondents who said abortion should either be legal in  all  cases or illegal in  all  cases received a follow-up question asking whether there should be any exceptions to such laws. 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 respondents (2% of all U.S. adults) followed up by saying that there are some exceptions when abortion should be permitted. 

Altogether, seven-in-ten Americans say abortion should be legal in some cases and illegal in others, including 42% who say abortion should be generally legal, but with some exceptions, and 29% who say it should be generally illegal, except in certain cases. Much smaller shares take absolutist views when it comes to the legality of abortion in the U.S., maintaining that abortion should be legal in all cases with no exceptions (19%) or illegal in all circumstances (8%). 

There is a modest gender gap in views of whether abortion should be legal, with women slightly more likely than men to say abortion should be legal in all cases or in all cases but with some exceptions (63% vs. 58%). 

Younger adults are considerably more likely than older adults to say abortion should be legal: Three-quarters of adults under 30 (74%) say abortion should be generally legal, including 30% who say it should be legal in all cases without exception. 

But there is an even larger gap in views toward abortion by partisanship: 80% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared with 38% of Republicans and GOP leaners.  Previous Center research  has shown this gap widening over the past 15 years. 

Still, while partisans diverge in views of whether abortion should mostly be legal or illegal, most Democrats and Republicans do not view abortion in absolutist terms. Just 13% of Republicans say abortion should be against the law in all cases without exception; 47% say it should be illegal with some exceptions. And while three-in-ten Democrats say abortion should be permitted in all circumstances, half say it should mostly be legal – but with some exceptions. 

There also are sizable divisions within both partisan coalitions by ideology. For instance, while a majority of moderate and liberal Republicans say abortion should mostly be legal (60%), just 27% of conservative Republicans say the same. Among Democrats, self-described liberals are twice as apt as moderates and conservatives to say abortion should be legal in all cases without exception (42% vs. 20%).

Regardless of partisan affiliation, adults who say they personally know someone who has had an abortion – such as a friend, relative or themselves – are more likely to say abortion should be legal than those who say they do not know anyone who had an abortion.

Views toward abortion also vary considerably by religious affiliation – specifically among large Christian subgroups and religiously unaffiliated Americans. 

For example, roughly three-quarters of White evangelical Protestants say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. This is far higher than the share of White non-evangelical Protestants (38%) or Black Protestants (28%) who say the same. 

Despite  Catholic teaching on abortion , a slim majority of U.S. Catholics (56%) say abortion should be legal. This includes 13% who say it should be legal in all cases without exception, and 43% who say it should be legal, but with some exceptions. 

Compared with Christians, religiously unaffiliated adults are far more likely to say abortion should be legal overall – and significantly more inclined to say it should be legal in all cases without exception. Within this group, atheists stand out: 97% say abortion should be legal, including 53% who say it should be legal in all cases without exception. Agnostics and those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” also overwhelmingly say that abortion should be legal, but they are more likely than atheists to say there are some circumstances when abortion should be against the law.

Although the survey was conducted among Americans of many religious backgrounds, including Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, it did not obtain enough respondents from non-Christian groups to report separately on their responses.

As a  growing number of states  debate legislation to restrict abortion – often after a certain stage of pregnancy – Americans express complex views about when   abortion should generally be legal and when it should be against the law. Overall, a majority of adults (56%) say that how long a woman has been pregnant should matter in determining when abortion should be legal, while far fewer (14%) say that this should  not  be a factor. An additional one-quarter of the public says that abortion should either be legal (19%) or illegal (8%) in all circumstances without exception; these respondents did not receive this question.

Among men and women, Republicans and Democrats, and Christians and religious “nones” who do not take absolutist positions about abortion on either side of the debate, the prevailing view is that the stage of the pregnancy should be a factor in determining whether abortion should be legal.

Americans broadly are more likely to favor restrictions on abortion later in pregnancy than earlier in pregnancy. Many adults also say the legality of abortion depends on other factors at every stage of pregnancy. 

Overall, a plurality of adults (44%) say that abortion should be legal six weeks into a pregnancy, which is about when cardiac activity (sometimes called a fetal heartbeat) may be detected and before many women know they are pregnant; this includes 19% of adults who say abortion should be legal in all cases without exception, as well as 25% of adults who say it should be legal at that point in a pregnancy. An additional 7% say abortion generally should be legal in most cases, but that the stage of the pregnancy should not matter in determining legality. 1

One-in-five Americans (21%) say abortion should be  illegal  at six weeks. This includes 8% of adults who say abortion should be illegal in all cases without exception as well as 12% of adults who say that abortion should be illegal at this point. Additionally, 6% say abortion should be illegal in most cases and how long a woman has been pregnant should not matter in determining abortion’s legality. Nearly one-in-five respondents, when asked whether abortion should be legal six weeks into a pregnancy, say “it depends.” 

Americans are more divided about what should be permitted 14 weeks into a pregnancy – roughly at the end of the first trimester – although still, more people say abortion should be legal at this stage (34%) than illegal (27%), and about one-in-five say “it depends.”

Fewer adults say abortion should be legal 24 weeks into a pregnancy – about when a healthy fetus could survive outside the womb with medical care. At this stage, 22% of adults say abortion should be legal, while nearly twice as many (43%) say it should be  illegal . Again, about one-in-five adults (18%) say whether abortion should be legal at 24 weeks depends on other factors. 

Respondents who said that abortion should be illegal 24 weeks into a pregnancy or that “it depends” were asked a follow-up question about whether abortion at that point should be legal if the pregnant woman’s life is in danger or the baby would be born with severe disabilities. Most who received this question say abortion in these circumstances should be legal (54%) or that it depends on other factors (40%). Just 4% of this group maintained that abortion should be illegal in this case.

This pattern in views of abortion – whereby more favor greater restrictions on abortion as a pregnancy progresses – is evident across a variety of demographic and political groups. 

Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say that abortion should be legal at each of the three stages of pregnancy asked about on the survey. For example, while 26% of Republicans say abortion should be legal at six weeks of pregnancy, more than twice as many Democrats say the same (61%). Similarly, while about a third of Democrats say abortion should be legal at 24 weeks of pregnancy, just 8% of Republicans say the same. 

However, neither Republicans nor Democrats uniformly express absolutist views about abortion throughout a pregnancy. Republicans are divided on abortion at six weeks: Roughly a quarter say it should be legal (26%), while a similar share say it depends (24%). A third say it should be illegal. 

Democrats are divided about whether abortion should be legal or illegal at 24 weeks, with 34% saying it should be legal, 29% saying it should be illegal, and 21% saying it depends. 

There also is considerable division among each partisan group by ideology. At six weeks of pregnancy, just one-in-five conservative Republicans (19%) say that abortion should be legal; moderate and liberal Republicans are twice as likely as their conservative counterparts to say this (39%). 

At the same time, about half of liberal Democrats (48%) say abortion at 24 weeks should be legal, while 17% say it should be illegal. Among conservative and moderate Democrats, the pattern is reversed: A plurality (39%) say abortion at this stage should be illegal, while 24% say it should be legal. 

Christian adults are far less likely than religiously unaffiliated Americans to say abortion should be legal at each stage of pregnancy.  

Among Protestants, White evangelicals stand out for their opposition to abortion. At six weeks of pregnancy, for example, 44% say abortion should be illegal, compared with 17% of White non-evangelical Protestants and 15% of Black Protestants. This pattern also is evident at 14 and 24 weeks of pregnancy, when half or more of White evangelicals say abortion should be illegal.

At six weeks, a plurality of Catholics (41%) say abortion should be legal, while smaller shares say it depends or it should be illegal. But by 24 weeks, about half of Catholics (49%) say abortion should be illegal. 

Among adults who are religiously unaffiliated, atheists stand out for their views. They are the only group in which a sizable majority says abortion should be  legal  at each point in a pregnancy. Even at 24 weeks, 62% of self-described atheists say abortion should be legal, compared with smaller shares of agnostics (43%) and those who say their religion is “nothing in particular” (31%). 

As is the case with adults overall, most religiously affiliated and religiously unaffiliated adults who originally say that abortion should be illegal or “it depends” at 24 weeks go on to say either it should be legal or it depends if the pregnant woman’s life is in danger or the baby would be born with severe disabilities. Few (4% and 5%, respectively) say abortion should be illegal at 24 weeks in these situations.

The stage of the pregnancy is not the only factor that shapes people’s views of when abortion should be legal. Sizable majorities of U.S. adults say that abortion should be legal if the pregnancy threatens the life or health of the pregnant woman (73%) or if pregnancy is the result of rape (69%). 

There is less consensus when it comes to circumstances in which a baby may be born with severe disabilities or health problems: 53% of Americans overall say abortion should be legal in such circumstances, including 19% who say abortion should be legal in all cases and 35% who say there are some situations where abortions should be illegal, but that it should be legal in this specific type of case. A quarter of adults say “it depends” in this situation, and about one-in-five say it should be illegal (10% who say illegal in this specific circumstance and 8% who say illegal in all circumstances). 

There are sizable divides between and among partisans when it comes to views of abortion in these situations. Overall, Republicans are less likely than Democrats to say abortion should be legal in each of the three circumstances outlined in the survey. However, both partisan groups are less likely to say abortion should be legal when the baby may be born with severe disabilities or health problems than when the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape. 

Just as there are wide gaps among Republicans by ideology on whether how long a woman has been pregnant should be a factor in determining abortion’s legality, there are large gaps when it comes to circumstances in which abortions should be legal. For example, while a clear majority of moderate and liberal Republicans (71%) say abortion should be permitted when the pregnancy is the result of rape, conservative Republicans are more divided. About half (48%) say it should be legal in this situation, while 29% say it should be illegal and 21% say it depends.

The ideological gaps among Democrats are slightly less pronounced. Most Democrats say abortion should be legal in each of the three circumstances – just to varying degrees. While 77% of liberal Democrats say abortion should be legal if a baby will be born with severe disabilities or health problems, for example, a smaller majority of conservative and moderate Democrats (60%) say the same. 

White evangelical Protestants again stand out for their views on abortion in various circumstances; they are far less likely than White non-evangelical or Black Protestants to say abortion should be legal across each of the three circumstances described in the survey. 

While about half of White evangelical Protestants (51%) say abortion should be legal if a pregnancy threatens the woman’s life or health, clear majorities of other Protestant groups and Catholics say this should be the case. The same pattern holds in views of whether abortion should be legal if the pregnancy is the result of rape. Most White non-evangelical Protestants (75%), Black Protestants (71%) and Catholics (66%) say abortion should be permitted in this instance, while White evangelicals are more divided: 40% say it should be legal, while 34% say it should be  illegal  and about a quarter say it depends. 

Mirroring the pattern seen among adults overall, opinions are more varied about a situation where a baby might be born with severe disabilities or health issues. For instance, half of Catholics say abortion should be legal in such cases, while 21% say it should be illegal and 27% say it depends on the situation. 

Most religiously unaffiliated adults – including overwhelming majorities of self-described atheists – say abortion should be legal in each of the three circumstances. 

Seven-in-ten U.S. adults say that doctors or other health care providers should be required to notify a parent or legal guardian if the pregnant woman seeking an abortion is under 18, while 28% say they should not be required to do so.  

Women are slightly less likely than men to say this should be a requirement (67% vs. 74%). And younger adults are far less likely than those who are older to say a parent or guardian should be notified before a doctor performs an abortion on a pregnant woman who is under 18. In fact, about half of adults ages 18 to 24 (53%) say a doctor should  not  be required to notify a parent. By contrast, 64% of adults ages 25 to 29 say doctors  should  be required to notify parents of minors seeking an abortion, as do 68% of adults ages 30 to 49 and 78% of those 50 and older. 

A large majority of Republicans (85%) say that a doctor should be required to notify the parents of a minor before an abortion, though conservative Republicans are somewhat more likely than moderate and liberal Republicans to take this position (90% vs. 77%). 

The ideological divide is even more pronounced among Democrats. Overall, a slim majority of Democrats (57%) say a parent should be notified in this circumstance, but while 72% of conservative and moderate Democrats hold this view, just 39% of liberal Democrats agree. 

By and large, most Protestant (81%) and Catholic (78%) adults say doctors should be required to notify parents of minors before an abortion. But religiously unaffiliated Americans are more divided. Majorities of both atheists (71%) and agnostics (58%) say doctors should  not  be required to notify parents of minors seeking an abortion, while six-in-ten of those who describe their religion as “nothing in particular” say such notification should be required. 

Americans are divided over who should be penalized – and what that penalty should be – in a situation where an abortion occurs illegally. 

Overall, a 60% majority of adults say that if a doctor or provider performs an abortion in a situation where it is illegal, they should face a penalty. But there is less agreement when it comes to others who may have been involved in the procedure. 

While about half of the public (47%) says a woman who has an illegal abortion should face a penalty, a nearly identical share (50%) says she should not. And adults are more likely to say people who help find and schedule or pay for an abortion in a situation where it is illegal should  not  face a penalty than they are to say they should.

Views about penalties are closely correlated with overall attitudes about whether abortion should be legal or illegal. For example, just 20% of adults who say abortion should be legal in all cases without exception think doctors or providers should face a penalty if an abortion were carried out in a situation where it was illegal. This compares with 91% of those who think abortion should be illegal in all cases without exceptions. Still, regardless of how they feel about whether abortion should be legal or not, Americans are more likely to say a doctor or provider should face a penalty compared with others involved in the procedure. 

Among those who say medical providers and/or women should face penalties for illegal abortions, there is no consensus about whether they should get jail time or a less severe punishment. Among U.S. adults overall, 14% say women should serve jail time if they have an abortion in a situation where it is illegal, while 16% say they should receive a fine or community service and 17% say they are not sure what the penalty should be. 

A somewhat larger share of Americans (25%) say doctors or other medical providers should face jail time for providing illegal abortion services, while 18% say they should face fines or community service and 17% are not sure. About three-in-ten U.S. adults (31%) say doctors should lose their medical license if they perform an abortion in a situation where it is illegal.

Men are more likely than women to favor penalties for the woman or doctor in situations where abortion is illegal. About half of men (52%) say women should face a penalty, while just 43% of women say the same. Similarly, about two-thirds of men (64%) say a doctor should face a penalty, while 56% of women agree.

Republicans are considerably more likely than Democrats to say both women and doctors should face penalties – including jail time. For example, 21% of Republicans say the woman who had the abortion should face jail time, and 40% say this about the doctor who performed the abortion. Among Democrats, far smaller shares say the woman (8%) or doctor (13%) should serve jail time.  

White evangelical Protestants are more likely than other Protestant groups to favor penalties for abortions in situations where they are illegal. Fully 24% say the woman who had the abortion should serve time in jail, compared with just 12% of White non-evangelical Protestants or Black Protestants. And while about half of White evangelicals (48%) say doctors who perform illegal abortions should serve jail time, just 26% of White non-evangelical Protestants and 18% of Black Protestants share this view.

• Only respondents who said that abortion should be legal in some cases but not others and that how long a woman has been pregnant should matter in determining whether abortion should be legal received questions about abortion’s legality at specific points in the pregnancy.  ↩

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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 .

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Most Americans don’t know two key facts about pregnancy, including how they are dated and how long a trimester is — and this could matter, as a growing number of states place restrictions on abortion.

Florida enacted a new law on May 1 that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with a few exceptions — including documented rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

Florida joins the majority of Southern states that now have complete bans or highly restrictive abortion laws, enacted since the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to get an abortion in June 2022. Many of the restrictive laws ban abortion after a set number of weeks.

Anti-abortion rights groups, such as Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, have called the six-week abortion ban the gold standard in abortion policy. Florida Republicans supporting the bill have labeled it a reasonable compromise between a full abortion ban and few abortion restrictions.

Some OB-GYNs have explained that many women do not even know they are pregnant at six weeks . Research shows that women on average find out they are pregnant at 5½ weeks. About 23% do not know until seven weeks of pregnancy or later.

So, do Americans, including those enacting six-week bans, actually understand how the timing or dating of pregnancy works?

We are scholars of political science , gender and public opinion and are writing a book about public opinion on abortion after the Supreme Court’s reversal of the federal right to get an abortion in June 2022.

How does pregnancy work?

To gain insights into this issue, we developed a few pregnancy questions and included them in a research survey in late September 2023. The survey had 1,356 respondents, who were broadly representative of the U.S. population. The respondents’ median age was 46. Approximately 49% of these people were men, while 70% were white and 29% were college graduates. Meanwhile, 43% of them were Democrats, and 38% were Republicans.

The first question asked respondents how pregnancies are dated. The correct answer is that pregnancies are dated using the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period, which is often two to three weeks before conception.

The second question asked about trimesters. Many Americans are familiar with the term trimester, and polling consistently shows that Americans find abortion most acceptable during the first trimester. We asked Americans if they knew approximately how many weeks a trimester was. The correct answer is 13.

Americans’ pregnancy knowledge

We found that only one-third of respondents knew how pregnancy is dated. A majority — approximately 60% — falsely thought that pregnancy is dated from conception or in the weeks since the woman last had sex. Less than one-fourth of the respondents answered both pregnancy knowledge questions correctly.

In our survey, we also asked respondents whether they support a six-week abortion ban. Similar to other national surveys , we find that most Americans oppose strict abortion restrictions — only 35% support six-week bans.

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Importantly, we find that those who support six-week abortion bans are significantly less likely than others to correctly understand the timing of pregnancy. The statistically significant relationship between having low levels of pregnancy timing knowledge and support for a six-week abortion ban holds in analyses controlling for potentially confounding variables.

Some anti-abortion lawmakers have demonstrated their ignorance about pregnancy before. There is, for example, a long history of some anti-abortion politicians saying, incorrectly, that it is extremely rare for a person who is raped to get pregnant. Our survey shows that a large swath of those opposing abortion lack knowledge about the basics of pregnancy.

A gender disparity

Perhaps not surprisingly, women in this survey knew more about pregnancy than men. The question about how pregnancies are dated, for example, was answered correctly by 43% of women compared with only 23% of men. As mentioned above, a majority of Americans incorrectly believe pregnancy is dated from conception, but significantly more men than women think this is true.

This finding is particularly important when considering the gender breakdown of the Florida state lawmakers who approved the six-week ban. Although we do not have data on the pregnancy knowledge of those legislators, we do know that those who voted for the ban were overwhelmingly men .

Florida’s six-week ban will make it much harder for anyone to get abortions there — and it will also affect people in neighboring states who want or need an abortion. In 2023, Florida was home to the closest abortion clinic for 6.4 million women living in the South. In 2023, around 7,700 women from other Southern states, where abortion is now largely banned , traveled to Florida to get abortions.

Overall, our findings raise serious questions about whether Americans without medical training — much like those in our state legislatures — have the necessary knowledge needed to regulate abortion access.

Laurel Elder is a professor of political science at Hartwick College. Mary-Kate Lizotte is a professor of political science at Augusta University. Steven Greene is a professor of political science at North Carolina State University. This essay originally appeared in The Conversation and is republished under a Creative Commons license.

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In Idaho, don’t say ‘abortion’? A state law limits teachers at public universities, they say

Idaho's public university professors say a law barring state employees from ‘promoting’ or ‘counseling in favor of’ abortion limits their ability to teach..

This story was published in partnership with the Center for Public Integrity , a newsroom that investigates inequality.

University of Idaho student Bergen Kludt-Painter started school in August 2022, a few months after a U.S. Supreme Court decision struck down Roe v. Wade. Soon after, abortion was banned in Idaho in almost all instances.

The political science major was eager to discuss the precedent-shattering case in class, but, she said, “we talked about everything except for abortion.”

During a political science course on how to write a research paper, her professor said he could not give her feedback on her chosen topic — abortion. The issue didn’t come up in her other political science classes either, even as state after state changed their abortion laws. Nor did abortion get mentioned in her Introduction to Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies course.

“It wasn’t discussed,” she said, “which I found odd, personally, because it feels like something that would be relevant to talk about in a class like that.”

But few, if any, public university professors in Idaho are talking about or assigning readings on abortion these days. That’s due to a 2021 law that makes it illegal for state employees to “promote abortion” or “counsel in favor of abortion.” Professors have said those two phrases put them at risk of violating the law, known as the No Public Funds for Abortion Act , just for discussing abortion in class. The possible penalties include significant fines and even prison time.

Six named University of Idaho professors and two faculty unions filed a lawsuit against the state in August for violating their First Amendment right to free speech and academic freedom and their 14 th Amendment right to a clearly worded law. Lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union are representing the professors.

“The more I heard about it, the more worried I was that I really can't teach my class in a responsible way without putting myself at risk,” said Aleta Quinn, an associate professor of philosophy for the University of Idaho and a plaintiff in the case.

Quinn teaches a course in biomedical ethics that typically features readings and class discussions about abortion. When she saw that the highest penalty for breaking the law was 14 years in prison, “I decided I would not — I couldn't — teach the subject of abortion.”

The bulk of the arguments in the case center on the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, which the Supreme Court has interpreted to mean that a statute “so vague that men of common intelligence must necessarily guess at its meaning” violates a person’s right to fair treatment under the law. 

The case also raises an important First Amendment question about protections for academic freedom in America: Are public university professors exempt from laws that could otherwise govern the speech of state employees?

Supreme Court precedent suggests the government has significant leeway to regulate the speech of the people it employs while they are performing their professional duties.

Still, the most recent court opinion on the issue left open the question of how much that speech could be regulated for one key group: public university professors. 

“We need not, and for that reason do not, decide whether the analysis we conduct today would apply in the same manner to a case involving speech related to scholarship or teaching,” then Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the 2006 majority opinion in Garcetti v. Ceballos .

The Supreme Court has not yet returned to that decision. 

“So establishing that legal principle, in and of itself, is an important endeavor for those [Idaho] professors,” said Helen Norton, a professor of constitutional law at the University of Colorado who is not involved in the case.

Interestingly, none of the professors suing in the Idaho case are nursing instructors or even biology professors. They aren’t teaching anyone about the physical nature of abortion. Their concerns, as scholars of subjects like philosophy, political science, gender studies and English, are focused on whether they can speak about abortion as an ethical, political and historical issue.  

For example, a sworn statement by an English professor named in the case explained that he used to assign Sallie Tisdale’s 1987 Harper’s Magazine essay, “We Do Abortions Here,” in one of his classes. The essay about her work as a nurse in an abortion clinic explores the complicated morality of helping women end their pregnancies. It’s also considered to be an example of powerful writing. He has now removed it from his syllabus.

Lawyers for the state of Idaho agree that professors fall under a different regulatory framework than other public employees when it comes to what they are permitted to say in the course of their duties. In their motion to dismiss the lawsuit, the state’s attorneys concede that settled law establishes protections for academics’ speech.

A month after the case was filed, Idaho’s attorney general, a defendant in the case, issued a non-binding opinion that the law does not apply to the “teaching or scholarship” of public university professors. If it did, Raul Labrador wrote, “the prohibition would likely be unconstitutional.”

A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office declined to respond to repeated requests for an interview.

Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug, the sponsor of the No Public Funds for Abortion Act, later introduced legislation to create a specific protection for classroom discussion of abortion, but it failed to pass. Skaug did not respond to requests for an interview.

Rather than arguing about the First Amendment claim, lawyers for the state focused on the professors’ assertion that the law is unconstitutionally vague under the 14th Amendment.

“Plaintiffs have alleged that there is a law that prohibits them from teaching college courses concerning abortion, producing scholarship in favor of abortion, and grading papers concerning abortion,” the state’s lawyers write in the November motion to dismiss. “There is no such law in the state of Idaho.”

The state’s attorneys argue that any reasonable reader of the law would see that the statute refers only to the act of advising a specific person to have an abortion. As written, they argue the law could not be interpreted as a prohibition on, say, giving a strong grade on a writing assignment where the student had chosen to make an ethical argument in favor of abortion. 

Because of the attorney general’s opinion and the “plain language” in the law, the state’s lawyers say the professors are imagining themselves to be at risk of prosecution when, in reality, no such risk exists.  

Lawyers for the plaintiffs disagree. Federal courts have issued rulings with varied interpretations of the word “promote.” And the lawsuit offers numerous hypothetical situations in which a professor could be prosecuted for promoting abortion even if that were not their intent.

Norton, the University of Colorado law professor, said it was reasonable for the professors to question the law’s language.

“That’s shown so far to be the focus of the dispute — what does ‘promoting’ or ‘counseling’ mean?” she said. “And it seems like that’s an important thing to nail down.”

Because there’s no definition of the terms in the law, she said, “there’s absolutely room for folks to argue about whether or not we should be quick or slow to interpret broadly or narrowly.”

The current case challenging Idaho’s No Public Funds for Abortion Act does not directly include the state’s many other public employees, like social workers and school counselors, who are unlikely to qualify for any special First Amendment protections. 

Public school teachers in the K-12 system do not have the same level of academic freedom protections as professors, either. But a high school history teacher could face the same concerns that speaking about abortion in class could be construed as either promoting or counseling in favor of it. 

However, those employees would no longer have their speech curtailed if the professors prevail and a court strikes the law down.

That matters because Idaho’s restrictions surrounding abortion are so tight at this point that nearly every other action connected to encouraging abortion has been outlawed some other way. At this point, regulating how public employees speak about abortion is arguably the only thing the No Public Funds law still does. Opponents of the law have questioned why the state is fighting to uphold it, if not to limit speech about abortion.

Wendy Heipt, a reproductive rights attorney with Legal Voice who is working on a challenge to Idaho’s ban on helping minors travel to receive abortions without parental consent, calls the state Legislature “extremist.” She worries that the state has become a “testing ground” for the far right.

“You would notice [these laws] in Texas,” where more than 30 million people live, she said, “not Idaho,” home to less than 2 million.

Indeed, copycat travel ban bills restricting the movement of minors seeking an abortion were introduced in Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi and Oklahoma this session, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization that works to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.

No one interviewed for this story had heard about a copycat law that raised the same combination of First and 14th Amendment concerns as Idaho’s No Public Funds measure.

A judge heard the professors’ case in Idaho District Court in April. His decision on whether the preliminary injunction they’ve asked for will be granted is expected soon. The judge could also decide to dismiss the case, as the attorney general’s office has proposed. If the judge doesn’t dismiss the case, he will likely ask both parties to reconvene for another hearing before a final resolution.

In the meantime, professors are continuing to stay quiet about abortion in class. 

For someone dedicated to the free exchange of ideas like Quinn, that silence feels wrong. When she started teaching, her goal was to make the world a slightly better place by helping young people learn how to think, not what to think. She feels like she’s not fulfilling her duty to her students by ignoring an ethical debate as relevant to daily life as abortion.

“Philosophy is thinking critically about ideas and concepts and arguments, and considering which arguments are stronger and which are weaker and how they apply and all their implications,” Quinn said. “My goal is to enable people to have the skills to evaluate positions on their own.”

Kludt-Painter, the University of Idaho student, is the president of the Young Democrats. But her issues with the No Public Funds law weren’t about the politics of abortion. It’s an education she wants and feels she is being at least partially denied.

“It's a form of censorship,” she said. “College students should be able to handle hearing about these difficult topics. And educators should be able to discuss them and have a free exchange of ideas without being worried about getting fired or having criminal charges be brought against them.”

Hayden Cassinelli, the vice president of the College Republicans at the University of Idaho, said the topic of abortion came up in one of his classes recently but was "quickly avoided" when a teaching assistant told students he couldn’t discuss it. 

Despite Cassinelli’s opposition to abortion, the sophomore education major believes the topic should be discussed in class. He doesn’t think the No Public Funds law prevents such discussions. But he supported his university’s decision to issue guidance to professors in fall 2022, urging them to be cautious when talking about abortion.

"Given many professors' thoughts on abortion — including the fact that some of them may advocate for it and [encourage] a student to commit a crime — a temporary hold on any abortion-related discussion until legal clarity is established is a sound decision," Cassinelli wrote in an email.

Kludt-Painter thinks professors are just trying to protect their jobs when they avoid discussing abortion in class, but she wishes they didn’t feel that way. 

“It takes away from the whole academic freedom thing that post-secondary education is supposed to be about,” she said.

57% of Black Women Have No Abortion Access

May 15, 2024 at 1:49 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Nearly 7 million of the country’s 11.8 million Black women of reproductive age live in states with abortion restrictions or plans to implement them,” NBC News reports.

“According to the report , 57% of Black women ages 15 to 49 (which the organizations consider reproductive age) live in states with bans or threats to abortion access, which have increased in the two years since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision.”

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Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC .

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17% of Voters Blame Biden for the End of Roe

The mistaken belief, in a new poll, shows how even as abortion is mobilizing Democrats, confusion over the issue is also a challenge.

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By Claire Cain Miller ,  Ruth Igielnik and Margot Sanger-Katz

Nearly one in five voters in battleground states says that President Biden is responsible for ending the constitutional right to abortion, a new poll found, despite the fact that he supports abortion rights and that his opponent Donald J. Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices who made it possible to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Trump supporters and voters with less education were most likely to attribute responsibility for abortion bans to Mr. Biden, but the misperception existed across demographic groups. Twelve percent of Democrats hold Mr. Biden responsible, according to New York Times/Siena College polls in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Wisconsin and a Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena poll in Pennsylvania.

“I think the buck stops with him, so he had the ability to fight that, and that’s not what I’m hearing that he did,” said Terri Yonemura, 62, an abortion rights supporter in Las Vegas who said she would not vote for Mr. Trump, but is unsure about Mr. Biden, so may not vote at all.

Abortion has been a mobilizing issue for Democrats in recent elections, and the confusion among a segment of voters presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Mr. Biden, who trailed Mr. Trump by six points in the survey overall.

“This group is a pickup opportunity for Democrats,” said Celinda Lake, a Democratic pollster who regularly surveys voters about abortion. The bigger challenge, she said, is that many voters do not understand Mr. Trump’s stance on the issue. “He has intentionally kept it vague. But when we show voters his statements in his own words, that is enough to persuade them.”

The message has become central in Mr. Biden’s campaign. It has been running ads linking Mr. Trump to abortion bans. One says explicitly: “Trump did this.” Vice President Kamala Harris has been highlighting the issue in public appearances and interviews .

Many voters who held Mr. Biden responsible said they simply didn’t pay close attention to politics or government affairs. For some, the confusion came from the fact that the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision happened while Mr. Biden was president.

DeLana Marsh, 30, of Holly Springs, Ga., supports abortion rights and opposes a new Georgia law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy: “I don’t think a group of men should be able to decide that for us.”

But she said she was under the impression that Mr. Biden was responsible because it happened during his presidency, and she believed his age prevented him from closely tracking such events.

Other voters said Mr. Biden hadn’t done enough to stop state abortion bans. (He has criticized the Dobbs decision and enacted certain federal policies to support abortion rights, and does not have the authority to reverse state laws.)

“There should be no restrictions on abortion whatsoever,” said Ana Juarez Ramirez, 18, of Nogales, Ariz. Yet he says Mr. Biden made empty promises on many issues, including abortion.

“Biden did not fully criticize or condemn the taking away of people’s rights,” he said. Still, he plans to vote for Mr. Biden, mostly because, he said, “I don’t even want to think about voting for Trump.”

Overall, voters in battleground states say they trust Mr. Biden more than Mr. Trump to handle the issue of abortion, largely unchanged since last November. But even so, about 6 percent of Democrats, including many who want abortion to remain legal, say they trust Mr. Trump more to handle the issue.

Some voters said they did not believe that Mr. Trump actually opposed abortion rights. Among Republicans, only about four in 10 held him responsible for Dobbs, a figure that may reflect partisanship as well as confusion. But on some aspects of the abortion debate, Mr. Trump has sent mixed signals ..

Mr. Trump has clearly claimed responsibility for the decision: “I was able to kill Roe v. Wade,” he posted last year, and last month reiterated that he was “proudly the person responsible” for doing so.

Yet recently, he wouldn’t commit to a position on a national abortion ban and said he would allow states to prosecute women who violated abortion restrictions. But several weeks earlier, he said he believed abortion law should be left to the states and include exceptions.

Christine Valenti, 72, is a Republican from Wisconsin and two-time Trump voter who says abortion should be mostly legal and that women in states with bans should be able to travel to another state to get one.

But she said that Mr. Trump’s recent statements on leaving abortion up to the states assured her that his views were in line with hers. And she said Mr. Biden hadn’t done enough to support abortion rights: “He doesn’t say much about it anymore. He’s our president, but he doesn’t say a lot, period, about anything.”

Ultimately, though, she said the economy was her more pressing concern. When voters were asked for the one issue most important to them in the election, the largest share of respondents, 21 percent, said the economy. Abortion and immigration were next, with just over 10 percent saying each was most important.

The New York Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena College poll of Pennsylvania was funded by a grant from the Lenfest Institute for Journalism. The poll was designed and conducted independently from the institute.

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

Ruth Igielnik is a polling editor for The Times, where she writes and analyzes surveys. She was previously a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center. More about Ruth Igielnik

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