New Study: “How Issues of Motherhood Influence Women Who Have Abortions”
January 09, 2008 10:40:00
by Karina
Web Editor
Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Action Fund
Earlier this week, the Guttmacher Institute released a study that examines how the concept of motherhood effects a woman's decision to have an abortion.
The study found that of women who have had abortions, 61% of them already have children-half of those women have two children or more. Through in-depth interviews with 38 women, research found that women heavily consider the quality of life of their current children when deciding whether or not to have an abortion.
Women in the sample had abortions because of the material responsibilities of motherhood, such as the care for their existing children, as well as the more abstract expectations of parenting, such as the desire to provide children with a good home. The women believed that children were entitled to a stable and loving family, financial security, and a high level of care and attention. One fourth of the women had considered adoption but regarded it as being emotionally distressing.
More specifically, research determined:
... that consideration of motherhood issues in abortion decision-making falls into two broad areas: responsibilities for existing children and the ‘ideal' conditions of motherhood," says Rachel K. Jones, senior researcher with the Guttmacher Institute. "Among those women with children, the most commonly cited reason for choosing to have an abortion was the concern that having another child would compromise the care given to existing children. Women felt that they were already stretched thin financially, emotionally and physically-and they wanted to put the children they already had front and center. Two-thirds of women who gave this answer were at or below the poverty line and received little help from their partners.
It's also interesting to note that women in the study felt that adoption was not always an ideal option:
Without being asked directly, several of the women indicated that adoption is not a realistic option for them. They reported that the thought of one's child being out in the world without knowing if it was being taken care of or by whom would induce more guilt than having an abortion.
I think this study definitely points, once again, to the complexity of the reasons why women have abortions. If someone wants to boil down the issue of abortion to "the death of an unborn child" then that's their business, but by doing so they are completely missing the point. This study shows that women heavily consider the quality of life they can provide for their existing children, which is a completely logical and compassionate decision that deserves respect.
No one is asking that anti-choicers to do a complete 180 on the abortion issue-if someone wants to personally be against abortion in their own personal circumstances, that's their own personal decision, but let's not legislate that others must do the same. Women and families deserve their own right to make these important choices that affect the lives of their families. And if an anti-choicer can't respect that, I'm not sure what else to say—
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