Facts on Outpatient Healthcare Facilities

Prevalence and Characteristics

• About one in four women in the U.S. will have an abortion at some point in her life.¹
• The majority (89%) of abortions occur in the first trimester of pregnancy.²
• Most people seeking abortion are poor or low-income (75%), are women of color (61%), are in their 20s (72%), report a religious affiliation (62%), and have at least one child (59%).^{3, 4}

Safety

• Over four decades of research indicate that abortion is a very safe outpatient procedure.^{4, 5}
• Abortion is far safer than childbirth, with mortality fourteen times lower than carrying to term.⁵
• The overall abortion complication rate is lower than that of wisdom tooth removal.⁶ A fraction of one percent of abortions result in a major complication, defined as a complication requiring blood transfusion, surgery, or hospital admission.^{4, 7}
• Having an abortion is not associated with long-term health concerns;⁴ instead, being denied a wanted abortion may lead to poor health outcomes.^8–10

Methods

• The most common method of abortion is aspiration, a minimally invasive, 10-minute procedure that is also used for miscarriage management.⁴
• Another common method of abortion is medication abortion, an FDA-approved regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol pills, which is 95–98% effective and approved for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.^{11, 12} Medication abortion comprises about one third of all non-hospital abortions in the US.¹

Long-Term Effects

• Having an abortion is not associated with any significant negative physical, emotional, or mental health effects.^{8, 13-15}
• Being able to obtain a wanted abortion is associated with positive outcomes, including increasing self-esteem and life satisfaction and the ability to achieve aspirational life plans.^{16, 17}
• Being denied a wanted abortion is associated with negative outcomes, including:
  • Reduced financial security for women and their children⁹
  • Increased likelihood of staying tethered to violent partners¹⁰
  • Poorer bonding with children born as the result of abortion denial¹⁸
  • Serious health problems related to carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term¹⁹
  • Worse physical health five years later, compared to those who were able to obtain a wanted abortion⁸

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