If you’ve formed a picture in your mind of the “typical” person who has an abortion, it’s probably wrong. Anti-abortion rhetoric and media stereotypes have created a narrow, often judgmental narrative about who has abortions and why. The reality is far more diverse.
Abortion is incredibly common. One in four women will have an abortion by age 45. That’s your friends, colleagues, family members, and people you see every day. Abortion happens across all demographics, all life circumstances, and all communities.
People Who Already Have Children
Nearly 60% of people who have abortions already have at least one child. These aren’t people who don’t want children or don’t understand the responsibilities of parenting. They’re parents who know exactly what raising children requires and have decided they can’t manage another pregnancy right now.
They might be struggling financially and unable to afford another child. They might have health conditions that make pregnancy dangerous. Their existing children might have additional needs that require their full attention. Their relationship might be unstable or abusive. They might simply be done having children and their contraception failed.
Being a parent doesn’t make someone more or less deserving of abortion access. If anything, parents often have the clearest understanding of what pregnancy, birth, and raising children actually involve.
Married People and Those in Long-Term Relationships
Around 14-25% of people who have abortions are married. Many more are in committed long-term relationships. These aren’t just people who made a “mistake” with a casual partner.
Married people have abortions for all the same reasons anyone else does. Financial instability, health concerns, relationship problems, already having enough children, career considerations, or simply not wanting to be pregnant right now.
Being in a committed relationship or married doesn’t mean you’re required to continue every pregnancy. Relationship status doesn’t determine whether abortion is acceptable or understandable.
People Trying to Leave Abusive Relationships
Some people in relationships seek abortion because they’re trying to leave an abusive partner. Becoming pregnant or having another child can make it significantly harder to escape abuse, both practically and emotionally.
Abusers often use pregnancy and children as tools of control. Having an abortion might be part of a safety plan to leave an abusive situation.
Religious People
People from all religious backgrounds have abortions. While some religious institutions oppose abortion, individual believers often hold more nuanced views or make decisions based on their specific circumstances rather than religious doctrine.
Around 54% of people who have abortions identify with a religious tradition. This includes Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Jews, and people from other faith backgrounds. Some religious traditions are explicitly pro-choice, while others have more complex theological positions than simple opposition.
Many religious people who have abortions reconcile their decision with their faith. They might believe that a compassionate God understands their circumstances, that their religious tradition allows for abortion in certain situations, or that their personal relationship with their faith includes making difficult decisions about their own bodies.
Teenagers and Young Adults
Young people have abortions, though they make up a smaller percentage than you might expect. Around 11% of abortions are obtained by people under 20.
Teenagers who become pregnant often lack the financial resources, family support, or life stability to continue a pregnancy. They might still be in school, living with parents who would react badly, or simply not ready for the massive responsibility of raising a child.
Young people deserve access to abortion just as much as anyone else. Age doesn’t determine whether someone is capable of making decisions about their own body and future.
People in Their 30s and 40s
The largest percentage of people having abortions are in their 20s and 30s, but people in their 40s also have abortions. These might be people who thought they were done having children, whose contraception failed, who have health conditions that make pregnancy risky, or who simply don’t want to be pregnant.
Getting older doesn’t mean you’re obligated to continue an unplanned pregnancy. People in their 30s and 40s often have established lives, existing children, careers, and clear knowledge of what they want and don’t want.
People of All Economic Backgrounds
While people living below the poverty line are disproportionately represented among those seeking abortions, people across all income levels have abortions.
Wealthy people have always had access to safe abortion, even when it was illegal or restricted. They could travel, pay private doctors, or access services unavailable to people with fewer resources.
Middle-income people have abortions too. Financial stability is relative, and many people who appear comfortable are actually struggling. Even those who are genuinely financially secure might decide that another child would stretch their resources too thin or interfere with other life goals.
People with Planned Pregnancies
Some people who have abortions were actively trying to conceive. They might receive devastating medical news about fetal abnormalities incompatible with life or that would result in severe disability and suffering. They might develop serious health complications that make continuing the pregnancy dangerous.
These are often the most heartbreaking abortion situations. People who desperately wanted a baby but are faced with impossible circumstances. These abortions are sometimes called “wanted but” abortions, and they deserve compassion and support, not judgment.
People with Health Conditions
People with chronic health conditions, disabilities, or mental health issues have abortions. They might know that pregnancy would exacerbate their condition, make it impossible to manage their health, or pose serious risks.
Some medications essential for managing chronic conditions are incompatible with pregnancy. Some people know that the physical demands of pregnancy would be unmanageable with their disability. Some people are managing mental health conditions that would be severely affected by pregnancy or parenting.
Healthcare decisions, including decisions about pregnancy, belong to the person living in that body. Nobody else can fully understand the complexity of managing health conditions and pregnancy.
People Whose Contraception Failed
More than half of people who have abortions were using contraception when they became pregnant. This completely contradicts the narrative that abortion is a backup method for people who are careless or irresponsible about birth control.
No contraceptive method is 100% effective. Condoms break. Pills are missed or affected by other medications. IUDs can fail. Even people who are careful and responsible can become pregnant.
Using contraception shows that someone was actively trying to prevent pregnancy. When it fails anyway, abortion might be the appropriate response.
People in All Types of Relationships
People have abortions while single, casually dating, in new relationships, in long-term partnerships, married, separated, divorced, or in complicated relationship situations.
Your relationship status at the time of an unplanned pregnancy doesn’t determine whether you should continue it. Being single doesn’t mean you’re irresponsible. Being in a relationship doesn’t mean you’re obligated to have a baby together.
LGBTQ+ People
Transgender men, non-binary people, and other gender-diverse individuals can become pregnant and might need abortions. Pregnancy can be particularly distressing for trans people, as it can trigger severe gender dysphoria.
Queer people in relationships with men can become pregnant and need abortions. Lesbian and bisexual women have abortions for all the same reasons anyone else does.
LGBTQ+ people face additional barriers accessing abortion care, including discrimination, lack of inclusive healthcare, and providers who don’t understand their specific needs.
People of All Races and Ethnicities
People from all racial and ethnic backgrounds have abortions, though systemic racism means that Black, Indigenous, and Latina people face disproportionate barriers to healthcare access and economic stability.
Higher abortion rates in communities of color reflect broader inequalities in healthcare access, economic opportunity, and systemic oppression, not different values or levels of responsibility.
Reproductive justice means addressing these systemic issues while ensuring that everyone, regardless of race, has access to abortion when they need it.
People Who Want Children, Just Not Now
Many people who have abortions do want children, just not right now. They might be working toward career goals, finishing education, trying to achieve financial stability, waiting for the right relationship, or dealing with life circumstances that make this the wrong time.
Having an abortion doesn’t mean you don’t value pregnancy or children. It means you understand that timing matters and that you’re making the best decision for your life right now.
People Who Don’t Want Children
Some people who have abortions don’t want children, ever. This is also completely valid. Not everyone wants to be a parent, and choosing not to have children is a legitimate life choice.
If someone doesn’t want children, having an abortion is the responsible decision, not an irresponsible one. Continuing a pregnancy you don’t want and having a child you’re not prepared to raise would be far more problematic.
People Who Have Had Multiple Abortions
Around 45% of people seeking abortion have had at least one previous abortion. Some people have multiple abortions over their reproductive lifetimes.
This doesn’t mean they’re careless or using abortion as contraception. It might mean they’ve experienced multiple contraceptive failures, have limited access to reliable contraception, have complicated life circumstances, or simply keep finding themselves in situations where abortion is the best choice.
Nobody should be judged for having multiple abortions. Each abortion is a separate decision made in specific circumstances, and everyone deserves access to care without having to justify their history.
People with Wanted Pregnancies and Medical Complications
Some of the most heartbreaking abortion stories come from people who desperately wanted their pregnancies but faced severe medical complications. Fatal fetal abnormalities, conditions incompatible with life, or maternal health crises that make continuing pregnancy dangerous or impossible.
These people often face judgment and barriers because abortion restrictions don’t adequately account for medical complexity. They’re forced to travel, wait through unnecessary delays, or endure carrying pregnancies that will never result in a living child.
Abortion in these circumstances is healthcare, not a choice anyone wants to make. These families deserve compassion and swift access to care, not forced waiting periods or judgmental restrictions.
People Who Are Certain and People Who Struggle
Some people know immediately that abortion is the right choice and never doubt it. Others struggle with the decision, weigh options carefully, and take time to reach clarity. Both experiences are valid.
The certainty or difficulty of the decision doesn’t determine whether abortion is the right choice. Someone who struggles with the decision isn’t doing it wrong, and someone who is certain isn’t being cavalier.
People You Know
Statistically, you almost certainly know multiple people who have had abortions. They might be your friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, or acquaintances. Most people don’t talk about their abortions because of stigma, judgment, and fear.
The silence around abortion creates a false impression that it’s rare or only happens to certain types of people. The reality is that abortion is common, normal, and happens across all demographics and life circumstances.
If more people were willing and able to talk openly about their abortion experiences, the stereotypes and stigma would crumble. But until it’s safe for everyone to be open, remember that people who have abortions are everywhere, they’re just mostly invisible.
Why This Matters
Understanding who actually has abortions helps break down harmful stereotypes and judgment. It challenges the narrative that abortion is only acceptable or understandable in certain circumstances or for certain types of people.
Every person who needs an abortion deserves access to safe, legal care without having to justify their decision or prove they’re “deserving enough.” Your circumstances, your reasons, and your life situation are your own, and they’re valid regardless of whether they fit someone else’s idea of an acceptable reason for abortion.
Abortion is healthcare. It’s a common medical procedure that people across all demographics need at various points in their lives. Normalizing who has abortions means recognizing that anyone with a uterus might need abortion care, and everyone deserves access without judgment or barriers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of people who have abortions already have children?
Around 59% of people who have abortions already have at least one child. Nearly half of those (49%) have two or more children. This contradicts the stereotype that abortion is primarily used by young people without parenting experience.
Do most people who have abortions regret it?
No. Research consistently shows that 95-99% of people do not regret their abortion. Five years after an abortion, 99% of people report that it was the right decision for them. Relief is the most commonly reported emotion.
Are most abortions because of rape, incest, or fetal abnormalities?
No. While abortions for these reasons are important and valid, they represent a small percentage of total abortions. Most abortions are because of financial instability, relationship issues, timing, already having enough children, or simply not wanting to be pregnant. All reasons are valid.
Do religious people have abortions?
Yes. Around 54% of people who have abortions identify with a religious tradition. This includes Catholics (24%), Protestants (17%), and people from other faith backgrounds. Individual religious people often hold different views than their religious institutions on abortion.
Is abortion used as birth control?
No. More than half of people who have abortions were using contraception when they became pregnant. Abortion is not easier, cheaper, or more convenient than contraception. This narrative is used to shame people who have abortions rather than reflecting reality.
What age group has the most abortions?
People in their 20s represent the largest percentage (57%), followed by people in their 30s (31%). Teenagers represent about 11% of abortions, while people 40 and older represent about 4%. Abortion happens across all age groups.
Are most people who have abortions single?
The majority (46%) are single and not cohabiting, but significant percentages are cohabiting (35%) or married (14-19%). People across all relationship statuses have abortions. Being in a relationship doesn’t obligate someone to continue a pregnancy.
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References
- Jones, R. K., & Jerman, J. (2017). Population Group Abortion Rates and Lifetime Incidence of Abortion: United States, 2008-2014. American Journal of Public Health, 107(12), 1904-1909.
- Jerman, J., et al. (2016). Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008. Guttmacher Institute.
- Rocca, C. H., et al. (2020). Emotions and decision rightness over five years following an abortion. Social Science & Medicine, 248, 112704.
- Jones, R. K., & Jerman, J. (2017). Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2014. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 49(1), 17-27.
- Kavanaugh, M. L., & Jerman, J. (2018). Contraceptive method use in the United States: trends and characteristics between 2008, 2012 and 2014. Contraception, 97(1), 14-21.
- British Pregnancy Advisory Service. (2022). Abortion Statistics. Available at: https://www.bpas.org/
- Guttmacher Institute. (2022). Induced Abortion in the United States. Available at: https://www.guttmacher.org/
- National Abortion Federation. (2022). Women Who Have Abortions. Available at: https://prochoice.org/
- Biggs, M. A., et al. (2017). Women’s Mental Health and Well-being 5 Years After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(2), 169-178.
