Transcript:

Who are the women who obtain abortions in the United

States?

You might be surprised.

Almost one out of every three American women

Will have an abortion by age 45.

They come from all walks of life.

They are women you know.

Most women having abortions are in there 20s.

Many people mistakenly believe that teens are the group

most likely to have an abortion.

Teens actually account for fewer than 2 in 10 of all

abortions, and most of them are older teens —those aged

18 and 19.

Six in 10 women having abortions already have a child and

many have two or more.

They know what it means to be a mother.

And they often cite the need to care for their children as a

primary reason for deciding not to have another right now.

Three out of four women who have abortions describe

themselves as religiously afﬁliated

Catholic women have abortions at about the same rate as

women overall.

In 2008, more than 4 in ten abortion patients had incomes

below the federal poverty line

That’s a huge increase from a decade ago.

White women account for one in three abortions, more than

any other group.

However, women of color are disproportionately likely to

have an abortion.

The reason is that black and Hispanic women have much

higher rates of unintended pregnancy.

These trends reﬂect widespread inequities in other areas

Not enough Access to contraception and to quality,

affordable health care.

And not enough educational opportunities and good jobs.

These broad social and economic inequities must be

addressed.

But at a minimum, contraception should be easy to get and

use for all.

And comprehensive sex education should be available to all

adolescents

But while prevention is key, there will always be women

who need abortions.

That’s why abortion is basic health care for women.

It should be covered by private insurance plans as well as

under public insurance programs, such as Medicaid.

Covering abortion under Medicaid is critical to help the

poorest, most vulnerable women pay for their procedure.

Any woman who needs an abortion

should be able to have one safely and with dignity.