Lecture Notes: The Impact of Abortion Access on Women

Introduction

Story of two women, Sally and Dorothy, both experienced unwanted pregnancies early in the 20th century.
- Sally: Newly married during the Great Depression; traveled to Puerto Rico for an illegal abortion.
- Dorothy: Became pregnant by an older man; sent to a Salvation Army home and placed her child for adoption.
These women were the speaker's grandmothers, influencing her career as a demographer and professor studying unintended pregnancy.

Claims have been made that abortion harms women, specifically causing mental health issues.
In 2007, Justice Anthony Kennedy supported abortion restrictions based on assumed mental health harm.
Speaker's response to this claim: Lack of reliable data needed investigation.

Conducted by the research team at the University of California, San Francisco.
Aim: Compare outcomes for women who get abortions vs. those who are denied.
Method: Study at 30 abortion facilities, recruiting two groups:
- Women who received abortions before the clinic's gestational limit.
- Women who were denied abortions for being past the limit.
Followed almost 1,000 women over five years, measuring physical health, mental health, and socioeconomic well-being.

Mental Health: No harm found from obtaining an abortion. Higher anxiety and lower self-esteem were observed in women denied abortions, but these effects didn't last long.
Physical Health: Worse for women who carried pregnancies to term, with increased risks like hemorrhage, eclampsia, and even death.
- Long-term, worse chronic pain, hypertension, and overall health problems for those denied abortions.
Socioeconomic Impacts:
- Women denied abortions faced more economic hardships, increased public assistance, lower credit scores, and higher chances of eviction and bankruptcy.
- Divergence in personal and educational achievements, with those receiving abortions more likely to achieve aspirational goals.

Reasons for seeking abortions include financial, relational, and caretaking considerations.
95% of women who obtained an abortion believed it was the right decision for them.
Adoption is not an easy choice; often leads to greater emotional challenges.

Post-2022 Supreme Court Dobbs decision, restrictions on abortion access have increased.
Women who can travel or order medication online circumvent restrictions, but those without resources face documented hardships.

Sally's life post-abortion was positive; she later had children and a fulfilling life.
Dorothy's life was more challenging, with severe childbirth complications and unfulfilled desires for more children.
The speaker’s connections to her grandmothers illustrate the study's findings.

The ability to decide on childbearing without government interference is crucial for economic and personal well-being.
Access to safe, legal abortion supports family well-being and allows individuals to control their life paths.

Speaker advocates for trusting women and supporting access to abortion as a fundamental aspect of family and individual health.
Urges supporting pregnant people, regardless of their decision about carrying a pregnancy to term.