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You are here: Home / Why do women have abortions?

Why do women have abortions?

According to a 1988 article published in a journal by advocates of abortion, 93% of abortions are obtained for social reasons. Authors Aida Torres and Jacqueline Sarroch Forrest conducted a survey of 1900 women with 1,773 responding. They then compiled a table taken from the responses of the women surveyed, of the most important reason each woman had obtained an abortion. When the percentages are added together, 93% of abortions were obtained for social reasons which do NOT include abortions for hard-case pregnancies. Their own analysis showed that so-called hard cases were, at most, 7%. These include abortions for:

  • Rape or incest (1%)
  • Pregnancies which jeopardized health (3%)
  • Pregnancies in which the child had a potential disability (3%)

Reference: Torres, Aida and Jacqueline Sarroch Forrest, Family Planning Perspectives, Volume 20, Number 4, July/August 1988, p. 170.

  • Please note that the data comes from a publication of the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, an abortion advocate group. Data presented in this and other tables may be biased infavor of abortion.
Why Women Have Abortions: Reason for Abortion * **
Woman is concerned about how having baby would change her life 6% 284 women
Women can’t afford baby now 21% 372 women
Woman has problems with relationship/wants to avoid single parenthood 12% 213 women
Woman is unready for responsibility 21% 372 women
Woman doesn’t want others to know she has had sex or is pregnant 1% 18 women
Woman is not mature enough, or is too young to have child 11% 195 women
Woman has all the children she wanted, or has all grown children 8% 142 women
Husband or partner wants woman to have abortion 1% 18 women
Fetus has possible health problem 3% 53 women
Woman has health problem 3% 53 women
Woman’s parents want her to have abortion 1/2% 9 women
Woman was victim of rape or incest 1% 18 women
Other 3% 53 women
* Percent of 1,773 responses. Percentages in the original add up to 101% due to rounding, per Communication Dept. of Family Planning Perspectives.

** Raw number of 1,773 respondents who chose each answer.

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