Video

Fighting Misinformation About Abortion in the US, Part 1

Misinformation about abortion is everywhere—and it's being used to justify attacks on reproductive freedom across the United States. 

In Part 1 of our series, The Facts You Need to Know to Fight False Claims About Abortion, Guttmacher US communications manager Isabel Guarnieri covers the basics you need to know about people's need for and experiences with abortion.

Transcript: 

Misinformation about abortion is everywhere, and it's being used to justify attacks on reproductive freedom. Guttmacher has the data and evidence to counter misleading narratives from anti-abortion policymakers and activists as they work to undermine health and rights. This is part one of our series, The Facts You Need to Know to Fight False Claims About Abortion in the US, where we'll cover some of the important basics about people's need for and experiences with abortion. 

You may wonder, who has abortions? Abortion is a common reproductive health experience accessed by people across the country and from all demographic groups. In fact, based on data from 2020, we know that 1 in 4 US women of reproductive age will have an abortion by the time they turn 45. 

Since the overall number of abortions has increased since then, that statistic may also be higher. There is an assumption that heterosexual women are the only group that experiences abortion. But that's not true. People with diverse gender and sexual orientation identities obtain abortion care. Guttmacher research from 2021 to 2022 shows that as many as 16 percent of people obtaining abortions do not identify as heterosexual women, which includes trans and gender non-binary abortion seekers. 

Another myth perpetuated by abortion opponents surrounds mental health. The narrative that obtaining an abortion causes negative mental health outcomes is often used to justify restrictions on abortion access, but these claims are not supported by evidence. 

High quality studies show no causal link between abortion and subsequent mental health problems, with many patients reporting relief rather than distress. Negative emotions are more strongly linked to low social support or prior history of poor mental health. Research shows that in the short term, not being able to have a desired abortion is associated with greater risk of adverse psychological outcomes. 

Don't fall for misinformation. Learn the facts based on scientific research at guttmacher.org, and stay tuned for the next part of our series, coming soon.