Experiences of women seeking second trimester abortions

Over time many studies have found that 10% of abortions performed in the country occur in the second trimester. Less well known is how many women who are beyond the gestational limit of nearby clinics and are therefore unable to access services continue their pregnancies to term. Women who are beyond the first trimester when they realize they are pregnant, who delay making the decision to terminate their pregnancy, or who present late to care due to practical barriers such as cost are at particular risk of being denied an abortion. Many regions of the country have no provider who will perform abortions past 13 to 16 weeks. Even in urban areas where providers may offer abortions up to 21 or 24 weeks, some women present late to care and are turned away with no option but to carry their pregnancy to term. In this session we present preliminary data from a nationwide study of women seeking second trimester abortions, some of whom are beyond the gestational limit of accessible clinics and were turned away, and some who were just within the gestational limit and received an abortion.

We present a geographic analysis of access to abortion care in the second trimester and share the stories of women seeking a second trimester procedure—their reasons for delay, the distance they travel to find a provider and the barriers they face in seeking care.