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‘Abortion decision making in a culture of ‘intensive motherhood’’

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In contemporary US society, abortion and motherhood are often regarded as opposing interests. Yet the majority of US women who have abortions (61%) have children and most of those who do not yet have children want to have them at some point in the future. Based on interviews with US women obtaining abortions, we identify the ways that issues of motherhood influence and inform women’s decisions to terminate their pregnancies. We find that material responsibilities of motherhood, such as caring for existing children, influenced the decision to have an abortion among women who were already mothers. More abstractly, women discussed, and appeared to be influenced by, high standards of ‘good parenting’.

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Abortion decision making in a culture of ‘intensive motherhood’Rachel K. JonesPregnancy and Pregnancy Planning in the New Parenting Culture 23 June, 2010
Who Has Abortions: Poverty StatusSource: Jones et al., 2010
Who Has Abortions: Race/EthnicitySource: Jones et al., 2010
Who Has Abortions: Marital StatusSource: Jones et al., 2010
Who Has Abortions: Prior AbortionSource: Jones et al., 2010
Who Has Abortions: AgeSource: Jones et al., 2010
Abortions by Gestational Age(Weeks Since Last Menstrual Period)% of abortionsWeeksSource: Henshaw adjustments to Strauss et al., 2006 (2005 data)
Assumption that women have abortions because they don’t want children“The woman who gets the abortion and the woman who gives birth are the same woman at different stages of life.”
But the facts indicate otherwiseIn 2008, 61% of women having abortions are mothers35% have two or more children23% <20 years old are mothers10% had a baby in the last 12 months
Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions Finer et al., 2005Questionnaires from 1,209 abortion patients at 11 large U.S. providers Having a child would dramatically change my life (74%)Would interfere with school (38%)Would interfere with employment (38%) Already have other children depending on me (32%, multiple responses allowed)Other reasons explicitly related to motherhoodChildbearing completed (38%) Not ready for (a)nother child (32%).
Mothers’ dreams: Abortion and the high price of motherhoodWilliams and Shames, Journal of Constitutional Law, 6(4), 2004Social and material conditions of motherhood“Choice” needs to incorporate more than abortion rights; women need adequate support so that they have the choice of raising healthy children
Guttmacher studyIn-depth interviews with 38 women at 4 large providersIntended to supplement quantitative survey Focus on reasons and logistics of accessing abortion services
Women’s characteristics(N=38)3/4 were mothersAbout half were living at or below povertyAbout half were African American, 4 were LatinaAlmost half were in their 2ndtrimester8 in 10 were not married
Responsibilities of MotherhoodCaring for existing childrenSpecial needsMaternal healthUnfair to the potential childMaternal and fetal healthAdoption
Caring for other children“I was already so sick. I’d missed a week of work, which is unheard of. I had given birth and not missed a week. That was huge, and it knocked me down that badly early on, I thought, “Oh my gosh. I have commitments to my children. I’m coach of this and manager of that. That’s all coming up.” I thought, “How could I not do that? I’ve already committed.” (41, married, two children)
Caring for other children“Well, I am 19. I have three kids already; I have a 4-year-old and 6-month-old twins. . . . I am on my own, and I, financially and mentally, I can’t stand it now. . . . I am struggling to take up all the responsibility that I have now.” (19, unmarried, 3 children)“I have two children, an 11 year old girl and a 14 month old girl and the man who is the father of this baby, I divorced. […] being a single mom and being on my own, working part time, I barely have enough money to pay for daycare for one.” (30, divorced, 2 children)
Health and maternal obligationsFour had children with serious health problemsFive women had health problems“I get toxemia every time I get pregnant. . . . They told me that if I had it this time, since it gets worse and worse every time, they don’t think I would make it. So, I was like, I already I have two kids. I feel it is more important for me to be here with them instead of losing my life trying to have another baby.” (24, unmarried, 2 children)
Ideal conditions of motherhoodPerceived and real disadvantages that would be experienced by potential childMaternal and fetal health concerns
Ideal conditions of motherhood“I can’t have a newborn baby and not be able to take care of it, and I would want to give my child, like, everything in the world…I want my kid to be healthy and stable, physically, financially taken care of. And I didn’t see any of ‘em happening”. (20, never married, no children)
Ideal conditions of motherhood“And thinking this could be the boy I’ve always wanted, and that was hard. . . .[The abortion] was very selfish on my part, but on the other hand, it would have been selfish for me to bring a child in the world who I cannot be physically 110% there for. That’s not fair to the child. I was irresponsible, yes, and I will go to my grave knowing that. But I would rather have it on my conscience than have that baby come into this world knowing that it’s getting the last bits of what I have left over.” (30 years old, unmarried, two children)
Maternal and fetal health concerns“I didn’t find out about the pregnancy until a week ago, and I am now 12 weeks pregnant, and the most important month of the pregnancy is the first month. . . . [Had I known,] I would have gotten all the prenatal care I should get, all of the vitamins it should have been getting. I very well know that [the fetus is] not healthy [laughs]. . . . For my child, I want my child to have the full care and getting all the attention that needs to be done.” (19, unmarried, no children)
Wants (more) children someday“…I have gone this far without having children without being married, so I need to be married to have that because I see a lot of my friends with their children and their baby daddy’s struggling and such and is just not, it does not seem worth it. I mean I grew up with a father and a mother, I don’t want to put any child through that.” (25, never married, no children)
Wants (more) children someday“I would [like more children], you know, in the future when I am stable and know what I want out of life, you know, be everything situated so when they come here, there won’t be no issue beside, you know, the basics. So, yeah, I would like to have more kids in the future but just not now.” (19, at or below poverty, unmarried, three children)
Adoption not a realistic optionNearly one in four interviewees brought the issue up
Adoption not a realistic option“I figured I would feel more guilty than what I am doing today . . . Because I have two kids and they are living with me, and I [would] feel guilty that if I actually have another child and gave it to somebody else.” (28, married, two children)
Adoption not a realistic option“I’m not the type of person to be pregnant for 9 months and give it up for adoption. I was adopted, and I know what it means to be adopted.” (30 years old, unmarried, two children)
ConclusionsMotherhood influences women’s abortion decisionsObligations for existing childrenFairness to existing and future childrenSome used “anti-choice” language and some expressed guilt or sadness. Nonetheless, most felt that their families were better off. Health and abortion intersect on several levels

More Related Content

‘Abortion decision making in a culture of ‘intensive motherhood’’

  • 1. Abortion decision making in a culture of ‘intensive motherhood’Rachel K. JonesPregnancy and Pregnancy Planning in the New Parenting Culture 23 June, 2010
  • 2. Who Has Abortions: Poverty StatusSource: Jones et al., 2010
  • 3. Who Has Abortions: Race/EthnicitySource: Jones et al., 2010
  • 4. Who Has Abortions: Marital StatusSource: Jones et al., 2010
  • 5. Who Has Abortions: Prior AbortionSource: Jones et al., 2010
  • 6. Who Has Abortions: AgeSource: Jones et al., 2010
  • 7. Abortions by Gestational Age(Weeks Since Last Menstrual Period)% of abortionsWeeksSource: Henshaw adjustments to Strauss et al., 2006 (2005 data)
  • 8. Assumption that women have abortions because they don’t want children“The woman who gets the abortion and the woman who gives birth are the same woman at different stages of life.”
  • 9. But the facts indicate otherwiseIn 2008, 61% of women having abortions are mothers35% have two or more children23% <20 years old are mothers10% had a baby in the last 12 months
  • 10. Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions Finer et al., 2005Questionnaires from 1,209 abortion patients at 11 large U.S. providers Having a child would dramatically change my life (74%)Would interfere with school (38%)Would interfere with employment (38%) Already have other children depending on me (32%, multiple responses allowed)Other reasons explicitly related to motherhoodChildbearing completed (38%) Not ready for (a)nother child (32%).
  • 11. Mothers’ dreams: Abortion and the high price of motherhoodWilliams and Shames, Journal of Constitutional Law, 6(4), 2004Social and material conditions of motherhood“Choice” needs to incorporate more than abortion rights; women need adequate support so that they have the choice of raising healthy children
  • 12. Guttmacher studyIn-depth interviews with 38 women at 4 large providersIntended to supplement quantitative survey Focus on reasons and logistics of accessing abortion services
  • 13. Women’s characteristics(N=38)3/4 were mothersAbout half were living at or below povertyAbout half were African American, 4 were LatinaAlmost half were in their 2ndtrimester8 in 10 were not married
  • 14. Responsibilities of MotherhoodCaring for existing childrenSpecial needsMaternal healthUnfair to the potential childMaternal and fetal healthAdoption
  • 15. Caring for other children“I was already so sick. I’d missed a week of work, which is unheard of. I had given birth and not missed a week. That was huge, and it knocked me down that badly early on, I thought, “Oh my gosh. I have commitments to my children. I’m coach of this and manager of that. That’s all coming up.” I thought, “How could I not do that? I’ve already committed.” (41, married, two children)
  • 16. Caring for other children“Well, I am 19. I have three kids already; I have a 4-year-old and 6-month-old twins. . . . I am on my own, and I, financially and mentally, I can’t stand it now. . . . I am struggling to take up all the responsibility that I have now.” (19, unmarried, 3 children)“I have two children, an 11 year old girl and a 14 month old girl and the man who is the father of this baby, I divorced. […] being a single mom and being on my own, working part time, I barely have enough money to pay for daycare for one.” (30, divorced, 2 children)
  • 17. Health and maternal obligationsFour had children with serious health problemsFive women had health problems“I get toxemia every time I get pregnant. . . . They told me that if I had it this time, since it gets worse and worse every time, they don’t think I would make it. So, I was like, I already I have two kids. I feel it is more important for me to be here with them instead of losing my life trying to have another baby.” (24, unmarried, 2 children)
  • 18. Ideal conditions of motherhoodPerceived and real disadvantages that would be experienced by potential childMaternal and fetal health concerns
  • 19. Ideal conditions of motherhood“I can’t have a newborn baby and not be able to take care of it, and I would want to give my child, like, everything in the world…I want my kid to be healthy and stable, physically, financially taken care of. And I didn’t see any of ‘em happening”. (20, never married, no children)
  • 20. Ideal conditions of motherhood“And thinking this could be the boy I’ve always wanted, and that was hard. . . .[The abortion] was very selfish on my part, but on the other hand, it would have been selfish for me to bring a child in the world who I cannot be physically 110% there for. That’s not fair to the child. I was irresponsible, yes, and I will go to my grave knowing that. But I would rather have it on my conscience than have that baby come into this world knowing that it’s getting the last bits of what I have left over.” (30 years old, unmarried, two children)
  • 21. Maternal and fetal health concerns“I didn’t find out about the pregnancy until a week ago, and I am now 12 weeks pregnant, and the most important month of the pregnancy is the first month. . . . [Had I known,] I would have gotten all the prenatal care I should get, all of the vitamins it should have been getting. I very well know that [the fetus is] not healthy [laughs]. . . . For my child, I want my child to have the full care and getting all the attention that needs to be done.” (19, unmarried, no children)
  • 22. Wants (more) children someday“…I have gone this far without having children without being married, so I need to be married to have that because I see a lot of my friends with their children and their baby daddy’s struggling and such and is just not, it does not seem worth it. I mean I grew up with a father and a mother, I don’t want to put any child through that.” (25, never married, no children)
  • 23. Wants (more) children someday“I would [like more children], you know, in the future when I am stable and know what I want out of life, you know, be everything situated so when they come here, there won’t be no issue beside, you know, the basics. So, yeah, I would like to have more kids in the future but just not now.” (19, at or below poverty, unmarried, three children)
  • 24. Adoption not a realistic optionNearly one in four interviewees brought the issue up
  • 25. Adoption not a realistic option“I figured I would feel more guilty than what I am doing today . . . Because I have two kids and they are living with me, and I [would] feel guilty that if I actually have another child and gave it to somebody else.” (28, married, two children)
  • 26. Adoption not a realistic option“I’m not the type of person to be pregnant for 9 months and give it up for adoption. I was adopted, and I know what it means to be adopted.” (30 years old, unmarried, two children)
  • 27. ConclusionsMotherhood influences women’s abortion decisionsObligations for existing childrenFairness to existing and future childrenSome used “anti-choice” language and some expressed guilt or sadness. Nonetheless, most felt that their families were better off. Health and abortion intersect on several levels
  • 28. ConclusionsPro-choice advocates need to:Work to achieve better social supports for motherhood/parentsUse language that speaks to the experiences of womenIncreased efforts around adoption not likely to have an impact

Editor's Notes

  • #9: Originally stated byRachel Gates in 1970s(worked in clinic, activist), repeated by Will Saletan (journalist, writes about pop/political culture)
  • #10: Abortions accounted for by women with children has been increasing 1983: 44%1994: 55%28% were single moms, additional 20% cohabiting
  • #15: Unfair to potential child merges into ideal conditions of motherhood
  • #16: Responsibilities for existing children among those who have children transcend social class; but there are qualitative, and even quantitative, differences in regards to what these obligations consist of and the extent to which women were able to successfully meet them. Many lower income women were single parenting.
  • #18: Women de-emphasized impact of (own) health problems on their own life, and talked about the ways that these issues impacted their abilities to take care of their children.
  • #19: Disadvantages were both material and social. Stable family/household, education completed, stable job, house.
  • #22: Five women presented abortion decision in context of concern that they had already harmed fetus; advanced maternal age, use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, or simply fact that didn’t take vitamins.Maternal obligations start outside of the wombPreconception care
  • #25: Brought up more commonly by women who had children2 of the women had been adopted
  • #26: Brought up more commonly by women who had children2 of the women had been adopted
  • #27: Brought up more commonly by women who had children2 of the women had been adopted
  • #28: Language: fetus=baby, abortion=killingNationally, 13% of women indicate health issues contribute to decision to abort