(05-04-2022, 06:01 PM)americus 2.0 Wrote: Interesting stats from the CDC regarding who gets abortions. 

As for the patients who are getting abortions, the most recent CDC data collected shows women with family incomes less than 100% the federal poverty level accounted for almost half of all abortion patients in 2014.

And in 2019, women in their 20s accounted for more than half of abortions. Black women had the highest rate; white women had the lowest.

"The majority of abortions are affecting Black and Hispanic mothers and young women," said Dima Qato of USC's Shaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. Qato studies health disparities including access to family planning and reproductive health.



The CDC snapshot also reveals that 85% were unmarried and 14% were married. Sixty-percent were already mothers.

"Mothers are perhaps not taking contraceptives when they need them. Therefore, they have an unintended pregnancy and would like to choose to have an abortion," Qato said.


Not surprising. I question the part about contraception not being available to underserved women. Don't county health departments provide these things? And most women who live at poverty level and below are on Medicaid and I know it's provided through Medicaid. I've known women who refuse to use it for various reasons but continue to have sex then wonder what they're going to do about their situation. They act like it's everyone else's fault. 

My literal thinking mind just doesn't get it.

In Florida, if you are over 18, and earn more than $18,075 annually, you do not get Medicaid.  Once you earn that 18,076th dollar, no Medicaid for you.  An IUD costs $500-$1,000 without insurance. Sometimes a charity like Planned Parenthood will step in and pay some of that cost, but they don't have infinite resources.  County health departments are more likely to provide the pill, which is less reliable and you have to remember to take it every day.

Even if you qualify for Medicaid, you have to have the spare time, intelligence, and inclination to apply.  It's like homework.  Some kids don't do it. 

And even if you get it, it doesn't mean you get an appointment with an OB/Gyn in any kind of timely fashion.

All that said, obviously, women who plan poorly are using abortion as birth control today. And women who are too rich for Medicaid but too poor for an IUD. It should not be used as birth control.  It should be used in extreme cases only.

Hopefully restricting abortion will go hand in hand with making birth control more accessible and with more women actually making appointments and getting it.

Personally, I think if a woman gets an elective abortion and she doesn't have kids yet, she should get an IUD automatically. She can get it taken out after a year if she says she wants kids at that point.  If a woman gets an elective abortion and she already has 2 or more kids, her tubes should be tied.  I don't think these are "undue burdens".  What woman would protest? You just said you don't want another kid, honey.  Let's make it happen. We need to reduce abortion as much as possible. A doctor's standard of care should be for reducing abortion.

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