Crossing the border for abortion services: the Tijuana-San Diego connection

In this study we created a profile of women living on both sides of the US-Mexico border who terminated pregnancies in San Diego at the largest clinic providing abortion services in California. Sociodemographic and reproductive history data were collected on all 1558 women terminating pregnancies in 1996. Using country of residence, language use, and surname, the sample was stratified into four comparison groups: Tijuana residents, U.S. Non-Latinas, U.S. English-speaking Latinas, and U.S. Spanish-speaking Latinas. These data were supplemented by interviews with field experts. Compared to U.S. residents, crossborder abortion seekers were older, had healthier habits, were less likely to terminate in the second trimester, and more likely to pay cash for their procedure. While crossborder abortion seekers in San Diego face multiple barriers to access abortions, they posed no increased risk for complications, nor did they represent a financial burden on California.