Repeat abortions in New York City, 2010

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Public Health
• Sociodemography

Background:

• Understanding factors influencing repeat abortions is crucial for public health interventions.
• Previous research indicates sociodemographic factors play a role in abortion history.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with the number of prior abortions among New York City (NYC) patients in 2010.
• To analyze rates of first and repeat abortions across various demographic and socioeconomic strata.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 76,614 reported abortions for NYC residents in 2010.
• Calculation of abortion rates by age, race/ethnicity, and neighborhood poverty.
• Negative binomial regression used to predict the number of past abortions based on patient characteristics.

Main Results:

• 57% of abortions were repeat abortions, exceeding 50% in most examined sociodemographic groups.
• The mean number of past abortions was 1.3, higher for women aged 30-34 (1.77), those with ≥5 children (2.50), and Black non-Hispanic women (1.52).
• Age, race/ethnicity, and number of children were the strongest predictors of past abortion counts.

Conclusions:

• Significant sociodemographic disparities exist in abortion history.
• All abortion patients, regardless of background, are at substantial risk for repeat unintended pregnancies and subsequent abortions.
• Findings highlight the need for comprehensive reproductive health services addressing repeat pregnancy prevention.