Who receives abortions at 6- or 16-weeks' gestation? A case study from Ohio

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Health Equity
• Sociology of Health

Background:

• State-level abortion bans, enacted after Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, raise concerns about equitable access to care.
• Understanding patient characteristics associated with gestation at the time of abortion is crucial for assessing the impact of these bans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how patient sociodemographic characteristics correlate with the gestational age at which abortions are sought.
• To identify patient groups potentially facing greater barriers to accessing abortion services earlier in pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a 20% random sample of 4,926 patient charts from three Ohio abortion facilities (2014-2018).
• Logistic regression was used to determine the odds of abortion before 6 weeks and at 16 weeks or later, based on patient characteristics.

Main Results:

• Patients of color, younger patients, and those from out-of-state had lower odds of obtaining an abortion before 6 weeks.
• Older patients, those with a college degree, married patients, and those without children had higher odds of abortion before 6 weeks.
• Patients with a college degree and those without children had lower odds of abortion at 16 weeks or after, while out-of-state patients had higher odds.

Conclusions:

• Gestation-based abortion bans can lead to inequitable access to care, disproportionately impacting marginalized patient groups.
• Systemic discrimination may create significant challenges for certain populations in accessing timely abortion services, particularly under restrictive legal environments.