A Qualitative Exploration of Low-Income Women's Experiences Accessing Abortion in Massachusetts

Dennis, Amanda; Manski, Ruth; Blanchard, Kelly

doi:10.1016/j.whi.2015.04.004

Cited by 20 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This research has found that these laws do little to change women’s minds, but do increase financial costs, have emotional and social costs, and lead to care delays [29]. While recent Medicaid funding restrictions research has documented financial and emotional hardships associated with having to raise money to pay for abortion [7, 12, 14, 15], it has not focused on Medicaid restrictions as a barrier to obtaining an abortion. This study confirms that Medicaid funding restrictions for abortion continue to function as an insurmountable barrier to obtaining an abortion, specifically for women in Louisiana.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Methodologically sophisticated studies have documented Medicaid funding restrictions’ impact on maternal morbidity and infant mortality [10, 11]. Other research examined women’s and provider’s experiences with Medicaid coverage and found that, even when Medicaid can pay for abortion, it sometimes does not, leading to delays and financial and emotional impacts on women obtaining abortions [8, 12–15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Estimating the proportion of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Louisiana who do not get abortions when Medicaid does not cover abortion

Roberts¹,

Johns

Williams

et al. 2019

BMC Women's Health

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Background To estimate the proportion of pregnant women in Louisiana who do not obtain abortions because Medicaid does not cover abortion. Methods Two hundred sixty nine women presenting at first prenatal visits in Southern Louisiana, 2015–2017, completed self-administered iPad surveys and structured interviews. Women reporting having considered abortion were asked whether Medicaid not paying for abortion was a reason they had not had an abortion. Using study data and published estimates of births, abortions, and Medicaid-covered births in Louisiana, we projected the proportion of Medicaid births that would instead be abortions if Medicaid covered abortion in Louisiana. Results 28% considered abortion. Among women with Medicaid, 7.2% [95% CI 4.1–12.3] reported Medicaid not paying as a reason they did not have an abortion. Existing estimates suggest 10% of Louisiana pregnancies end in abortion. If Medicaid covered abortion, this would increase to 14% [95% CI 12, 16]. 29% [95% CI 19, 41] of Medicaid eligible pregnant women who would have an abortion with Medicaid coverage, instead give birth. Conclusions For a substantial proportion of pregnant women in Louisiana, the lack of Medicaid funding remains an insurmountable barrier to obtaining an abortion. Forty years after the Hyde Amendment was passed, lack of Medicaid funding for abortion continues to have substantial impacts on women’s ability to obtain abortions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimating the proportion of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Louisiana who do not get abortions when Medicaid does not cover abortion

Roberts¹,

Johns

Williams

et al. 2019

BMC Women's Health

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“…Despite the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee Opinion stating that all health care providers must provide accurate and unbiased information so patients can make informed decisions, 6 individuals may not be able to obtain appropriate referrals even after pregnancy diagnosis at a clinic visit. Although a study in Massachusetts found that most people successfully obtained a referral from a health care provider, 7 a study in Nebraska found that only one-third received any referral and 16% of those referrals were inappropriate. 8 Nearly one-third of surveyed obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine clinicians in Nebraska reported they would not refer for abortion services, similar to a national survey, 9 and 15% reported they would instead refer either to a health care provider who did not offer abortions or to an adoption agency or crisis pregnancy center, 10 which is a facility that does not refer for abortion care.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of Information Available Online for Abortion Self-Referral

Dodge

Phillips

Neo

et al. 2018

Obstetrics &Amp; Gynecology

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OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of information available online for abortion self-referral and to determine whether quality varies by region or distance to an abortion provider. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. We used a standard protocol to perform internet searches for abortion services in the 25 most populous U.S. cities and the 43 state capitals that were not one of the 25 most populous cities from August 2016 to June 2017. We classified the first ten webpage results and the first five map results and ads as facilitating abortion referral (local independent abortion provider; local Planned Parenthood facility; national abortion provider or organization; pro-choice website; or abortion directory), not facilitating abortion referral (non-providing physician office; non-medical website; abortion provider >50 miles from the location; news article; general directory; other), or hindering abortion referral (crisis pregnancy center or anti-choice website). We used U.S. Census Bureau sub-regions to examine geographic differences. We made comparisons using a chi-square test. RESULTS: Overall, from 612 searches from 68 cities, 52.9% of webpage results, 67.3% of map results, and 34.4% of ads facilitated abortion referral, while 12.9%, 21.7%, and 29.9%, respectively, hindered abortion referral. The content of the searches differed significantly based on U.S. Census Bureau sub-region (all P≤0.001) and distance to an abortion provider (all P≤0.02). CONCLUSION: Two thirds of map results facilitated abortion self-referral, while only half of webpage results did so. Ads were the least likely to facilitate and the most likely to hinder self-referral. Quality was lowest in areas that were farthest from abortion providers.

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“…In aggregate, characters seeking abortions on television are of higher socioeconomic status than their real-life counterparts (Sisson & Kimport, 2015). This pattern not only reflects a larger invisibility and misrepresentation of working-class and poor people in the media (Bullock, Wyche, & Williams, 2001; Clawson & Trice, 2000), it leaves the abortion stories of poor women in the contemporary US—with their specific and daunting challenges to access (Dennis, Manski, & Blanchard, 2015; Guttmacher Institute, 2016; Ipas & Ibis Reproductive Health, 2015; Texas Policy Evaluation Project, 2015)—largely untold. Those real-life women are more likely to encounter difficulty paying for abortion and logistical challenges getting to a provider (Roberts et al., 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depicting abortion access on American television, 2005–2015

Sisson

Kimport

2017

Feminism & Psychology

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Despite an increasing number of restrictions on accessing abortion care in the United States, most Americans remain unaware of challenges to obtaining abortion. Theorists of abortion stigma have posited that entertainment media contribute to ongoing lack of knowledge about abortion care. Analyzing all plotlines that aired on American television between 2005 and 2015 in which abortion is considered (n = 89), we examine how access to abortion is portrayed, whether characters are able to surmount barriers, and what documented real-life challenges to access are missing from onscreen representations. We find that 42% show at least one barrier to accessing abortion care, most frequently illegality, cost of the procedure, and social stigma. Almost no barriers—including illegality—are insurmountable, and most are easily overcome for the characters seeking abortion. Some barriers, however, change how abortion is understood by a character such that she opts to continue the pregnancy. This underrepresentation of the difficulty of obtaining abortion care may contribute to public beliefs that abortion restrictions do not pose real challenges for women’s access to abortion.

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A Qualitative Exploration of Low-Income Women's Experiences Accessing Abortion in Massachusetts

Cited by 20 publications

References 19 publications

Estimating the proportion of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Louisiana who do not get abortions when Medicaid does not cover abortion

Estimating the proportion of Medicaid-eligible pregnant women in Louisiana who do not get abortions when Medicaid does not cover abortion

Quality of Information Available Online for Abortion Self-Referral

Depicting abortion access on American television, 2005–2015

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