Passage of abortion ban and women’s accurate understanding of abortion legality

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Legislative and judicial procedures related to banning abortion after 6 weeks of gestation in Ohio occurred from November 2018 to July 2019. These activities could have increased the belief that abortion has become illegal even though the 6-week abortion ban has never been in effect to date. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of holding the belief that abortion is illegal in Ohio and to evaluate whether this belief increased over the time in which the 6-week abortion ban was introduced, passed twice, and then blocked in Ohio. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from the first wave of the Ohio Survey of Women, a population-based survey of adult, reproductive-aged Ohioan women conducted from October 2018 to June 2019. During each of the 8 survey months, a median of 240 women (range, 70e761) completed the survey, including the survey question "Based on what you know or have heard, is it legal to get an abortion in your state?" We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the prevalence and correlates of believing that abortion is illegal in the state of Ohio. In addition, we used multinomial logistic regression to evaluate whether this belief increased over the interval during which women completed the survey, which roughly corresponded to the interval marked by legislative and judicial activities surrounding the 6-week abortion ban. RESULTS: Most of the 2359 participants understood that abortion is legal in the state of Ohio (64.0%) with the remainder believing it to be illegal (9.8%) or being unsure (26.2%). Correlates of believing abortion to be illegal included younger age, lower socioeconomic status, never married or married status, and black, non-Hispanic race and ethnicity. Being unsure about legality did not change over time; however, the proportion of women who believed that abortion is illegal increased from the first month (4.5%) to the last month (15.9%) of the study period. Each additional study month was associated with a 17% increase in the odds of believing abortion to be illegal, in both unadjusted and adjusted models (odds ratio, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.08e1.27). CONCLUSION: Attempts to restrict abortion access could contribute to women mistakenly believing that abortion is illegal despite it being unsuccessful.

Selecting an Abortion Clinic: The Role of Social Myths and Risk Perception in Seeking Abortion Care

“…People may not disclose their abortions, making it difficult for prospective patients to seek friends’ or family’s advice (Cowan 2014). Abortion opponents spread misinformation (Bryant and Levi 2012; Patev and Hood 2020), and legal battles create uncertainty about the status of abortion services and clinics (Gallo et al 2021; McGowan, Norris, and Bessett 2020). Media narratives commonly characterize abortion clinics as lonely, impersonal, and unsafe—what Kimport, Cockrill, and Weitz (2012:204) describe as the “social myth” of the abortion clinic.…”

Racial disparities in pregnancy options counseling and referral in the US South

“…45 Patients may also be more likely to experience abortion stigma and to have uncertainty or misconceptions around abortion legality. 46 , 47 …”

“…45 Patients may also be more likely to experience abortion stigma and to have uncertainty or misconceptions around abortion legality. 46,47 Providers of pregnancy options counseling can play a critical role in mitigating growing barriers to abortion care, including stigma, should they be legally permitted. 48 ensure that all patients have access to the information they need to achieve their preferred outcome.…”

Estimation of Multiyear Consequences for Abortion Access in Georgia Under a Law Limiting Abortion to Early Pregnancy

“…11 Major medical groups 12 oppose such bans, citing their far-reaching consequences for patients and health care practitioners. Numerous studies have documented the negative impacts of gestational limits, including fewer clinics offering abortion care, 13 increased rates of infant mortality, 14 decreased accuracy in knowledge of abortion legality, 15 and overall greater travel distances for abortion. 16 Additionally, research has documented how gestational limits disproportionately impact patients who are Black.…”