Abortion Later in Pregnancy: A Policy and Care Primer
A clear, evidence-based guide to abortion later in pregnancy, addressing stigma, barriers, and policy impacts.
Pregnant people should have access to abortion care throughout pregnancy.
Abortion care at any point in pregnancy, including later in pregnancy, is lifesaving, necessary health care that supports people’s physical, mental, and emotional health and well-being.
Widespread misinformation and disinformation about abortion care later in pregnancy is rampant. Later abortion care continues to be highly stigmatized, and anti-abortion legislation across states has significantly dwindled access to all abortion care, especially abortion later in pregnancy. Therefore, people who seek later abortion care, and health care providers who provide this care, face numerous hurdles and barriers– ranging from societal stigma to risk of criminalization.
This primer seeks to demystify abortion later in pregnancy. It explores many of the reasons pregnant people seek abortion care later in pregnancy and reviews the legal and policy landscape of later abortion care, explaining how legal restrictions are contrary to the health and wellbeing of pregnant people. Lastly, it highlights helpful resources that promote widespread understanding of the necessity of access to abortion care throughout pregnancy.