How and Why Abortion Decisions Are Made: Barriers, Myths, Access, and Hard Truths

Abortion is fraught with myths, misbegotten beliefs, and high levels of emotion. The decision to pursue an abortion is seldom undertaken lightly, and the vast majority of those who decide to abort are trying to make the most responsible decision they can under difficult circumstances. This chapter traces why the word “choice” is a misnomer, reveals how decisions cannot be implemented when access is denied due to political and economic barriers, and traces how aspects of US culture create the context where this aspect of healthcare has been ceded by healthcare practitioners leaving room for politicians to try to regulate medical practice. This chapter shows how worries about decisional regret are unfounded as the vast majority of people who abort not only experience relief initially, they become even more sure of the wisdom of their decision over time. This chapter ends with a call to ensure access to abortion care and a strategy for working with people as they make decisions about pursuing abortion care.