Abstract
Background
Little is known about how adoption factors into pregnancy decision making, particularly
when abortion is unavailable.
Methods
We used data from the Turnaway Study, a longitudinal study of 956 women seeking abortion,
including 231 women denied abortions owing to gestational limits. Through semiannual
quantitative interviews, we assessed the frequency with which women denied abortion
consider and choose adoption, and, among adoption participants, decision satisfaction.
We compared differences in the demographic profiles of parenting and adoption participants
using mixed effects regression models. We conducted in-depth interviews with 31 women
who received or were denied wanted abortions, including 2 adoption participants, focused
on understanding pregnancy decision making and feelings about their choice. Interviews
were coded using inductive and deductive methods.
Results
Most women who received abortions were aware of but uninterested in adoption. A minority
of women denied abortions (n = 231; 14%) were considering adoption at 1 week after denial. Of participants who
gave birth (n = 161), most (91%) chose parenting. Parenting participants (n = 146) did not differ from adoption participants (n = 15) on measures of age, race, or poverty status, although adoption participants
were somewhat less likely to be employed (20% vs. 43%; p = .1), and somewhat more likely to have completed high school (87% vs. 74%; p = .08). Although satisfaction with their decision was high among adoption participants,
in-depth interviews revealed mixed emotions.
Conclusions
Among women motivated to avoid parenthood, as evidenced by abortion seeking, adoption
is considered or chosen infrequently. Political promotion of adoption as an alternative
to abortion is likely not grounded in the reality of women's decision making.
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Biography
Gretchen Sisson, PhD, is a research sociologist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research focuses on social constructions and representations of parenthood and reproductive choice, including abortion/adoption.
Biography
Lauren Ralph, PhD, MPH, is an epidemiologist at the ANSIRH at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research analyzes the consequences of unintended pregnancy, with a particular focus on adolescents and young adults.
Biography
Heather Gould, MPH, is a senior research analyst at ANSIRH at the University of California, San Francisco and research director of the Turnaway Study. She is interested in women's reproductive health outcomes related to unintended pregnancy, abortion, and childbirth, and experiences accessing and receiving health services.
Biography
Diana Greene Foster, PhD, is a demographer, Director of Research at ANSIRH at the University of California, San Francisco, and principal investigator of the Turnaway Study. Her work examines family planning policies and the effect of unintended pregnancy on women's lives.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 30, 2017
Accepted:
November 29,
2016
Received in revised form:
October 25,
2016
Received:
July 28,
2016
Footnotes
Funding Statement: This study was supported by research and institutional grants from the Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc.
