Why women choose abortion

For some it's an inconceivable act, but for others abortion seems to be the only way out of an unplanned pregnancy and an impossible-to-negotiate future. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a handful of studies over the years have indicated consistently similar answers from women who identify why they've chosen to have an abortion. The top three reasons these women cite for not being able to continue their pregnancies and give birth are: negative impact on the mother's life financial instability relationship problems /unwillingness to be a single mother What is the rationale behind these reasons that would lead a woman to terminate a pregnancy? What are the challenges and situations women face that make giving birth and raising a newborn an impossible task? One by one, let's look at the top reasons why women choose abortion. Negative Impact on the Mother's Life Taken at face value, this reason may sound selfish. But a pregnancy that occurs in the wrong place at the wrong time can have a lifelong impact on a woman's ability to raise a family and earn a living. Less than half of teens who become mothers before age 18 graduate from high school. College students who become pregnant and give birth are also much less likely to complete their education than their peers. Employed single women who become pregnant face an interruption of their jobs and careers. This impacts their earning ability and may make them unable to raise a child on their own. For women who already have other children at home or are caring for aging relatives, the reduction in income resulting from pregnancy/birth may bring them below the poverty level and require them to seek public assistance. Financial Instability Whether she's a high school or college student, or a single woman earning just enough to live independently, many expectant mothers lack the resources to cover the staggeringly high costs associated with pregnancy, birth, and childrearing, especially if they do not have health insurance. Saving for a baby is one thing, but an unplanned pregnancy places an enormous financial burden on a woman who cannot afford to care for an infant, let alone pay for the necessary OB/GYN visits that will ensure healthy fetal development. Lack of adequate medical care during pregnancy places the newborn at a higher risk for complications during birth and in early infancy. According to breastfeeding counselor Angela White, the cost of an average hospital birth is approximately $8,000 and prenatal care provided by a physician can cost between $1,500 and $3,000. For the nearly 50 million Americans who do not have insurance, this would mean an out-of-pocket expense of $10,000. That figure, coupled with the cost of raising a child from infancy through age 17 (estimated at over $200,000 per child), makes giving birth a terrifying proposition for someone who is still in school, or lacks a steady income, or simply does not have the financial resources to continue a pregnancy with adequate medical care and give birth to a healthy baby. Relationship Problems and/or Unwillingness To Be a Single Mother The majority of women with unplanned pregnancies do not live with their partners or have committed relationships. These women realize that in all likelihood they will be raising their child as a single mother. Many are unwilling to take this big step due to the reasons described above: interruption of education or career, insufficient financial resources, or inability to care for an infant due to caregiving needs of other children or family members. Even in situations involving women cohabitating with their partners, the outlook for unmarried women as single mothers in discouraging; for women in their 20s living with their partners at the time of birth, one-third ended their relationships within two years. Other Reasons Although these are not the primary reasons women choose abortion, the following statements reflect concerns that play a role in influencing women to terminate their pregnancies: I don't want more children or I'm done with childrearing I'm not ready to become a mother or not ready for another child I don't want others to know about my pregnancy or that I'm having sex My husband/partner wants me to have an abortion There are problems with the health of fetus There are problems with my own health My parents want me to have an abortion Combined with those reasons previously cited, these secondary concerns often convince women that abortion -- though a difficult and painful choice -- is the best decision for them at this time in their lives.