Get "In the Know": Questions About Pregnancy, Contraception and Abortion
TIMING OF ABORTION
When in pregnancy do most women have abortions?
- In the United States, nearly nine in 10 abortions occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and 56% occur in the first eight weeks. (30)
Are more women having their abortion earlier in pregnancy?
- Yes, an increasing proportion of abortions are performed early in pregnancy. (30) The availability of highly sensitive pregnancy tests, medical abortion (the “abortion pill,” or mifepristone) and new techniques that allow surgical abortions to be performed earlier in pregnancy are likely to reinforce the trend toward earlier abortions. In addition, in 2000, more providers were offering both medical and surgical abortion early in pregnancy than had previously. A majority of nonhospital providers now offer abortion services beginning at five weeks from the last menstrual period (about three weeks after fertilization), and some even earlier. (31)
This resource was produced with support from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation and the Roth Family Foundation.
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