The Outcome of Unwanted Pregnancy and Its Effect on Intimate Relationships

Jane Mauldon, University of California, Berkeley
Sarah Roberts, University of California, San Francisco
Diana G. Foster, University of California, San Francisco

We examine how having an abortion rather than bringing a pregnancy to term affects intimate relationships, tracking changes over time in the relationship with the father of the pregnancy (FOP) among women in the Turnaway Study. This quasi-experimental prospective study compares similar women who did and did not receive an abortion when they presented near the maximum gestational age for abortion at abortion facilities nationwide. “Abortion Controls”, who presented within the permitted gestational age, aborted; “Turnaways” presented just after the cut-off. Interviewed eight days later, 28% of both groups had no relationship with the FOP, while 12% were married to him. Six months later, 35% of Abortion Controls had no relationship with FOP, a statistically significant higher disruption rate than among the 28% of all Turnaways, and 24% of Turnaways who kept the baby. Marriage rates to FOPs did not differ between groups, and neither did quality of their relationships.