No Money, No Abortion

You're poor. You're pregnant. Maybe you're in a violent relationship and don't want another child that will make you more dependent on your husband. Maybe you just don't want to have a child. The National Network of Abortion Funds  has released a study illustrating the hardships faced by low-income women who seek abortions.

NNAF's report states that:

Every year, tens of thousands of poor women and teens are forced to carry a pregnancy to term because they cannot afford to pay for an abortion.

In many states, private funds exist to help women financially who want an abortion and lack the funds. One of these funds in Delaware, which was included in the survey, reported that women applying for funds for abortions were "more likely to be teenagers, to have larger families and be pregnant as a result of rape." 

Lately, the issue dominating the national debate on reproductive rights has been how to prevent abortions. Which is all well and good—not to mention something that groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America have been working on for years, long before "values" dominated political discussions. But let's remember to defend all women's right to choose an abortion, regardless of income. To see the full report, Abortion Funding: A Matter of Justice, click here .

Views expressed on this page are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Campaign for America's Future or Institute for America's Future