“IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON AND…ON THE SITUATION TOO”: FACTORS INFLUENCING ABORTION METHOD PREFERENCES AMONG BLACK AND LATINX COMMUNITIES IN THE US SOUTHEAST

Abstract

Objectives

We aimed to qualitatively explore factors influencing abortion method preferences among Black and Latinx communities in the US Southeast.

Methods

We conducted in-depth interviews (n=32) and focus groups (n=30) with Black and Latinx women in Georgia, as well as key informant interviews (n=12) with abortion providers and community-based organization leaders. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin’s Grounded Theory protocol. We validated the resulting model through methodological triangulation.

Results

Participants named perceptions of privacy and stigma, accessibility, safety, timing, and pain as core determinants of abortion method preferences. Medication abortion was largely characterized as more private, more accessible, and less stigmatizing than procedural abortion; however, some participants were concerned that medication abortion could feel lonely. Participants’ conceptualizations of safety and pain were more varied. While many viewed procedural abortion as invasive and therefore inherently higher risk and more painful, others worried that passing a pregnancy without clinician oversight during a medication abortion could be less safe and produce longer-lasting pain. Views on ideal timing also differed: Some liked that procedural abortion had a shorter recovery time even if it required longer appointments, while others felt strongly about the control of timing and shorter waits associated with medication abortion.

Conclusions

There are a number of factors that influence abortion method preferences among Black and Latinx communities. Considerations of privacy and stigma, accessibility, safety, timing, and pain should be addressed in abortion patient counseling to further empower informed decision making. Likewise, it is critical that both procedural and medication abortion are accessible to promote patient autonomy and meet individuals’ needs.