A QUALITATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE IMPACT OF ABORTION RESTRICTIONS ON PEOPLE WITH HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES IN GEORGIA: EAR ON GA

Objectives

We aimed to assess what barriers people with high-risk pregnancies face while attempting to access abortion care in Georgia, and understand how House Bill (HB) 481, which bans most abortions in the state after fetal cardiac activity, has affected these care-seeking journeys.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured Zoom interviews with people with high-risk pregnancies seeking abortion care at hospital and independent clinic sites in Atlanta, GA. The interviews focused on participant’s journeys attempting to access abortion care within or outside the state after HB481 went into effect. We transcribed, coded, and analyzed the interviews, and are presenting a subset of themes.

Results

We interviewed 18 people from January 2023 through January 2024. Participants with high-risk pregnancies often described a lack of understanding of how HB481 would impact their ability to access abortion care in Georgia, and discussed ways in which they felt their specific abortion was necessary and should qualify for care under the law. As participants attempted to access abortion care post-HB481, many described feeling betrayed and abandoned by the government, healthcare system, their individual support networks, and even God and/or the universe. Participants shared how HB481 exacerbated their suffering as they attempted to navigate the “best” of multiple “bad” options available to them.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that, even when abortion bans include exceptions for “medical emergency” and “medically futile pregnancy,” people with high-risk pregnancies face additional barriers to accessing care that exacerbate suffering and lead to feelings of betrayal and abandonment.