Mississippi Abortion Clients' Strategies to Pay for Abortion Care and Manage Economic Hardship.

Abortion clients who experience economic hardship face barriers paying for abortion care. Between September 2020 and June 2021, we conducted a facility-based survey with 211 abortion clients who obtained care in Mississippi, and 25 respondents completed in-depth interviews. We computed the frequency with which survey respondents used social network-based, agency-based, and individual strategies to pay for care and we employed thematic analysis to explore in-depth interviewees' decision-making and experiences with these strategies. Overall, 93% used at least one strategy to pay for their abortion: 62% sought help from social networks; 61% received assistance from abortion funds (non-profit organizations that help people pay for abortion care); and 47% relied on individual strategies, such as postponing routine expenses. Interviewees often noted it was difficult to use these strategies and doing so adversely affected their economic stability. These findings support the need for insurance coverage and expanded financial assistance for abortion seekers, particularly those now forced to travel following abortion bans.