Fact Check: Does contraception reduces abortions?

Fact checking the anti-choice myth that contraception does not reduce abortions

Lila Rose, leader of the anti-contraception group Live Action, recently declared, “[C]ontraception, [] does *not* decrease abortion & in fact, creates a culture where abortion is the back-up plan.” [1] She also insisted, “Birth control… does nothing to decrease abortion - only feeds promiscuity culture.” [2]

Such claims are commonly made by anti-contraception activists. For example:

• “[M]ore birth control won't reduce abortions & may increase its demand,” asserted Kristan Hawkins, head of the anti-contraception group Student for Life of America. [3]

• Melissa Moschella, an associate professor of philosophy at Catholic University of America and an anti-contraception commentator, contends that “evidence that widespread access to contraception actually reduces abortion rates” does not exist. [4]

• Father Shenan Boquet, president of the anti-contraception group Human Life International, claims that “the more that we make contraception available, the more we see an increase in abortion.” [5]

• Brian Fisher, founder and former president of the anti-contraception group Human Coalition, maintains that “contraception has actually increased the abortion rate.” [6]

• Anti-contraception group Heartbeat International holds that “contraceptives can actually contribute to an increase of abortions/abortion rate.” [7] The group requires its vast network of crisis pregnancy centers to refrain from dispensing or referring for contraceptives. [7]

• "Planned Parenthood has always claimed that their birth control programs are designed to prevent the need for abortion. They argue that contraceptive services lower unwanted pregnancy rates. This is a lie. Lie. Lie," argues Seth Gruber, an anti-contraception activist and founder of the anti-rights group White Rose Resistance (a ripped-off name attempting to appropriate the legacy of the White Rose Opposition Movement against the Nazis in WWII). [8] “[A]s contraception becomes more accessible, the number of unwanted pregnancies actually rises, thus increasing the demand for abortion,” Gruber claims. [9]

Unfortunately for those quoted above, “there is no credible evidence that supports” their blanket claims. [10] In fact, the exact opposite is true: contraception reduces the number of abortions by preventing unplanned pregnancies. While failure rates vary by type, “reputable, current research shows that improved contraceptive use has helped reduce unintended pregnancies and decrease the rate of abortions.” [11] 

Anti-contraception activists and groups often use a slights of hand to make their claim:

• They point to countries where less effective methods of contraception such as condoms are predominantly used as the primary method of preventing pregnancy; even then, however, those less effective methods still contribute to reducing abortions by preventing unplanned pregnancies. Condoms, for example, still prevent unplanned pregnancies 87% of the time with typical use.

• Anti-contraception activists and groups will also point to countries where contraception is legal but is not readily available. “Extensive evidence demonstrates, however, that when modern contraceptives are made available to women, their increased use over time replaces previous reliance on abortion and becomes the major factor associated with reduced abortion rates.” [20]

Here are a just few examples demonstrating that contraceptive use “has played a large role in reducing unintended pregnancies and subsequently, abortions.” [12]

🟩 A Colorado Family Planning initiative made long-acting contraceptive methods (IUDs and implants) affordable, which resulted in a 50 percent drop in teen births and abortions, saving the state 70 million dollars.

🟩 A study in St. Louis, Missouri, showed that providing free birth control to women caused abortion rates in the city to plummet to less than half of the national rates. Women were counseled on different options, as well as the risks and benefits of each. “More than half of the women chose IUDs, 17 percent picked hormonal implants (tiny rods placed under the skin that release hormones), and the rest chose pills, patches and other hormonal methods. As a result, the researchers found, both teen births and overall abortion rates plummeted.” [13] “The results of this study demonstrate that we can reduce the rate of unintended pregnancy, and this is key to reducing abortions in this country,” explained lead author Jeffrey Peipert, MD., of Washington University. [14]

🟩 A study in Iowa “found that declines in resident abortions followed increased usage of long-acting contraceptives, such as intrauterine devices. This came after the state increased access to family planning services through a Medicaid expansion and a privately funded initiative.” [15]

🟩 A study in Contraception showed that access to contraceptives through the Affordable Care Act’s contraception coverage mandate decreased the odds of unplanned pregnancy by 15%. 

🟩 In Australia, an increase in unplanned pregnancies has been linked to online myths and misinformation about contraception that has led to a decrease in contraception use. [16]

🟩 In Scotland, a rise in abortion rates has been partially attributed to online misinformation about the side effects of contraception that has led to a decrease in contraception use. [18]

🟩 A study by the World Health Organization “in 36 low- and middle-income countries found that two-thirds of sexually active women who wished to delay or limit childbearing stopped using contraception for fear of side effects, health concerns and because they underestimated the likelihood of conception. This led to 1 in 4 pregnancies being unintended.” [18]

🟩 A report by the UNFPA found that “myths and misinformation surrounding the use of contraception are putting women off using modern family planning methods,” leading to a “staggering” number of unplanned pregnancies. [19]

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Citations:

[1]

https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1650909640170033153?s=20

[2]

https://twitter.com/LilaGraceRose/status/1694527703788249310?t=dw9PWx24keoM0Zcqi52gbQ&s=19

[3]

https://twitter.com/KristanHawkins/status/1737109047965528093?s=20

[4] Brown , L. (2023, August 17). Catholic activists highlight contraception’s link to abortion as some pro-life lawmakers embrace Biden’s over-the-counter expansion. NCR. https://www.ncregister.com/news/contraception-s-link-to-abortion 

[5] Ibid. 4

[6] Does birth control reduce the abortion rate?. The Human Element with Brian Fisher. (2019, July 25). https://thehumanelementshow.com/portfolio-items/does-birth-control-reduce-the-abortion-rate/ 

[7] Trudden, A. (n.d.). Heartbeat International’s official statement on provision of contraceptives by pregnancy help organizations. Protean. https://www.heartbeatinternational.org/hb-statement-contraceptives-in-pho 

[8] Wral. (2023, May 8). Fact check: Activist says “more contraception availability increases abortion demand.” WRAL.com. https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-activist-says-more-contraception-availability-increases-abortion-demand/20848993/ 

[9] Ibid. 8

[10] Ibid. 8

[11] Ibid. 8

[12] Ibid. 8

[13] Pappas, S. (2022, August 4). Free birth control cuts abortion rate by 62 percent. LiveScience. https://www.livescience.com/23726-birth-control-abortion-rate.html 

[14] Newsroom. Barnes. (n.d.). https://www.barnesjewish.org/Newsroom/Publications/Innovate/Spring-2013/Access-to-free-birth-control-reduces-abortion-rates 

[15] Wral. (2023, May 8). Fact check: Activist says “more contraception availability increases abortion demand.” WRAL.com. https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-activist-says-more-contraception-availability-increases-abortion-demand/20848993/ 

[16] Campbell, E. (2023, August 16). Online myths linked to rise in unplanned pregnancies, experts claim. news.com. https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/online-myths-linked-to-rise-in-unplanned-pregnancies-experts-claim/news-story/024ce1481eeb144639b8f6b1b031d51c 

[17] McEvinney, K. (2023, September 6). Doctors warn about social media link to Abortion Rise. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-66671765 

[18] Bellizzi, S., Mannava, P., Nagai, M., & Sobel, H. L. (2019, October 23). Reasons for discontinuation of contraception among women with a current unintended pregnancy in 36 low and middle-income countries. Contraception. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0010782419304305?via%3Dihub 

[19] Davies, L. (2022, March 30). Fertility myths put millions off contraception, UN Report warns. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/30/contraception-myths-mean-nearly-half-of-pregnancies-worldwide-unintended-report

[20] Deschner, A., & Cohen, S. A. (2024, May 1). Contraceptive use is key to reducing abortion worldwide. Guttmacher Institute. https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2003/10/contraceptive-use-key-reducing-abortion-worldwide