Transgender abortion patients and the provision of transgender-specific care at non-hospital facilities that provide abortions

Rachel K Jones; Elizabeth Witwer; Jenna Jerman

doi:10.1016/j.conx.2020.100019

Transgender abortion patients and the provision of transgender-specific care at non-hospital facilities that provide abortions

Contracept X. 2020 Jan 18:2:100019. doi: 10.1016/j.conx.2020.100019. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Rachel K Jones¹, Elizabeth Witwer¹, Jenna Jerman²

Affiliations

¹ Guttmacher Institute, New York, NY.
² Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York, NY.

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the number of transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals who obtained abortions in the United States and the extent to which abortion facilities offer transgender-specific health services.

Study design: We collected survey data from all known health care facilities that provided abortions in 2017. For the first time, the questionnaire included items about TGNB abortion patients and services.

Results: We estimate that 462 to 530 TGNB individuals obtained abortions in 2017 and that 23% of clinics provide transgender-specific care.

Conclusion: Several hundred abortions were provided to TGNB individuals in 2017, primarily at facilities that did not provide transgender-specific health services.

Implications: Findings from this study support efforts to implement and expand gender-inclusive and affirming care at health care facilities that provide abortion.

Keywords: Abortion; Transgender; Transgender-specific care.