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FACT BRIEF

Have the majority of women who get abortions previously given birth?

By Tom Kertscher
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YES

In 2021, 60.7% of abortions in the U.S. were performed on females who had previously given birth, according to the latest annual figures from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2020, the figure was 60.9%.

The 2021 report, released in November 2023, included data from 41 states plus New York City. Wisconsin was among states that did not submit or properly submit data, the report said.

Overall, the majority of 2021 abortions were obtained by women who were in their twenties, low-income and women of color.

Vice President Kamala Harris, campaigning Jan. 22 in suburban Milwaukee, said "the majority of women who have abortions are mothers."

Republican state lawmakers introduced a bill Jan. 19 that would put a referendum on the April 2 ballots in Wisconsin. It would ask voters to generally ban abortion after 14 weeks of pregnancy, down from the current 20 weeks.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Centers for Disease Control Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2021
Centers for Disease Control Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2020
KFF Key Facts on Abortion in the United States
PBS NewsHour WATCH LIVE: Harris speaks at launch of Democrats' election year campaign for abortion rights
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Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.