August 24th, 2011

Categories: economic justice, Hyde Amendment

According to a new study by the Guttmacher Institute, unintended pregnancy rates have fallen overall in the United States – but they have risen dramatically among poor women, showing the need for better health care policies.

Between 1994 and 2006, the rate of unintended pregnancy among women with incomes below the federal poverty line increased by 50%.

By contrast, wealthier women – those with incomes at or above 200% of the poverty line – experienced a 29% decrease in unintended pregnancy.

Putting these two trends together, it is no wonder that poor women have higher rates of abortion and unplanned births than women who are better off financially.

Unintended pregnancy rates are also higher among young women (ages 18-24) and women of color.

The persistent gap between poor women and wealthier women highlights the need for universal access to reproductive health care, including contraception and abortion.

The new federal rules requiring all insurance plans to provide contraception without a copayment should help more women to access the contraception they need.

But as long as the Hyde Amendment remains in place, poor women will have to struggle to obtain abortion care.

All women deserve access to the resources they need to be healthy and plan their lives.