Medication Abortion among Young People: A Community-Based Participatory Study in Four States
Principal Investigator:
Funder: Society of Family Planning Research Fund
CUPC Grant Bootcamp participant
Despite a significant expansion in the utilization of medication abortion (MA) in the last decade, several factors, including the later discovery of pregnancy, the desire for privacy, and delays introduced by parental involvement (PI) requirements, may create barriers for young people ages 13 to 22 from benefiting from this expansion. This project is an academic-community partnership with the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, Jane’s Due Process, Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, and California Latinas for Reproductive Justice. Within this study, we aim to: assess access to and use of MA among young people while identifying unique needs of marginalized young people and describe the role of structural factors, i.e., PI requirements, in MA access and use. We use qualitative interviews with young people who considered or obtained an abortion in Colorado, Texas, Illinois, and California to explore the knowledge of MA management and the desire for social support and privacy within different structural contexts.