What are patients seeing on social media about abortion safety?
Patients encounter viral claims online suggesting that abortion is unsafe, with mis/disinformation ranging from exaggerated risks of infertility and cancer to false alarms about life-threatening complications from medication abortion.
What’s the evidence around abortion safety?
- Procedural abortion is one of the safest medical procedures available in the US, especially when performed early in pregnancy.
- Medication abortion, most commonly with mifepristone and misoprostol, has a complication rate of less than 1%.
- Legal abortion is safer than childbirth. The mortality risk from childbirth is about 14 times higher than that of abortion.
- When abortion is delayed or denied, health risks increase. People who are denied desired abortion care experience worse health, economic, and family outcomes.
- Abortion mis/disinformation is on the rise and has important health and policy implications.
Citations
- Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH). The Turnaway Study. ANSIRH.
- Kaiser Family Foundation. Key facts on abortion in the United States. KFF. Published June 11, 2024.
- Kaiser Family Foundation. How abortion misinformation gives rise to restrictive abortion laws. KFF. Published March 20, 2024.
- Raymond EG, Shannon C, Weaver MA, Winikoff B. First-trimester medical abortion with mifepristone 200 mg and misoprostol: a systematic review. Contraception. 2013;87(1):26-37. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2012.06.011
- Raymond, E.G., & Grimes, D.A. The comparative safety of legal induced abortion and childbirth in the United States. Obstet Gynecol 119(2 Pt 1) (2012): 215-219. doi:10.1097/AOG.0b013e31823fe923
Talking with patients about abortion safety concerns
Get curious:
It sounds like you’ve heard some different things about the safety of abortions. Could you tell me more about what you’ve seen or heard that’s worrying you?
Was there something specific that made you think abortion might be dangerous?
Acknowledge concerns & normalize:
There’s a lot of scary stuff online about abortion. I’m glad you brought this up.
It totally makes sense to have questions—there’s so much confusing information out there.
Clarify with evidence and empathy:
Depending on what the patient shares, you might offer:
Abortion—especially earlier in pregnancy—is one of the safest medical procedures. That’s true both for in-clinic procedures and abortions with pills.
If they are concerned about bleeding too much with medication abortions
It’s normal and expected to have heavier bleeding when taking medication abortion pills; most people say it’s like having a very heavy period. We can talk more about what’s normal, and what would mean you’d need to check in with a provider. For some people, managing bleeding at home feels stressful and they prefer to schedule an in-clinic abortion for that reason.
If they reference someone’s negative experience:
Thank you for sharing that. It’s really important to honor people’s individual experiences since everyone is unique. I do want to mention, though, that most people don’t have complications or any ongoing issues after an abortion.
Diving deeper
Don’t be afraid to ask about where people are getting their information. In addition to social media, up to 1 in 5 women of reproductive age have received care at a pregnancy crisis center. Patients may receive mis/disinformation during these encounters.
Key takeaways
- Mis/disinformation about abortion safety is widespread online.
- Both medication and procedural abortions are medically safe. Serious complications are rare.
- Patients may have seen scary or emotional content. Start with validation, then offer balanced information.
