Characteristics of foreign-born abortion patients in the United States, 2021-2022

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the characteristics of foreign-born abortion patients compared to those born in the Unites States and to explore whether barriers for foreign-born patients varied by state Medicaid coverage of abortion care.

Study design: We used data from the Guttmacher Institute's 2021-2022 Abortion Patient Survey, a national sample of patients obtaining clinic-based abortion care in the United States. We compared sociodemographic characteristics of foreign- and US born respondents, as well as barriers to care. Among foreign-born patients, we compared those in Medicaid coverage states vs states that restrict Medicaid coverage.

Results: Some 12% of the 6429 respondents were born outside the United States. Compared to US born patients, they were less likely to have Medicaid coverage and more likely to be Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic, to have no health insurance, and to have completed the survey in Spanish. In addition, foreign-born patients were more likely to report delays because they did not know where to get an abortion (18.3% vs. 12.6% for US born). Compared to foreign-born patients living in Medicaid coverage states, those in non-Medicaid states reported multiple barriers, particularly related to cost: respondents in non-Medicaid states were three times as likely to pay out of pocket for abortion (75.8% vs 27.4%) and five times more likely to rely on financial assistance (24.1% vs 4.8%).

Conclusions: Foreign-born abortion patients face knowledge and financial barriers to accessing abortion care compared to those who are US born, and these financial burdens are amplified for those living in non-Medicaid coverage states.

Implications: Abortion patients born outside the United States may have overcome many obstacles to obtain care. Expanding state Medicaid coverage of abortion could reduce cost burdens for foreign-born populations.

Keywords: Abortion; Health care access; Immigrants; Medicaid; US health policy.