When the full findings of the Turnaway Study are examined—rather than relying only on short summaries—a more nuanced picture emerges about women who are denied abortions. The detailed data show that many women’s feelings evolve substantially over time after being refused the procedure.
Specifically, among women who were denied an abortion, the proportion who said they no longer wished they had aborted increased steadily as time passed: 35% one week after denial, 88% by the time of birth, 93% by the child’s first birthday, and 96% five years later. These outcomes are documented in the study’s longer, paid publication, but they do not appear in the widely circulated, brief two-page summary, which limits public awareness of this trajectory of responses.
At the same time, the study also reports a different but compatible finding: women who did obtain abortions can still report, even five years later, that it was the right decision for them. Both statements can be true simultaneously. They reflect the reality that different groups—women who receive abortions and women who are denied them—often follow different life paths and come to different conclusions over time. Taken together, the full data suggest that women denied abortions frequently adapt to their circumstances and, in most cases, come to feel positively about having carried their pregnancies to term.
Key Takeaways
Long-term data show that the overwhelming majority of women denied abortions later report they no longer wish they had aborted, indicating substantial emotional adaptation over time.
Public debate is often shaped by abbreviated summaries that omit key findings, while fuller data reveal outcomes that are more favorable to childbirth than commonly assumed.
The fact that women denied abortions increasingly affirm their outcomes challenges claims that denial inevitably leads to lasting regret.
Recognizing that many women ultimately view carrying to term positively supports the argument that protecting unborn life does not necessarily conflict with women’s long-term well-being.