64,000 pregnancies resulted from rape in states with abortion bans

UCI Health expert discusses new data

IN THE NEWS: A research letter recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine estimates that 64,565 pregnancies have been caused by rape in the 14 states where abortion is banned.

Dr. Rachel Perry, a board-certified UCI Health obstetrician and gynecologist, who was not involved in the study, spoke to NPR about the findings.

"Certainly, not all of the people who become pregnant due to rape want an abortion. We do know that those who become pregnant after rape are more likely to choose abortion than to continue their pregnancies."

The data suggest that there was no meaningful access for tens of thousands of Americans who wanted an abortion after a rape.

Perry is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology in the UCI School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include women and adolescent health, complex contraception and family planning. She is the author of more than a dozen peer-reviewed articles on topics such as contraception access for women with substance-use disorders, reproductive healthcare for sexual assault survivors and the role of mobile technology in improving reproductive health.

Read more

• NPR: Raped, pregnant and in an abortion ban state? Researchers gauge how often it happens ›
• CNN: Nearly 65,000 pregnancies from rape have occurred in states with abortion bans, study estimates ›
• JAMA Network Open: Rape-related pregnancies in the 14 US states with total abortion bans ›