Perceiving and Addressing the Pervasive Racial Disparity in Abortion

Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2020 Aug 18:7:2333392820949743. doi: 10.1177/2333392820949743. eCollection 2020 Jan-Dec.

Abstract

Black women have been experiencing induced abortions at a rate nearly 4 times that of White women for at least 3 decades, and likely much longer. The impact in years of potential life lost, given abortion's high incidence and racially skewed distribution, indicates that it is the most demographically consequential occurrence for the minority population. The science community has refused to engage on the subject and the popular media has essentially ignored it. In the current unfolding environment, there may be no better metric for the value of Black lives.

Keywords: Black abortion rate; YPLL; abortion; premature death; racial disparity.