In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, abortion opponents have argued that women who want to have an abortion should give their kids up for adoption, an argument that a psychologist says is untrue.

"Adoption has never been a popular choice for pregnant people," Joanne Bagshaw, a psychology professor at Montgomery College told Insider.

"Over time, the rates of adoption and abortion have declined," she continued. "More likely today pregnant people are going to choose to give birth and raise their children on their own if they can. It's always been an unpopular choice for the pregnant person because it's traumatic."

Following the overturn of Roe v. Wade, abortion rights advocates such as The American Civil Liberties Union have maintained that women without access to safe abortions will be forced to carry out unwanted pregnancies and give birth.

But conservatives have long argued that pregnant women could give up their newborns for adoption.

Advertisement

"Abortion ends a life," Sen. Rick Scott said in a press release following the Supreme Court's decision. "It is abhorrent and has no place in our society. While we celebrate the Court's latest ruling, the fight to protect the sanctity of life is not over. Lawmakers and the pro-life movement have the responsibility to make adoption more accessible and affordable, and do everything in our power to meet the needs of struggling women and their families so they can choose life."

Days after the decision was overturned, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted, "Adoption, not abortion"

He continued, "With Roe overturned, we should find ways to make the adoption process in our country easier and safer."

When former President Barack Obama, a Democrat, was pulled into the abortion debate, he called on both sides to "work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions," and invoked adoption.

"Let's reduce unintended pregnancies. Let's make adoption more available. Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their child to term," he said in 2009.

Advertisement


The "anti-choice movement and the pro-adoption movement" have been spreading this narrative that adoption is an alternative to abortion, Bagshaw said.

"It's just simply inconsistent with what we know about women's actual decision-making," Bagshaw added."Adoption is a choice about whether or not to parent and abortion is a choice about whether or not to be pregnant. These are two completely different choices."

While long-term studies on the choice between adoption and abortion aren't available, several recent studies suggest that women who wish to have an abortion don't want to give their kids up for adoption. A 2017 study published in the Women's Health Issues medical journal found that "most women who received abortions were aware of but uninterested in adoption."

The study looked at 956 women who were seeking abortions, including 231 who were denied one because of gestational limits. Of the women denied abortions, only 14% considered adoption a week later, and out of those who gave birth, 91% chose to keep the child.

"What we know from research is that most women who choose abortion, they're aware of adoption, but they're not interested in it," Bagshaw said.

Advertisement

Bagshaw, a psychotherapist for over two decades working with birth mothers and adoptees, says most women aren't interested in adoption "because it's too painful, it's too traumatic and women who do not want to be mothers don't choose adoption, they choose to terminate their pregnancy."