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. 2018 Jun;97(6):510-514.
doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2018.02.006. Epub 2018 Mar 2.

What are people looking for when they Google "self-abortion"?

Jenna Jerman  1 , Tsuyoshi Onda  2 , Rachel K Jones  3
Affiliations

What are people looking for when they Google "self-abortion"?

Jenna Jerman et al. Contraception. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the motivations and circumstances of individuals seeking information about self-abortion on the Internet.

Study design: We identified 26 terms that we anticipated someone might use to find information about self-abortion on the internet. Users who entered these terms into the Google search engine were provided with a link to our survey via Google AdWords. We fielded the survey over a 32-day period; users were eligible if accessing the survey from a US-based device. We examined demographic characteristics of the sample, reasons for searching for information on self-abortion, knowledge of the legality of abortion and of nearby providers, and top performing keywords.

Results: Our Google AdWords campaign containing the survey link was shown approximately 210,000 times, and clicked 9,800 times; 1,235 respondents completed the survey. The vast majority of the sample was female (96%), and 41% were minors. Almost three-quarters (73%) indicated that they were searching for information because they were pregnant and did not or may not want to be. Eleven percent had ever attempted to self-abort. One-third of respondents did not know if abortion was legal in their state of residence, and knowledge of legality did not differ by age.

Conclusions: There is interest in learning more about self-abortion on the Internet. Our findings suggest that, among those who participated in our survey, online searches for information on self-abortion may be driven by adolescents and young adults facing an unintended pregnancy.

Implications: Young women, in particular, may have an unmet need for information about safe and accessible abortion options.

Keywords: Abortion; Internet survey; Self-abortion; Self-induced abortion; United States.

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