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. 2023 Dec:128:110139.
doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2023.110139. Epub 2023 Aug 30.

Recruiting pregnant people considering abortion: An analysis of differences in participant characteristics by recruitment site across online, abortion fund, and clinic-based sources

Heidi Moseson  1 , Alexandra Wollum  2 , Bria Goode  2 , Caitlin McKenna  2 , Tracey Wilkinson  3
Affiliations

Recruiting pregnant people considering abortion: An analysis of differences in participant characteristics by recruitment site across online, abortion fund, and clinic-based sources

Heidi Moseson et al. Contraception. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate differences by recruitment method in the characteristics of participants who are considering abortion.

Study design: Between June 2021 and April 2022, we recruited pregnant people considering abortion in Indiana from (1) online posts, (2) abortion funds, and (3) abortion clinics. We compared participant characteristics reported in an online survey by recruitment source.

Results: Compared to those recruited from clinics (n = 94), participants recruited online (n = 84) and through abortion funds (n = 239) were later in their pregnancy, were already parenting, received less formal education, struggled financially, and were more likely to be Black or African American, queer, transgender, or nonbinary.

Conclusions: Recruitment from online sources and abortion funds reaches more people who face greater barriers to abortion care than recruitment from clinics.

Implications: Augmenting clinic-based recruitment with online and abortion fund recruitment could capture a more complete sample of people considering abortion.

Keywords: Abortion; Abortion funds; Google Ads; Recruitment; Research methods; Selection bias.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Screening and recruitment of research participants for a study of abortion access in Indiana in 2021–2022.
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