Envisioning an ecosystem of abortion support: Conversations with young people in the United States
Blanchard K, Gerdts C, Jayaweera R, Ruggiero S, Scott L. Ibis Reproductive Health. April 2026.
Access to abortion in the United States (US) varies widely depending on where a person lives, due to a patchwork of state laws that dictate when, where, and how someone can seek care. In addition to state legislation, a person’s experience seeking abortion care is also impacted by structural and personal factors like their identity, social support, financial situation, and physical and mental health. For young people, age-related barriers—including parental consent and notification laws, minor travel laws, issues related to insurance, and financial challenges—have a major bearing on the experience of seeking and accessing sexual and reproductive health care in the US, including abortion.
To better understand the perspectives and experiences of young people seeking abortion care in the US, Ibis Reproductive Health and Advocates for Youth (AFY) hosted two focus group discussions with young people recruited through their community programs. These conversations highlighted the specific needs of young people seeking abortion care in the current legal landscape and their perspectives about potential future models of abortion care, including medication abortion over the counter (MAB OTC). We hope our findings will inform strategies to build an ecosystem of support that centers young people’s varied needs and builds toward a world aligned with principles of reproductive justice and liberation, where people have access to the full spectrum of abortion options and can choose the care that works best for them.