"Reproductive Justice Now: Jews Who Have Abortions Research Study in Post Roe v Wade America"

Background: This study documented the experiences of Jewish women’s abortions by collecting the largest data set to-date in the United States, filling a void in abortion scholarship. The study explored the role religion played in participants’ decision to terminate a pregnancy, how their religious commitments have been affected by their decision, and whether they experienced stigma as a result. The research hypothesized that although there is broad Jewish support for termination, participants feel stigma about their decisions as a result of the broader cultural atmosphere.

Methods: The study included quantitative and qualitative components, including 200 surveys and 100 semistructured 30-60 minute interviews. The survey included demographic information and questions about the circumstances surrounding Jewish American abortions between 1974-2024. Participants were asked about their Jewish identity (adapted from the Pew). Participants were recruited through social media and word of mouth (snowball sampling method). Following the initial survey, interested participants were offered a follow-up semistructured interview. Due to the sensitivity of the topic and changing political landscape, traditional data collection and documentation protocols were reconsidered. All identifying information was removed to ensure anonymity. Surveys were analyzed to examine demographic and Jewish identity data in relation to abortion experiences, while qualitative interviews were reviewed by several researchers using thematic analysis.

Results: Two types of results emerged from the mixed methods scholarship. The quantitative surveys provide valuable data on the diverse range of religious affiliations, ages, and stages of pregnancy when Jewish Americans sought abortions over the past 50 years. The study identified that overwhelmingly the abortions were in the first trimester, contraception usually was used and failed, and that for all third trimester abortions there was a medical reason due to the health of either the mother or fetus. In the qualitative interviews, data analysis reflected important themes about Jewish identity, shame, and the role of social justice and Jewish values in sharing abortion stories.

Conclusions: These research protocols can provide a framework for conceptualizing current and future scholarship in reproductive justice for social workers in this rapidly changing political climate. This study captured valuable qualitative data about the role Judaism played in participants' decision to terminate a pregnancy. Participants reflected that their abortions were an expression of their Jewish values, and in some instances occurred in consultation with clergy who gave them religious directives to seek an abortion, and that limitation on access to abortion can even be viewed as an infringement on freedom of religious practice. Current reproductive justice scholarship is timely in light of the political landscape: for example, this study contributed data that was used in an amicus brief to the Indiana Supreme Court considering religious right to abortion access that was successfully upheld. Further research can explore the experience of different faiths as well as regional disparities, especially in light of changing realities of access to abortion in a post-Roe v. Wade context.