The following is a summary of “A Nationwide Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults Share Where They Would Go Online for Abortion Information After Dobbs v. Jackson,” published in the December 2023 issue of Pediatrics by Allison, et al.

For a study, researchers intended to get an understanding of the internet resources that adolescents and young adults make use of to obtain information on abortion in light of the shifting landscape of abortion access. A qualitative text message survey was conducted in July 2022 with a countrywide sample size of 638 individuals between the ages of 14 and 24. The poll inquired about the websites or social media platforms that individuals would use to get information about abortion. 

Open-ended responses were coded and then examined to look for themes. 46% of respondents (n = 234) mentioned particular websites or accounts of recognized organizations or persons, 14% named broad clinical or governmental resources, and 13% named social media platforms. 14% of respondents named social media platforms. 8% of respondents expressed skepticism about the information on abortion that was available online. 19% of respondents (n = 99) said they were unsure or had no opinion.

Even though many teenagers and young adults can identify an online site for abortion information, some are not aware of particular resources. It highlighted the need to elevate credible sources and provide direction on how and where to seek appropriate information about abortion that may be found online.

Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054139X23002690