Fact Check: Sen. Tommy Tuberville Overestimates Number of Abortions Military Women Would Seek Out Under New DOD Policies, Researchers Say
Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama has been making claims that new reproductive health policies implemented by the Pentagon would result in thousands more abortions each year. However, experts say that Tuberville is misrepresenting the data and significantly overestimating the number of women in the military who would take advantage of these policies.
The new Pentagon policies provide a travel allowance for service members and their dependents who need to cross state lines to access abortion services due to restrictions in their stationed state. This change was implemented in response to the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade and the subsequent enactment of trigger laws that immediately restricted abortion access in many states. Sen. Tuberville has been holding up the confirmation of senior military nominations in protest of these policies.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Tuberville referenced a briefing he received from the acting assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. According to Tuberville, the briefing stated that the new policies could lead to an increase of up to 4,100 subsidized abortions per year. However, this estimate does not include dependents, who are also covered by the new policies. Tuberville’s office claims that this number is based on a study conducted by the RAND Corporation, a reputable research organization often commissioned by the Department of Defense (DOD).
Yet, Tuberville’s claim is misleading and incorrect. He is comparing the number of covered abortions provided by DOD health facilities to an estimate of how many military women receive abortions outside of these facilities, as well as accounting for ectopic pregnancies and stillbirths. Researchers at RAND, including one involved in the study Tuberville cites, have stated that Tuberville’s estimate is far too high.
The study Tuberville references was conducted in 2020 and sponsored by the Defense Department. Dr. Sarah Meadows, a senior sociologist at RAND, explains that the study asked women who had been pregnant in the last 12 months how their pregnancy ended, including births, miscarriages, and other. The other category encompassed ectopic pregnancies, stillbirths, and abortions. Based on other pregnancy data, researchers believe the majority of pregnancies marked as other were likely abortions.
Using this data, RAND estimated the range of pregnancies in the military that would fall into the other categories. However, it is crucial to note that not all women who would need to travel for an abortion are likely to take advantage of the new policies. Meadows highlights that a significant percentage of women in the military do not feel comfortable accessing even contraceptive care through military health facilities due to privacy concerns. Therefore, it is unreasonable to assume that all women who would require travel for an abortion would utilize the Pentagon’s reimbursement policies.
In addition, Dr. Kyleanne Hunter, a senior political scientist at RAND, explains that many women in the military often feel uncomfortable even informing their commanders about planned pregnancies due to existing stigma. This discomfort of reporting a wanted pregnancy suggests that going through the process of submitting a travel claim for an abortion may pose an additional barrier for women.
Both Hunter and Meadows dispute Tuberville’s claim that the Pentagon’s policies would result in more abortions. It is important to note that the Defense Department is not allowed to perform abortions in DOD health facilities, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk. Data from the Defense Department indicates that only 91 covered abortions were performed between 2016 and 2021, averaging about 15 per year.
In conclusion, Tuberville’s claim regarding the increase in abortions due to the Pentagon’s reproductive health policies is inaccurate. He has overstated the number by comparing covered abortions from DOD health facilities to a broader estimate that includes various pregnancy outcomes. RAND researchers involved in the study Tuberville cites have stated that his estimates are significantly higher than what is likely to occur. Additionally, factors such as privacy concerns and stigma may deter women in the military from utilizing the new policies. The Pentagon’s policies do not involve the provision of abortions but rather provide a travel allowance for service members and their dependents who must travel out of state to access reproductive health care, including abortions, that are not available in their stationed state or covered by the military.
