Military Abortion Research Stalled by ‘Culture of Silence,’ Study Finds
A study on military abortion access was scrapped after researchers found only 3 participants in 6 months, compared to 323 in a similar 2019 study.
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA — A planned research study on abortion access for active-duty military service members was abandoned after researchers could only recruit three participants over six months in 2024, highlighting what experts call an intensifying “culture of silence” around the issue in the current political climate.
Researcher Caitlin Gerdts, vice president for research at international nonprofit Ibis Reproductive Health, had intended to replicate a 2019 study that successfully gathered input from 323 military participants. However, the dramatically reduced participation forced her team to publish an analytical essay instead of the comprehensive study they had planned.
“It makes sense that this is a particularly difficult moment,” Gerdts said, noting the challenges researchers face in reaching active-duty service members about abortion experiences.
Research Barriers Intensify
The study’s failure underscores growing difficulties in understanding barriers that active-duty service members face when seeking reproductive healthcare, particularly in states with strict abortion bans. Researchers point to multiple factors creating this research environment, including state laws, current Department of Defense leadership actions, and longstanding military-specific barriers that predate the overturning of federal abortion protections.
The inability to conduct meaningful research comes at a time when military families are stationed across states with varying abortion access laws. Service members often have limited choice in where they are stationed and may face unique challenges navigating reproductive healthcare options.
Military Healthcare Access Concerns
The research challenges emerge amid broader policy changes affecting military reproductive healthcare access. The Trump administration recently ended veteran abortion access in December 2025, adding another layer of complexity to reproductive healthcare for those who have served.
Despite repeated requests, the Department of Defense did not respond to inquiries about the research difficulties or current policies regarding reproductive healthcare access for active-duty personnel.
Ongoing Research Challenges
Researchers noted that studying abortion access typically focuses on healthcare providers, particularly for studies involving interviews. Organizations like Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health at the University of California, San Francisco, commonly work with civilian patients in their research efforts.
The stark contrast between the 323 participants in the 2019 study and just three participants in 2024 illustrates how dramatically the research environment has shifted. This reduction prevents researchers from gathering essential data about the real-world experiences of military personnel seeking reproductive healthcare.
The analytical essay published by Gerdts’ team represents an attempt to document the research challenges themselves, providing insight into how political and legal environments can impact scientific inquiry into sensitive healthcare topics affecting military families.
