Lindberg and Co-Authors Publish Systematic Review on Inclusion of Minor Adolescents in Abortion Research
Posted: 2026-09-26 11:59:37 (CSDE Research)
CSDE External Affiliate Laura Lindberg (School of Public Health, Rutgers University) and co-authors recently published a review article in Contraception titled, “Inclusion of Minor Adolescents in Abortion Research, 2019-2023: A Systematic Scoping Review.” The authors conducted a systematic scoping review across seven major databases to assess how minor adolescents have been included in U.S. abortion research published between 2019 and 2023. Of the 344 eligible studies identified, minors were enrolled in just 27.3%, while 43.6% did not enroll minors—83.3% of those due to explicit exclusion criteria—and the remaining 29.1% provided insufficient information to determine enrollment. Across all studies combined, minors made up only 1.1% of the more than 36 million total participants examined. The authors conclude that while a considerable body of research exists on abortion access and experiences among minors, their inclusion remains underreported, and offer recommendations for more transparent and standardized reporting to strengthen the evidence base and support development of evidence-based policies and clinical guidance for minors. Congrats Laura!