A new report indicates that television programs in 2025 featured 65 abortion-related storylines, a number consistent with the previous year. While the overall presence of these narratives remained stable, the percentage of characters depicted as undergoing an abortion decreased. The report also highlights several disparities between on-screen portrayals and actual abortion experiences in the United States, particularly concerning access barriers, socioeconomic status, and types of procedures.
Overview of Television Depictions
In 2025, 65 storylines related to abortion appeared across various television genres, including dramas like The Pitt and Call the Midwife, reality shows such as W.A.G.s to Riches and Love is Blind, and animated comedies including Family Guy and South Park. This figure is comparable to the 66 plotlines recorded in 2024. Despite the consistent number of storylines, the proportion of characters who obtained an abortion decreased to 37% in 2025, marking a 14% reduction since 2023.
These findings are sourced from the annual Abortion Onscreen report, compiled by Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), a research program at the University of California San Francisco specializing in abortion and reproductive health. The report has been published for approximately a decade.
Discrepancies in Representation
The report notes a disconnect between how abortion is depicted on television and real-world experiences. Researcher Steph Herold identified several areas of divergence:
- Barriers to Access: Approximately 60% of individuals seeking abortion in the U.S. encounter barriers such as financial costs, childcare needs, work coverage, clinic distance, or insurance limitations. In contrast, about one-third of on-screen characters faced such obstacles. In 2025, most television depictions of individuals facing abortion challenges focused on legal issues.
- Socioeconomic Status: Eighty percent of characters seeking abortions on television are portrayed as upper or middle class. This contrasts with real-life demographics, where a majority of abortion patients experience financial difficulties. The study suggests this disparity may indicate an underrepresentation of the impact of poverty on abortion access and the prevalence of financial barriers in storylines.
- Medication Abortion: Only three of the 65 abortion-related plotlines in 2025 depicted medication abortion. One such instance included a storyline on the show The Pitt, where a teenager sought abortion pills. This contrasts with real-world data, where medication abortion constitutes the majority of abortions in the U.S.
- Parental Status: Eight percent of television characters seeking abortion were depicted as parents. This differs from real-world data, which indicates that most abortion patients have at least one child.
Thematic Trends and Support
The report observed a decrease in characters receiving emotional support regarding their abortions in 2025. There was also an increase in storylines emphasizing negative societal perceptions and religious objections related to abortion. Shows such as Chicago Med, 1923, Breathless, and Secrets We Keep featured these themes. According to the report, these portrayals often depicted religious patients exclusively as Christian and associated religion solely with abortion prohibition, without exploring it as a diverse or potentially supportive factor in decision-making.
Racial Representation
A reported improvement was observed in the racial representation of characters in abortion storylines. In 2025, a majority of characters in abortion plotlines were people of color, aligning more closely with the real-life demographics of abortion seekers. This marks a shift from a decade ago, when portrayals more frequently featured wealthy, white women seeking abortions.