A Ticking Time Bomb: Restrictions on Abortion Rights and Physical Integrity Rights Abuses

Nazli Avdan, Amanda Murdie and Victor Asal

American Political Science Review, 2025, vol. 119, issue 4, 1616-1633

Abstract: Do abortion restrictions augur broader crackdowns on human rights? We examine the relationship between restrictions on abortion and future Physical Integrity Rights (PIR) abuses. We argue that abortion restrictions both directly and indirectly influence PIR. Directly, abortion restrictions serve as a testing ground for repressive policies and behaviors. Indirectly, restrictions worsen inequality across segments of society and winnow support for social and religious diversity. When abortion restrictions are enacted, regimes are better equipped to shift society and consolidate power, as a subdued public is discouraged from voicing collective grievances. Using a variety of time-series cross-sectional approaches, we show that significant retractions in abortion access foretell erosion of PIR.

Date: 2025
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