Abortion Rates Decline

Abortion Services in the United States, 1991 and 1992

Summary

• U. S. abortions dropped by 80,00 -- from 1,608,600 in 1990 to 1,529,000 in 1992
  • A gradual decline from a high of 29 per 1,000 women in 1981 to 26 per 1,000 in 1992.
  • Both the percentages of pregnancies ending in abortion and the number of abortions for every 1,000 women, ages 15 to 44, are at their lowest levels since 1976.
• The number of hospitals, clinics and physicians' offices where abortion can be performed dropped 8% between 1988 and 1992 - from 2,582 to 2,380, a rate of about 65 a year.
  • That number dropped by 18%, from a high of 2,908, between 1982 and 1992.
  • AR, DE, IN, IA, KS, MO, TN, UT and WY lost 20 - 40% of their abortion providers.
  • 84% of U.S. counties have no known abortion provider.
  • In non-metropolitan areas, 94% of counties have no provider.
  • Most abortions (69%) take place in the country's 441 abortion clinics (defined as non-hospital facilities in which half or more patient visits are for abortion services).
  • Abortion rates declined more in MI and DC, where Medicaid stopped paying for abortions, than in the U.S. in general.
  • In the last 20 years, the number of residency programs training doctors to do abortions dropped 50%.

Why the drop in abortions?

• The number of unintended pregnancies may have decreased.
• Attitudes may have changed toward less acceptance of abortion or more acceptance of childbirth outside marriage.
• Abortion services may have become less accessible.

Some conclusions

• The declining number of providers "suggests that services are becoming more difficult to obtain," especially in non-metropolitan areas.
• Decreases in the number of providers "have been especially steep among hospitals".
• Some of the decline is due to the high cost of abortions in hospitals.
• There has been an increase in the concentration of services in specialized abortion clinics, where 69% of all abortions are now performed. "Thus, abortion services are becoming even more isolated from the mainstream of medical care, leaving physicians who provide these services vulnerable to stigmatization within the medical community."

NUMBER OF ABORTIONS BY STATE
# of abortions

	1992	1988
AL	17,450	18,220
AK	2,370	2,390
AZ	20,600	23,070
AR	7,130	6,250
CA	304,230	311,720
CO	19,880	18,740
CT	19,720	23,630
DE	5,730	5,710
DC	21,320	26,120
FL	84,680	82,850
GA	39,680	36,720
HI	12,190	11,170
ID	1,710	1,920
IL	68,420	72,570
IN	15,840	15,760
IA	6,970	9,420
KS	12,570	11,440
KY	10,000	11,520
LA	13,600	17,340
ME	4,200	4,620
MD	31,260	32,670
MA	40,660	43,720
MI	55,580	63,410
MN	16,180	18,580
MS	7,550	5,120
MO	13,510	19,490
MT	3,300	3,050
NE	5,580	6,490
NV	13,300	10,190
NH	3,890	4,710
NJ	55,320	63,900
NM	6,410	6,810
NY	195,390	183,980
NC	36,180	39,720
ND	1,490	2,230
OH	49,520	53,400
OK	8,940	12,120
OR	16,060	15,960
PA	49,740	51,830
RI	6,990	7,190
SC	12,190	14,160
SD	1,040	900
TN	19,060	22,090
TX	97,400	100,690
UT	3,940	5,030
VT	2,900	3,580
VA	35,020	35,420
WA	33,190	31,220
WV	3,140	3,270
WI	15,450	18,040
WY	460	600

ABORTION RATES
(per 1,000 women, ages 15-44)

Highest		Lowest
DC	138.4	WY	4.3
NY	46.2	SD	6.8
HI	46.0	ID	7.2
NV	44.2	WV	7.7
CA	42.1	UT	9.3

Posted 16 Sep 2000.

Copyright 1995,2000 by Ohio Right to Life and Pregnant Pause
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