In that year, as reported to the CDC, about as many women as the entire population of the state of Delaware (i.e., about 850,000) voluntarily terminated a pregnancy in the United States. (That's a lot of murder prosecutions!) Assuming all U.S. residents -- and the figure is reported abortions performed in the U.S., not reported American women obtaining abortions -- that comes to about 16 women age 15 to 44 per 1,000, or about 2 women in every 300. Women under 20 and minor women accounted for about 1/8 of all abortions. The vast majority of abortions (over 60%) were performed at or before 8 weeks' gestation.
The summary page includes a discussion of methodology and links to over 20 tables of organized data. My friend Amie Newman has drawn out and explained some of the more interesting facts and figures. And she concludes her post at RH Reality Check with a reminder about the real goal of Crisis Pregnancy Centers and other anti-choice organizations:
Crisis Pregnancy Centers, most often created and run as an outreach arm of a faith-based, anti-choice organization, do not provide medical care and so do not provide family planning or contraception services to pregnant clients. Instead, they repeat falsities and lies claiming that birth control methods like the pill or emergency contraception (Plan B) cause abortions.
If there is anything we can take from reports like these it is that an increased focus on ensuring that all women in this country have access to the education and tools necessary to prevent unintended pregnancy should be accessible health care for all women of reproductive health age.
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