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Document Sample
In Brief
Facts on Induced Abortion
In the United States
INCIDENCE OF ABORTION • Women in their twenties account for family life. Three-fourths of women cite
• Nearly half of pregnancies among more than half of all abortions; women concern for or responsibility to other
American women are unintended, and four aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, individuals; three-fourths say they cannot
in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. and women aged 25-29 obtain 24%. afford a child; three-fourths say that
Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies having a baby would interfere with work,
• Thirty percent of abortions occur to
(excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. school or the ability to care for depend-
non-Hispanic black women, 36% to non-
ents; and half say they do not want to be
• Forty percent of pregnancies among Hispanic white women, 25% to Hispanic
a single parent or are having problems
white women, 69% among blacks and women and 9% to women of other races.
with their husband or partner.
54% among Hispanics are unintended. • Thirty-seven percent of women
• In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were obtaining abortions identify as CONTRACEPTIVE USE
performed, down from 1.31 million in Protestant and 28% as Catholic. • Fifty-four percent of women who have
2000. From 1973 through 2005, more abortions had used a contraceptive
• Women who have never married and method (usually the condom or the pill)
than 45 million legal abortions occurred. are not cohabiting account for 45% of all during the month they became pregnant.
• Each year, two percent of women aged abortions. Among those women, 76% of pill users
15-44 have an abortion; half have had at • About 61% of abortions are obtained by and 49% of condom users report having
least one previous abortion. women who have one or more children. used their method inconsistently, while
• At least half of American women will 13% of pill users and 14% of condom
• Forty-two percent of women obtaining
experience an unintended pregnancy by users report correct use.
abortions have incomes below 100% of
age 45, and, at current rates, about one- the federal poverty level ($10,830 for a • Forty-six percent of women who have
third will have had an abortion. single woman with no children). Twenty- abortions had not used a contraceptive
seven percent of women obtaining method during the month they became
WHO HAS ABORTIONS? pregnant. Of these women, 33% had
• Eighteen percent of U.S. women abortions have incomes between 100-
199% of the federal poverty level.* perceived themselves to be at low risk
obtaining abortions are teenagers; those for pregnancy, 32% had had concerns
aged 15-17 obtain 6% of all abortions, • The reasons women give for having an about contraceptive methods, 26% had
teens aged 18-19 obtain 11%, and teens abortion underscore their understanding had unexpected sex and 1% had been
under age 15 obtain 0.4%. of the responsibilities of parenthood and forced to have sex.
Number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44, by year • Eight percent of women who have
No. abortions have never used a method of
35 birth control; nonuse is greatest among
29.3 those who are young, poor, black,
30 28.0
26.4 26.8 Hispanic or less educated.
25.0
25 21.9 • About half of unintended pregnancies
21.1
19.4
20 occur among the 11% of women who are
at risk but are not using contraceptives.
15 16.3
Most of these women have practiced
10 contraception in the past.
5
*Poverty guidelines are updated periodically in the Federal
0 Register by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 Services under the authority of 42 USC 9902(2).
PROVIDERS AND SERVICES abortion providers offer only weeks to one per 29,000 at for abortions, except when the
• The number of U.S. abortion medication abortion services. 16–20 weeks—and one per woman’s life would be endan-
providers declined by 2% 11,000 at 21 or more weeks. gered by a full-term pregnancy
• Medication abortion
between 2000 and 2005 (from or in cases of rape or incest.
accounted for 13% of all • Fifty-eight percent of abortion
1,819 to 1,787). Eighty-seven
abortions, and 22% of abor- patients say they would have • Seventeen states use public
percent of all U.S. counties
tions before nine weeks’ liked to have had their abortion funds to pay for abortions for
lacked an abortion provider in some poor women, but only
gestation, in 2005. earlier. Nearly 60% of women
2005; 35% of women live in who experienced a delay in four do so voluntarily; the rest
those counties. SAFETY OF ABORTION obtaining an abortion cite the do so under a court order.
• Forty percent of providers offer • The risk of abortion compli- time it took to make arrange- About 20% of abortion patients
very early abortions (even before cations is minimal: Fewer than ments and raise money. report using Medicaid to pay
the first missed period) and 96% 0.3% of abortion patients for abortions (virtually all in
experience a complication that • Teens are more likely than
offer abortion at eight weeks states where abortion services
requires hospitalization. older women to delay having an
from the last menstrual period. are paid for with state dollars).
abortion until after 15 weeks of
Sixty-seven percent of providers • Abortions performed in the pregnancy, when the medical • Family planning clinics
offer at least some second- first trimester pose virtually no risks associated with abortion funded under Title X of the
trimester abortion services (13 long-term risk of such problems are significantly higher. federal Public Health Service
weeks or later), and 20% offer as infertility, ectopic preg- Act have helped women
abortion after 20 weeks. Only nancy, spontaneous abortion LAW AND POLICY prevent 20 million unintended
8% of all abortion providers (miscarriage) or birth defect, • In the 1973 Roe v. Wade pregnancies during the last 20
offer abortions at 24 weeks. and little or no risk of preterm decision, the Supreme Court years. An estimated nine
or low-birth-weight deliveries. ruled that women, in consulta- million of these pregnancies
• In 2005, the cost of a
tion with their physician, have would have ended in abortion.
nonhospital abortion with local • Exhaustive reviews by panels a constitutionally protected
anesthesia at 10 weeks’ convened by the U.S. and right to have an abortion in
gestation ranged from $90 to British governments have The data in this fact sheet are
the early stages of pregnancy—
$1,800; the average amount concluded that there is no the most current available. Most are
that is, before viability—free from research conducted by the
paid was $413. association between abortion from government interference. Guttmacher Institute and/or published
and breast cancer. There is also in its peer-reviewed journals. An
MEDICATION ABORTION • In 1992, the Court reaffirmed additional source is the Centers for
no indication that abortion is
• In September 2000, the U.S. the right to abortion in Disease Control and Prevention.
a risk factor for other cancers.
Food and Drug Administration Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
approved mifepristone to be • In repeated studies since the However, the ruling signifi-
marketed in the United States early 1980s, leading experts cantly weakened the legal
as an alternative to surgical have concluded that abortion protections previously afforded
abortion. does not pose a hazard to women and physicians by
women’s mental health. giving states the right to enact
• In 2005, 57% of abortion
providers, or 1,026 facilities, • The risk of death associated restrictions that do not create
provided one or more medica- with abortion increases with an “undue burden” for women
tion abortions, a 70% increase the length of pregnancy, from seeking abortion.
from the first half of 2001. At one death for every one million • Thirty-four states currently
least 10% of nonhospital abortions at or before eight enforce parental consent or
notification laws for minors
When women have abortions* seeking an abortion. The Advancing sexual and
reproductive health worldwide
Eighty-eight percent of abortions occur in the first 12 weeks of Supreme Court ruled that
through research, policy analysis
pregnancy, 2006. minors must have an alternative and public education
to parental involvement, such
3.8% 1.5% New York
6.6% <9 weeks as the ability to seek a court
61.8% 125 Maiden Lane, 7th floor
9–10
order authorizing the procedure. New York, NY 10038
9.1% Tel: 212.248.1111
11–12 • Even without specific
info@guttmacher.org
parental involvement laws, six
17.1% 13–15 Washington DC
in 10 minors who have an
16–20 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 700
abortion report that at least Washington, DC 20036
21 or more one parent knew about it. Tel: 202.296.4012
policyinfo@guttmacher.org
• Congress has barred the use
*In weeks from the last menstrual period. www.guttmacher.org May 2010
of federal Medicaid funds to pay
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