Abortion procedures in the U.S. reached a record low in 2011, with 730,322 abortions reported, down 4.6% from 2010, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which compiles data on the procedures.
Forty-nine out of 52 reporting areas—which include all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City—contributed to the 2011 report. Among 46 areas that have continuously reported statistics since 2002, there were 13.9 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, down 5% from 2010. There were 219 abortions for every 1,000 live births, down 4% from the year before.
The number of abortion procedures has decreased steadily since data collection began in 2002, with the exception of 2006, due to a reporting anomaly and because more agencies began providing statistics at that time. The CDC gathers the data from the central health agencies of the 52 reporting areas, where in most cases, reporting abortions is a legal requirement for physicians, hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
California, Maryland and New Hampshire did not submit voluntary statistics. Not all states report all types of data, such as patient age, gestational age, race or ethnicity.
A majority of abortions—about 71%—were performed by curettage, the removal of tissue from inside the uterus, by 13 weeks gestation. Slightly more than 19% were performed by early medical abortion—a nonsurgical procedure done by 8 weeks gestation—and 8.6% were performed by curettage past 13 weeks gestation, according to the report. The CDC reported that 28.5% of pregnancies that were eligible for early medical abortion were terminated in that manner, and the number of such procedures was up 3% from 2010.
Also, 64.5% of abortions were performed before 8 weeks gestation, and nearly all were performed by 13 weeks. The number of procedures performed at 8 weeks gestation increased 6% over the reporting period.
Women in their 20s accounted for the majority of abortions in 2011. Women ages 20 to 24 accounted for 32.9% of abortions, while those ages 25 to 29 accounted for 24.9%. Their rates were 24.9 and 19.4 abortions per 1,000 women, respectively. Between 2002 and 2011, abortions for 20- to 24-year-olds have decreased by 21%, and declined by 16% for 25- to 29-year-olds.
Abortions for adolescents dropped more than any other age group, although their ratio was also the highest among all age groups in 2011 and throughout the nine-year period. From 2002 to 2011, the total number of abortions for girls age 19 and under has decreased 21% and their rate has decreased 34%.
Teens ages 15 to 19 accounted for 13.5% of all abortions in 2011, with a rate of 10.5 abortions per 1,000 girls their age. Girls younger than age 15 accounted for 0.4% of all abortions, with a rate of 0.9 abortions per 1,000 girls.
Among the 27 areas that reported race and ethnicity data, non-Hispanic black women had the highest abortion rate at 29.7 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. They also had the highest abortion ratio, with 459 abortions for every 1,000 live births. Non-Hispanic white women had the lowest abortion rate and ratio, with 8 abortions per 1,000 women, and 132 abortions per 1,000 live births.
The CDC also collects information on deaths resulting from abortions. In 2010, the most recent year of data available, 10 women reportedly died as a result of complications from legal abortions, while none were reported to have died from illegal procedures.
Voters in a number of states decided on several abortion-related ballot initiatives in this past election, including “personhood” amendments in Colorado and North Dakota. In Tennessee, voters approved a measure that declared that nothing in the state's constitution “secures or protects” an individual's right to an abortion, which could open up the state to new restrictions drafted by legislators.
Follow Adam Rubenfire on Twitter: @arubenfire
