The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the decade ending in 2016 had the lowest number of abortions since the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade abortion decision.
The agency’s numbers from 2007 to 2016 show 623,471 abortions from 48 reporting areas – 47 states and New York City. California, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Washington DC. were not included in the data.
In the decade between 2007-2016, abortions decreased 24 percent (from 825,240), the abortion rate dropped 26 percent (from 15.6 abortions per 1,000 women), and the abortion ratio decreased 18 percent (from 226 abortions per 1,000 live births).
From 2015 to 2016, the number of abortions dropped two percent. “The abortion rate also decreased two percent, from 11.8 abortions per 1,000 women to 11.6, and the abortion ratio dropped one percent, from 188 abortions per 1,000 live births to 186,”
As is well-known by conservatives, black women account for the most significant percentage of abortions. Black women account for 38 percent of abortions, white women 35 percent, and Hispanic women at only 18.8 percent, according to the CDC.
The CDC added:
In this report, abortion rates and ratios remained 1.8 and 1.4 times higher, respectively, for Hispanic women than for non-Hispanic white women, and 3.8 and 3.7 times higher, respectively, for non-Hispanic black women than for non-Hispanic white women. The comparatively high abortion rates and ratios among non-Hispanic black women have been attributed to higher unintended pregnancy rates and a greater percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion.
Only 14.1 percent of women receiving abortions were married. Unmarried women made up 85.9 percent of abortions.
“Recent data indicate that the proportion of pregnancies in the United States that were unintended decreased from 51% in 2008 to 45% during 2011–2013,” the CDC reported.
Pro-life leaders are hailing the new numbers.
“American mothers are increasingly choosing life for their children, as well as choosing to identify themselves with the pro-life cause and pro-life policies,” said Chuck Donovan, president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute. “This includes the broad protections for women and children being enacted at the state level such as strengthened health and safety standards for abortion facilities, limits on public funding of abortion, parental involvement laws, and increased informed consent.”
Cross-Posted with Godfather Politics