We are often asked WHY we encourage abortion recovery efforts around the globe. WHY our organization finds it important to link the wounded women, men, grandparents, siblings and family members to agencies that provide counseling for after-abortion trauma. Since 1973, millions of abortions have taken place, and a large percentage of the individuals experiencing those abortions are hurting after-the-fact.

INCIDENCE OF ABORTION

Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-four percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. 

In 2002, 1.29 million abortions took place, down from 1.36 million in 1996. From 1973 through 2002, more than 42 million legal abortions occurred. 

Each year, two out of every 100 women aged 15–44 have an abortion; 48% of them have had at least one previous abortion.

About half of American women have experienced an unintended pregnancy, and at current rates more than one-third will have had an abortion by age 45. 

WHO HAS ABORTIONS

Fifty-two percent of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25: Women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and teenagers obtain 19%.

Black women are almost four times as likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are 2.5 times as likely.

Forty-three percent of women obtaining abortions identify themselves as Protestant, and 27% as Catholic.

Two-thirds of all abortions are among never-married women.

Over 60% of abortions are among women who have had one or more children.

The abortion rate among women living below the federal poverty level ($9,570 for a single woman with no children) is more than four times that of women above 300% of the poverty level (44 vs. 10 abortions per 1,000 women).

On average, women give four reasons for choosing abortion. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.

CONTRACEPTIVE USE

Fifty-four percent of women having abortions used a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users reported using their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users reported correct use.

Forty-six percent of women having abortions did not use a contraceptive method during the month they became pregnant. Of these women, 33% perceived themselves to be at low risk, 32% had concerns about contraceptive methods, 26% had unexpected sex and 1% were forced to have sex. 

Eight percent of women having abortions have never used a method of birth control; nonuse is greatest among those who are young, poor, black, Hispanic or less educated. 

About half of unintended pregnancies occur among the 11% of women at risk of unintended pregnancy who did not use contraceptives in the month they became pregnant. Most of these women had practiced contraception in the past.

PROVIDERS AND SERVICES

The number of U.S. abortion providers declined by 11% between 1996 and 2000 (from 2,042 to 1,819). Eighty-seven percent of all U.S. counties lacked an abortion provider in 2000. These counties were home to 34% of all 15–44-year-old women.

Thirty-seven percent of providers offer abortion at four weeks’ gestation, and 97% offer abortion at eight weeks. Thirty-three percent offer abortion at 20 weeks, after which the number of providers offering abortion services drops off sharply. Only 2% of all abortion providers provide abortions at 26 weeks’ gestation. 

The proportion of providers offering very early abortion (at four weeks’ gestation) increased from 7% in 1993 to 37% in 2001. 

In 2001, the cost of a nonhospital abortion with local anesthesia at 10 weeks’ gestation ranged from $150 to $4,000, and the average amount paid was $372.

MEDICATION ABORTION

In September 2000, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the abortion drug mifepristone to be marketed in the United States as an alternative to surgical abortion.

In nonhospital facilities offering mifepristone for use in medication abortion in 2001, the average cost of a medication abortion was $490. 

At one large network of providers, the proportion of early abortions performed with mifepristone increased from 9% of eligible women in 2001 to 24% in 2004.

Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion. Twenty-four percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion. In 2002, 1.29 million abortions took place, down from 1.36 million in 1996. From 1973 through 2002, more than 42 million legal abortions occurred.

About half of American women have experienced an unintended pregnancy, and at current rates more than one-third will have had an abortion by age 45.