We are speaking about issues that people are talking about and need to be addressed by the Church. Here we continue our comments on abortion, a blog written in response to a question asked by this author’s millennial niece: What do you think about abortion, and you can say whatever you want?!
Today’s Scene: Apparently, many millennials are more pro-life than their baby-boomer parents. The annual rate of abortion in the United States has been declining in recent years (see table below). Why are abortions declining? The theories include increased availability of the morning-after pill, better education and understanding of contraceptives, and a declining birth rate. It can also be because of the pro-life movement, who provide education and support of expectant mothers.
An interesting fact is that abortion clinics are closing across the United States. In 2017, there were 780 abortion clinics nationally. As of 2019, that number reduced to 755. Why the reduction? Finances is important factor, since many seeking abortions can be lower income mothers. There are less pregnancies and people are choosing to terminate at home (again, the morning after pill). State regulations may inhibit some clinics and anti-abortion protestors outside the clinic may be another factor.
Being an abortion doctor can be hazardous to your health: a string of high-profile assassinations of abortionists have clearly encouraged some to close their doors. Of course, most pro-lifers condemn these assassinations; since the ‘right to life’ extends to abortion doctors, too.
Public opinion is slowly shifting toward the pro-life stance. Even Norma McCorvey, the ‘Jane Roe’ in Roe vs. Wade, apparently defected from the ‘pro-choice’ to ‘pro-life’ camp. The 2015 revelation from surreptitious videos that Planned Parenthood medical staff were selling aborted baby body parts (clearly an illegal act) keeps this divisive issue on the front page.
|
Year
|
Number of reported abortions to CDC
|
Abortions compared to 1000 live births
|
|
1970
|
193,491
|
52
|
|
1971
|
485,816
|
137
|
|
1972
|
586,760
|
180
|
|
1973
|
(Roe v. Wade 22 January) 615,831
|
196
|
|
1978
|
1,157,776
|
347
|
|
1979
|
1,251,921
|
358
|
|
1980
|
1,297,606
|
359
|
|
1981
|
1,300,760
|
358
|
|
1990
|
1,429,247
|
345
|
|
1991
|
1,388,937
|
339
|
|
1997
|
1,186,039
|
274
|
|
1998
|
884,273
|
264
|
|
1999
|
861,789
|
256
|
|
2013
|
664,435
|
200
|
|
2014
|
652,639
|
193
|
|
2015
|
638,169
|
188
|
|
2016
|
623,471
|
186
|
Abortion Statistics in the United States of America (Select Years)Statistics courtesy of Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortion_statistics_in_the_United_States
Abortion Rates in Australia
|
Year
|
Estimated number of abortions
|
|
1985
|
46,500
|
|
1990
|
80,113
|
|
1995
|
90,182
|
|
2000
|
74,888
|
|
2005
|
70,153
|
|
2010
|
66,200
|
|
2015
|
54,700
|
http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/policy/abortion/ab-australia.html
The United Kingdom has had legal abortions since 1969. Since then the rates of abortion have increased 275%. The highest rate for one year was 205,598 in 2007 (England & Wales; Scotland’s highest was 13,908 in 2008). Until recently abortion was illegal in Northern Ireland. Altogether, there have been 9,120,000 abortions in the UK during the 50 years period from 1968-2018.
|
YEAR
|
ESTIMATED NUMBER OF ABORTIONS IN THE UK
|
|
1970
|
91,819
|
|
1975
|
147,029
|
|
1980
|
168,808
|
|
1985
|
181,062
|
|
1990
|
197,131
|
|
1995
|
174,781
|
|
2000
|
197,372
|
|
2005
|
207,018
|
|
2010
|
209,057
|
|
2015
|
203,148
|
Statistics courtesy of: https://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/uk_abortion_statistics/
To be continued