Abortion Facts

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

The following is a list of useful abortion statistics as well as some facts on abortifacients. All abortion numbers are derived from pro-abortion sources courtesy of The Alan Guttmacher Institute and Planned Parenthood's Family Planning Perspectives.
WORLDWIDE

Number of abortions per year: Approximately 46 Million
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 126,000

Where abortions occur:
78% of all abortions are obtained in developing countries and 22% occur in developed countries.

Legality of abortion:
About 26 million women obtain legal abortions each year, while an additional 20 million abortions are obtained in countries where it is restricted or prohibited by law.

Abortion averages:
Worldwide, the lifetime average is about 1 abortion per woman.

© Copyright 1999-2000, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)

UNITED STATES

Number of abortions per year: 1.37 Million (1996)
Number of abortions per day: Approximately 3,700

Who's having abortions (age)?
52% of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and girls under 15 account for 1.2%.

Who's having abortions (race)?
While white women obtain 60% of all abortions, their abortion rate is well below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are roughly 2 times as likely.

Who's having abortions (marital status)?
64.4% of all abortions are performed on never-married women; Married women account for 18.4% of all abortions and divorced women obtain 9.4%.

Who's having abortions (religion)?
Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".

Who's having abortions (income)?
Women with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all abortions; Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19.5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38.0%; Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.

Why women have abortions
1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).

At what gestational ages are abortions performed:
52% of all abortions occur before the 9th week of pregnancy, 25% happen between the 9th & 10th week, 12% happen between the 11th and 12th week, 6% happen between the 13th & 15th week, 4% happen between the 16th & 20th week, and 1% of all abortions (16,450/yr.) happen after the 20th week of pregnancy.

Likelihood of abortion:
An estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on women who have had at least one previous abortion.

Abortion coverage:
48% of all abortion facilities provide services after the 12th week of pregnancy. 9 in 10 managed care plans routinely cover abortion or provide limited coverage. About 14% of all abortions in the United States are paid for with public funds, virtually all of which are state funds. 16 states (CA, CT, HI, ED, IL, MA , MD, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA and WV) pay for abortions for some poor women.

© Copyright 1998, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)
© Copyright 1997, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)
© Copyright 1995, Family Planning Perspectives
© Copyright 1988, Family Planning Perspectives



The Pill – Progesterone only, low dose combination pills
The Physician’s Desk Reference lists the above hormonal contraceptives as having three mechanisms of action: 1) Prevent ovulation, 2) Thicken the cervical mucous to prevent sperm from entering the uterus and fallopian tube, and 3) Alter the lining of the uterus so implantation cannot take place. The third action, if and when it occurs, is abortifacient (meaning a human life has begun but cannot continue to develop without the nourishment provided through the mother’s uterine wall). Although pro-life physicians continue to debate if and how often hormonal contraceptives interfere with the implantation of an embryo, it is important to educate ourselves and our clients about this potential action of the Pill. Those who seek to protect the sanctity of human life from the point of fertilization should be cautious about taking any drug which could end the developing child’s life.

For further research, download or purchase the helpful booklet Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?

Norplant
This implant is placed under the skin of the arm for up to a 5 year period. The progesterone hormone’s effect is to suppress ovulation, but after 2 years, there is a greater chance of break-through ovulation and fertilization. The hormone may prevent implantation of the embryo.

Depo-Provera
This Progesterone (hormone) derivative is injected every 3 months to prevent a woman from ovulating, but it also alters the uterine lining. Break-through ovulation and fertilization may occur, though less frequently than with Norplant. The hormone may prevent implantation of the embryo.

Morning after pill
Large doses of existing birth control pills (or another drug levonorgestrel, known as Plan B) are given up to 72 hours after intercourse to attempt to prevent the implantation of the embryo. A second dose is given 12 hours after the first one. The action of these large doses of hormones birth control pills work to prevent ovulation and/or fertilization.

RU-486
When a woman is given RU-486 (also called Mifepristone), it kills her baby by interfering with progesterone, the hormone which keeps the baby implanted in the wall of the mother’s uterus. Two days later, the woman returns to the clinic to receive a prostaglandin drug which induces labor and expels the dead embryo (RU-486 is used until 7 weeks after the first day of her last menstrual period). If the baby hasn’t been expelled by the time the woman makes her third visit to the doctor, she will require a surgical abortion procedure (5-8% likelihood). Raymond, Klein & Dumble, the pro-abortion authors of RU486 Misconceptions, Myths and Morals, (IWT Pub, 1991) stress that RU-486 is not safe for women and list the following contraindications (reasons a person should not take RU-486): under age 18 or over 35; menstrual irregularities; history of fibroids, abnormal menstrual bleeding or endometriosis cervical incompetence, previous abortion, or abnormal pregnancies; pelvic inflammatory disease; recent use of IUD or the pill 3 months.

Methotrexate & Misoprostol
Two drugs that were developed for cancer (methotrexate) and ulcer (misoprostol) treatment are now being used in combination to kill babies. Methotrexate is used to poison the baby and then Misoprostol empties the uterus of the baby. Keep in mind that Methotrexate is a chemotherapy drug with the potential for serious toxicity, which can result in the death of the mother as well as the baby. (Methotrexate & Misoprostol to Terminate Early Pregnancy, R. Hausknecht, New England Journal of Medicine, Vol.333, No. 9, 8/31/95, Pg. 537 and “Methotrexate & Misoprostol,” M. Creinin et al., JAMA, Oct. 19, 1994 and Physicians Desk Reference)


Source: [url="http://www.abortionno.com/Resources/fastfacts.html"]http://www.abortionno.com/Resources/fastfacts.html[/url]

Edited September 30, 2004 by FutureNunJMJ

[St. Catherine]

Very interesting facts. Thanks for the info. I am always looking for statistics on abortion. It looks like I am going to be involved with the local Life Line group here.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

Cool beans! Way to get involved!

[stargirl3:16]

That's sad. When will people learn?

[*teen4Christ*]

every 22 seconds a baby dies!!!!!!!

[Carrie]

[quote name='FutureNunJMJ' date='Sep 30 2004, 04:57 AM'] Catholic women account for 31.3% [/quote]
:angry: They should really think twice about calling themselves Catholics unless they have repented.

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

yeah, but again, hate the act, not the person... abortion is just sad...

[Carrie]

I don't hate the people, but let's be honest, they are not truly Catholic if they cannot follow this basic teaching.


I agree, it's very very sad.



Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen

[Piccoli Fiori JMJ]

[quote name='Carrie' date='Sep 30 2004, 02:05 PM'] I don't hate the people, but let's be honest, they are not truly Catholic if they cannot follow this basic teaching. [/quote]
True, true...

[jesusfreakriggs]

I don't post often, but I dislike when I see things written like "they should think twice about calling themselves Catholic"....but...


Guys, i know how bad this will sound, but in order to "be" a Catholic, one does not have to believe anything more than is in our creed. That's why we have it. I find it difficult to believe someone is Catholic if they have an abortion (but I'm not in charge of judging them) I just ask where there moral lines are drawn.
But to claim someone isn't Catholic because of a sin (regardless of what it is) is almost a sin in itself.
We all sin, each of our sins put Christ on the Cross, including our judgements right along side the abortions, a sin is a sin is a sin.

Let's love like He did. No use in calling people Catholic/Non-Catholic because of their actions, we're not perfect.

Edited September 30, 2004 by jesusfreakriggs

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='jesusfreakriggs' date='Sep 30 2004, 03:48 PM'] I don't post often, but I dislike when I see things written like "they should think twice about calling themselves Catholic"....but...


Guys, i know how bad this will sound, but in order to "be" a Catholic, one does not have to believe anything more than is in our creed. That's why we have it. I find it difficult to believe someone is Catholic if they have an abortion (but I'm not in charge of judging them) I just ask where there moral lines are drawn.
But to claim someone isn't Catholic because of a sin (regardless of what it is) is almost a sin in itself.
We all sin, each of our sins put Christ on the Cross, including our judgements right along side the abortions, a sin is a sin is a sin.

Let's love like He did. No use in calling people Catholic/Non-Catholic because of their actions, we're not perfect. [/quote]
There are beliefs that are necessary to be believed outside of the Creed to be Catholic. The Assumption of Mary, for instance.

[Carrie]

Sorry if you think I'm being judgemental. I'm just being truthful.


Peace.

[jesusfreakriggs]

justifying judgement as being truthful is a joke.

Jesus wasn't "truthful" with the adultress in John 8, rather He loved her, and just asked that she sin no more, He didn't ask if she did that, and then say she couldnt' call herself Jewish/Christian.

I just see that as very condemning and not very Christ-like.

[Carrie]

[quote name='jesusfreakriggs' date='Sep 30 2004, 05:09 PM'] justifying judgement as being truthful is a joke.

Jesus wasn't "truthful" with the adultress in John 8, rather He loved her, and just asked that she sin no more, He didn't ask if she did that, and then say she couldnt' call herself Jewish/Christian.

I just see that as very condemning and not very Christ-like. [/quote]
I don't see how it's condemning. Notice I said "unless they have repented." If one has repented for their sin, then great, they are in accordance with the Church.

If one is not in full communion with the Church, how can they call themselves Catholic?

[Cathurian]

Yeah, I agree with Carrie. She's not speaking of repentant women who have had abortions, but unrepentant ones.

It's like if the adulteress had said, no, there wasn't anything wrong with cheating on her husband. I don't know what Jesus would have done, then, except keep the option to stop open for her. That's always, always there, and we need to pray for those with hard hearts.

But yeah.