About 930,160 abortions were performed in 2020, marking a 1% increase from the year before and an 8% increase from 2017, equaling to about 1 in 5 pregnancies that year, according to data from the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute. At the same time, the country documented a 6% decline in births from 2017 to 2020, with 3.6 million babies being born over the three-year period.
The data overlap with an expected decision from the Supreme Court on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that would virtually overturn the 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. The court is poised to issue its decision this month, with politicians readying for a barrage of criticism after a leaked draft opinion suggested justices would vote to reverse Roe, handing the decision on whether to legalize abortion back to individual states.
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Over the last decade, from 2011 to 2017, the number of abortions dropped by 20%, with pro-abortion rights advocates linking this to altering societal perceptions on the procedure, contraceptives, sexual activity, and infertility. Before the 2020 setback, abortion trends in the country had been steadily declining for decades.
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According to the data, southeastern states, including Florida and Texas, which now have some of the strictest laws surrounding abortion, saw the highest rates of abortion between 2017 and 2020. The number of abortions in Texas increased by 7% between 2017 and 2019, falling 2% between 2019 and 2020. Similarly, Florida saw a 9% increase between 2017 and 2020, with most of the increase stemming from abortions performed in 2020.
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At least 26 states are preparing to set severe restrictions on abortion should Roe v. Wade be reversed by the Supreme Court. Thirteen states already have trigger laws in place that would automatically ban the procedure if the decision is overturned.
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Pro-abortion rights advocates have decried the decision, warning about the consequences it will have for women’s health.
“An increase in abortion numbers is a positive development if it means people are getting the health care they want and need,” the Guttmacher Institute said in a statement. “Rather than focusing on reducing abortion, policies should instead center the needs of people and protect their right to bodily autonomy.”
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This data comes as Police are investigating an alleged arson at a crisis pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York, on Tuesday after a fire destroyed much of a Christian pregnancy center and injured two firemen who responded to it.
Investigations are underway at several other pregnancy centers hit by Molotov cocktails in the month since the Dobbs opinion leaked, including in Keizer, Oregon, and in Madison, Wisconsin .
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