Category: Abortion

Overview of Abortion in Arkansas (2013)

Recently we wrote about the Arkansas Department of Health’s report on abortions in Arkansas for 2013. We have analyzed some of the facts and figures in the 2013 report and the department’s reports for prior years. Below are some simple bullet points offering an overview of abortion in Arkansas for the year 2013.

Abortion Overview (All Time)

Abortion Statistics for Arkansas (Since 1973):

• Since 1973, Arkansas has aborted approximately 210,665 unborn children. That’s 5,138 children each year, on average.
• On average, abortion in Arkansas rose from 1973 to 1991.
• Abortion peaked in 1991, with 6,889 abortions performed.
• Abortion has been on a downward trend in Arkansas since 1991. (Figure 1)
• The number of abortions performed in Arkansas has declined consistently each year since 2006.
• Abortion’s decline in Arkansas does not appear to be tied clearly to increased access to contraception.

Abortion Overview (2013)

Abortion Statistics for Arkansas (2013):

• 3,732 abortions were performed in Arkansas.
• Abortion in Arkansas declined for the seventh straight year in a row.
• 2013 was the lowest year for abortion in Arkansas since 1977.
• 58% of abortions were performed on women ages 20 to 29 (Figures 2, 3, & 4).
• 32.5% of abortions were performed during the first seven weeks of pregnancy (Figures 5, 6, & 7).
• 87.5% of abortions were performed during the first trimester (Figures 5, 6, & 7).
• 87% of abortions were performed on unmarried women (Figures 8, 9, & 10).
• 41% of abortions performed in Arkansas in 2013 were on women with 1 or more previous abortions (Figures 11 & 12).
• 7.5% of abortions performed in Arkansas in 2013 were on women with 3 or more previous abortions (Figures 11 & 12).

Figure 1

Abortion by Age of the Mother (2013)

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Abortion in Arkansas Drops for Seventh Year in a Row

Earlier this summer the Arkansas Department of Health released its annual report on abortion in the state.

According to state records, 3,732 abortions were performed in Arkansas in 2013. That is a 1.3% decline over 2012, making 2013 the lowest year for abortion in Arkansas since 1977.

The number of abortions performed in Arkansas has dropped for seven straight years, now, and abortion has shown general decline in our state since 1992.

There are many reasons abortion in Arkansas continues to decline. A few people have suggested it is simply the result of increased access to contraception, but we are not so sure about that. Public support for abortion has waned in recent years, with more and more Americans identifying as “pro-life,” and I would think twice before writing off the shifting tide of public opinion on this issue.

Click here to read the full report from the Arkansas Department of Health.

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