More women received abortions in the United States during 2020 than in the decades prior, reversing recent trends and marking the first increase in the number of abortions in more than 30 years.
Roughly 930,160 abortions were performed in 2020, marking a 1% increase from the year before and an 8% increase from 2017, equaling out to about 1 in 5 pregnancies that year, according to data from the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute. At the same time, the country reported a 6% decline in births from 2017 to 2020, with 3.6 million babies being born over the three-year period.
VIOLENCE AGAINST ANTI-ABORTION MOVEMENT INCREASES AHEAD OF DOBBS DECISION
The data coincide with a highly anticipated decision from the Supreme Court on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that would effectively overturn the 1973 landmark decision Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. The court is set to release its decision this month, with politicians bracing for a storm of backlash after a leaked draft opinion suggested justices would vote to reverse Roe, handing the decision on whether to legalize abortion back to individual states.
Over the last decade, from 2011 to 2017, the number of abortions fell by 20%, with pro-abortion rights advocates attributing this to changing societal perceptions on the procedure, contraceptives, sexual activity, and infertility. Before the 2020 reversal, abortion trends in the country had been steadily declining for decades.
Southeastern states, including Florida and Texas, which now have some of the strictest laws surrounding abortion, saw the highest increased rates of abortion between 2017 and 2020, according to the data. 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 a majority of the increase stemming from abortions performed in 2020.
At least 26 states are preparing to impose 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.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
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.”
