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Abortions
in Ohio Drop to All-Time Low
Part One of Three
By Dave Andrusko
Before we talk
about the encouraging news out
of Ohio, be sure to read
Part Two and take action.
Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi
is planning to try to ram the
massive health care bill (H.R.
3200) through the U.S. House of
Representatives on short notice,
without allowing consideration
of a critical pro-life
amendment. National Right to
Life is urging every pro-life
citizen to immediately
TELEPHONE the office of his
or her representative in the
U.S. House of Representatives
with a clear and firm message
urging a NO vote on the
no-amendment procedure (which is
called "the rule") on H.R. 3200.
If you've already called, it is
essential that you call again.
When you are done, be sure to
alert your pro-life friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Ohio Department of Health
reports not only that abortions
dropped 4% between 2007 and
2008, but also that the 2008
figure of 29,613 is the lowest
number of abortions ever
recorded. Overall abortions have
decreased a stunning 23% since
1976 when the state first began
keeping records.
"We are winning
the fight against those who push
abortion as the first and
sometimes only choice for women
in crisis," Ohio Right to Life
Executive Director Mike
Gonidakis said. But he also put
the report in perspective.
"While we take great joy that
the collective efforts of Ohio's
pro-life community are making
significant strides in ending
abortions," Gonidakis said, "
the total number is staggering."
However that does
not take away from the positive
trends the Health Department
documented in its report
(available at
www.ohiolife.org/assets/attachments/file/2008AbortionReport.pdf).
As Ohio RTL
points out on its webpage (www.ohiolife.org),
some of the key findings
comparing abortions between 2008
and 1997 include:
Abortion declined
by 35% among women 18 years old
and younger. The decline was 22%
among women 20-24 years old and
19% among women 25 years and
older.
Abortion declined 30% among
white women; 10% among
African-American women; and 15%
among other groups.
There was also
detailed demographic information
about the women obtaining
abortions. According to Ohio RTL,
those statistics include that:
- 18% of
women were less than 20
years old;
- 34% were
between 20 and 24 years old;
- 47% were
older than 24 years old;
- 83% were
unmarried;
- 56% were
white; and
- 42% were
black.
There were
two other statistics worth
highlighting.
-
Ohio's abortion rate for
women of childbearing
age (15-44) was
12/1,000. The national
abortion rate (as of
2005) was 15/1,000.
- In
addition
"medical/non-surgical
procedures" (primarily
the chemical
abortifacient RU486) now
accounts for 17% of
abortions in Ohio,
making it the second
most common abortion
technique after
curettage.
"Ohio
Right to Life and our
life-affirming crisis
pregnancy centers help
women see that they have
real alternatives to
abortion," Gonidakis
said in a statement
found on the Ohio RTL
webpage. "We will
continue to promote
life-affirming options
including adoption and
will work to increase
the understanding that
abortion hurts not only
the unborn, but also the
women who have them."
Please
send your thoughts and
comments to
daveandrusko@gmail.com.
Part Two
Part Three |
