The legality of abortion in America: which countries prohibit it?
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(CNN Spanish) --
The right to abortion in the US is a hotly debated issue and, given the possibility that Roe vs.
Wade, the case that established the federal right to abortion, the discussion picks up steam.
But if you think you know a lot about the abortion landscape in the United States, some of these statistics might surprise you:
Abortions are not on the rise
In the 49 years since abortion was legalized across the country, abortion rates have never been this low in the U.S. But those declines may have little to do with laws restricting abortion rights. approved across the country in recent years, the researchers say.
"The US abortion rate fell to 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2017, the lowest rate on record since abortion was legalized in 1973," said the Guttmacher Institute, a organization that supports the right to abortion.
These are the US states where the right to abortion would be under threat if Roe vs.
Wade
The number of abortions fell by 196,000, from 1,058,000 abortions in 2011 to 862,000 in 2017, a decrease of 19%.
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The research group conducts a census of abortion-related service providers every three years and spends approximately two years analyzing and aggregating the data.
For its part, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which began documenting in 1969 the number and characteristics of those who legally undergo induced abortions, reported the following data:
People who abort are not who some think they are
Very often, the objection to the right to abortion is presented as a religious objection.
According to the most recent data from the Guttmacher Institute, 62% of people who have had abortions in the United States mentioned a religious affiliation.
There is also no visible racial divide
No race makes up the majority of reported abortion patients, according to the latest figures from a study by the CDC.
Based on data on race and ethnicity, the highest percentages of abortions in 2019 were among non-Hispanic white women (33.4%) and non-Hispanic black women (38.4%).
Hispanics accounted for 21% of all abortions in 2020, while non-Hispanic women of other races accounted for 7.2%.
Most of those who aborted already had children
The CDC reports that people who had abortions (59.7%) in 2019 had already had at least one child, while 40.2% had no children.
For most, it was their first abortion
According to the CDC, the majority (58.2%) of those who had an abortion in 2019 did not report a previous one, while 23.8% said they had had an abortion before, 10.5% had already had two abortions and 7.5% had had three or more previous abortions.
“Late stage” abortions are rare
In the abortion rights debate, “late-stage” abortions are often the most contested types of procedures.
However, they also account for a miniscule number of abortion procedures.
What is late-term abortion?
Two gynecologists explain
Some consider “late-stage” abortion to be anything from the point of fetal viability (when the fetus is able to survive outside the womb), but the definition and parameters of “viability” are themselves a gray area.
However, Dr. Jennifer Conti, a member of the advocacy group Physicians for Reproductive Health and host of "The V Word," explained that abortion later in pregnancy refers to abortion that occurs at or after 21 weeks, so it's in the second or third trimester.
According to the CDC, abortions after 21 weeks' gestation accounted for 1% of all abortions performed in the United States in 2019. This means that abortions that occur beyond 24 weeks make up less than 1% of all abortions. reported procedures.
Medications to abortion on the rise
The number of people resorting to abortion in general has decreased, according to the CDC.
But the percentage that consumes drugs for this increased among those who opt for an abortion.
A study published in February by the Guttmacher Institute shows that 20 years after medical abortion was approved, this method accounted for more than half of all abortions in the United States.
In 2020, about 54% of people chose this method, compared to 24% who chose medication in 2011.
The debate is unlikely to end anytime soon
In 2021 registered American voters were asked to choose between "supporters of abortion rights" or "opponents of abortion rights", 49% of respondents said they identified as supporters "of women's right to an abortion legal," while 47% identified themselves as "opposed to abortion rights," according to a Gallup poll.
However, a clear majority of respondents (48%) believe that abortion should be legal only under certain circumstances, compared to 19% who believe that abortion should be completely legal.
CNN's AJ Willingham, Jessica Ravitz and Jen Christensen contributed to this report.
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