Georgia Abortions Decrease 5 Percent Last Year After Educational Campaign 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 10, 2005
Atlanta, GA (LifeNews.com) — New figures from the Georgia Department of Health reveal the number of abortions in the southeastern state is down more than 5 percent. Pro-life groups say the large decline is due to an aggressive television campaign helping women find alternatives.
According to health officials, abortions performed in Georgia fell by a stunning 5.3 percent from 2003. There were 32,708 abortions in 2004, down from 34,545 in 2003.
Since their peak in 1990, abortions in Georgia have dropped 17 percent.
Officials with Georgia Right to Life credit a television campaign they began three years ago targeting DeKalb and Fulton counties, where an estimated 75 percent of abortions in the state occur.
The ads feature the 1-800-395-HELP phone number operated by national pregnancy centers organizations Care Net and Heartbeat International. When women with an unexpected pregnancy call the number, they are referred to local pregnancy centers that provide various forms of assistance.
GRTL says Atlanta pregnancy centers received the second highest volume of calls in the nation.
"We will continue to reach out to women in need so that they know abortion is not their only alternative," says GRTL president Caryl Swift.
"Research tells us that 60 percent of women entering an abortion facility don’t really want an abortion, but believe they have no alternative," Swift explained. "Eighty percent regret their decision. We care about saving women from the shame and guilt of abortions as well as saving babies’ lives."
Swift also said the 15 year decline was helped by the various laws her group has been able to pass in the state legislature.
This year, state lawmakers signed off on a bill that would make sure women are told about abortion’s risks and alternatives prior to having an abortion. The 24-hour waiting period associated with the measure will give women a chance to digest the material and determine if abortion is really the best choice for them, Swift explained.
Residents from Alabama and South Carolina who travel to Georgia to avoid their 24-hour waiting period comprise 8 percent of the abortions in Georgia, according to state data. That number may decrease as the new Georgia law is implemented.
Related web sites:
Georgia Right to Life – https://www.grtl.org
