Utah Abortion Rate Rises in 2006, But Second Lowest Since 1980 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 16, 2008
Salt Lake City, UT (LifeNews.com) — New data released on Friday by the state health department shows that the abortion rate rose from 5.7 percent in 2005 to 5.9 percent in 2006. However, the rate remainder the second lowest since 1980 and it gives Utah one of the lowest abortion rates in the nation.
The Utah Department of Health showed 3,444 abortions in 2006 with most of the abortions done seven or eight weeks into the pregnancy and 13 abortions after 21 weeks or later.
Those numbers reflected the number of state residents getting abortions. Another 309 abortions were done in Utah on out-of-state residents, with most of those coming from Wyoming and Utah and accounting for almost seven percent of all abortions in the state.
Just 681 of the women who got abortions were married, while the rest were single — a statistic that follows the percentages found in most states. Another 1,100 had previously had an abortion before.
The state health department showed that virtually all abortions were done for social or financial reasons and just 18 indicated their lives were in danger and 32 cited the unborn child having physical disabilities.
Lois Bloebaum, manager of the state’s reproductive health programs, told the Salt Lake City Tribune he thinks the reason for the decline is the lack of abortion businesses in the state, saying just three places do abortions.
Utah voters indicated last month they support tightening state law to limit abortions further.
Nearly 70 percent of Utahans support a bill in the state legislature that would minimize the number of abortions done on teenagers under the judicial bypass.
The state states mirror those of the nation as last month the pro-abortion Alan Guttmacher Institute released new information showing the abortion rate fell to 19.4, it’s lowest point since 1974.
