Washington State Abortions Down Slightly in 2006, Abortion Ratio Lowest Ever

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 16, 2008   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Washington State Abortions Down Slightly in 2006, Abortion Ratio Lowest Ever Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 16
, 2008

Olympia, WA (LifeNews.com) — A pro-life group in Washington says the most recent figures from the state’s health department show abortions increased slightly during 2006. However, the total is still the third lowest since the health department started gathering abortion figures in 1983.

The Center for Health Statistics says there were 24,790 abortions in Washington in 2006, which is an increase of 2.6 percent over the 2005 figures.

The 2005 statistic was the lowest abortion total since 1983 and the 2004 figures represented the second lowest total.

Despite the slight increase in abortions, Washington residents can celebrate that the 2006 abortion rate was the lowest in the state’s history.

Although the number of live births increased 5.1 percent in 2005-2006, the number of abortions didn’t jump in a corresponding manner. As a result, the abortion rate dropped for the fifth year in a row.

With just 285 abortions per 1,000 live births, the percentage of pregnant women deciding to have abortions in Washington is at its lowest point ever.

Dan Kennedy, the head of Human Life of Washington, the state’s leading pro-life group, told LifeNews.com the abortion totals would go down if pro-abortion state legislators were open to more common sense limits on them.

"Washington State abortion figures are a devastating critique of the abortion lobby and what little regard they have for women," he said.

"They rabidly oppose informed consent for women before an abortion as well as parental notification for vulnerable minor girls. All the while criticizing pro-life organizations and crisis pregnancy centers for aiding women in need," Kennedy added.

Washington is one of a handful of states in the nation that pay for abortions, other than those to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest, for social reasons.

In 2006, the state health department indicates 55.8% of all abortions were paid for with tax dollars.

Related web sites:
Human Life – https://humanlife.net