Ohio Abortions Reach All-Time Low, New Health Department Records Reveal
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 14, 2010
Columbus, OH (LifeNews.com) — New records from the Ohio Department of Health show the number of abortions in the Buckeye State have reached an all-time low. The 2009 Report on Induced Abortions in Ohio shows a continued downward trend in the total number of abortions as has been the case nationally and in other states.
The report shows 28,721 abortions were done in 2009, which represents a three percent decrease from the 2008 number of 29,613.
The number of total abortions done in Ohio has declined annually since 2000 and there has now been a decrease of over 40% from the all time high number in the 1980s.
"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 told LifeNews.com today.
"We continue to witness a trend of Ohioans moving towards a firm respect for life. One of the reasons for the continued decline in abortions has been the enactment of new laws which help young women make positive decisions for themselves and their babies," he continued. "Whenever you have even the slightest legislative gain that protects women and defends her baby, it will make a difference."
Looking more closely at the detailed demographic information in the new report, 18% of women were less than 20 years old when getting their abortion while 34% were between 20 and 24 years old — the two largest age groups getting abortions.
Some 83 percent of women obtaining abortions in Ohio in 2009 were not married, and 41 percent were black — a disproportionately higher number than the total percentage of women who are black in the state.
Some 64% of women having abortions had only a high school education or less and 36% of all abortions were reported in Cuyahoga County, the highest in the state.
Right to Life of Greater Cincinnati also weighed in on the new abortion numbers and told LifeNews.com Hamilton County still has the third highest abortion total after Cuyahoga and Franklin Counties, but with an decrease to 2728 abortions in this county in 2009 (3125 in 2008).
Butler County numbers also decreased to 707 (754 in 2008), and Clermont County decreased to 293 (321 in 2008). Warren County saw a drop to 244 (270 in 2008).
"Ohio Right to Life is grateful for the annual decrease in Ohio abortions despite the state’s severe economic crisis," Gonidakis said. "We will continue to promote life-affirming options including adoption and will work to increase awareness of the more than 130 pro-life pregnancy centers throughout Ohio."
Paula Westwood, of the RTL group in Cincinnati, added: "Thank you to all who work to decrease-and one day end-the abortion deception that hurts women and men and, tragically, their defenseless unborn babies."
Related web sites:
Ohio Right to Life – https://www.ohiolife.org
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