Abortions Decline 7.4 Percent in Arizona Thanks to Pro-Life Laws

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Aug 2, 2013   |   3:26PM   |   Phoenix, AZ

A new report from the state health department in Arizona shows the number of abortions there has declined more than seven percent, thanks in part to the passage of more pro-life laws limiting abortions.

The Department of Health Services annual abortion report shows a 7.4% decrease in the number of abortions performed in Arizona in 2012 as compared to 2011.

Abortions dropped 8 percent from 2010-2011 after dropping 30 percent the year before.

“Arizona continues to be a national leader in the effort to protect the health and safety of women and preborn children – and the numbers prove it,” the pro-life Center for Arizona Policy told LifeNews today. “This is encouraging news to everyone who values life. It is also a testament to what the thriving pro-life movement in Arizona has been able to accomplish.”

“We are now seeing that through strategic public policy and a commitment to loving and serving women with crisis pregnancies, we can save lives,” the group added. “While this is certainly an encouraging report, it is clear that the efforts to safeguard women and preborn children from the dangerous and deadly practices of the abortion industry are far from over. The revelations of the atrocities in Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s abortion clinic, along with the recent Live Action undercover video at the late-term Phoenix abortion clinic Family Planning Associates prove that we still have a long way to go to ensure that every life is protected and respected.”

During the 2012 reporting year the total number of reported elective abortions performed in Arizona was 13,340 ,compared to 14,401 in 2011. This represents a 7.4 percent decrease in overall abortions irrespective of resident status.

Some 90 percent of the abortions done in Arizona were on state residents, a slight decline, and about 58 percent of the women getting abortions were between the ages of 20 and 29, while abortions on teenage girls decreased. Most women were unmarried.

Although pro-life advocates have been concerned about an increasing number of abortions because of the dangerous RU 486 (mifepristone) drug, the numbers show a decline of 5 percent in the number of non-surgical abortions.

CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!

 

Early in 2012, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed a pro-life bill into lawto ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. This bill, called “The Mother’s Health and Safety Act”:

  • Prohibits abortion after 20 weeks because of the safety risks to the mother and the pain endured by the preborn child
  • Ensures women have an ultrasound at least 24 hours prior to an abortion
  • Establishes an informed consent website which details the facts about fetal development, risks of abortion, and services available.
  • Requires doctors performing surgical abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within thirty miles of the abortion facility.