Ohio Abortions Hit New Historic Low, State Report Shows 9% Drop

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 26, 2014   |   4:22PM   |   Columbus, OH

New figures from the state of Ohio show abortions have declined to a historic low thanks to the work of pro-life laws that have resulted in shutting down abortion clinics that can’t protect women’s health and safety.

Today’s release of the 2013 Ohio Abortion Report by the Ohio Department of Health shows that abortions last year hit an all-time low of 23,216. This is a 9 percent drop from last year (25,473 to 23,216). This is the lowest level since 1976, when record-keeping first began, and significantly lower (almost 18 percent) than 2010 levels (28,123 abortions).

ohiologo8b“Ohio’s continual decline in abortions is representative of an increasingly pro-life culture in our state,” said Stephanie Ranade Krider, executive director of Ohio Right to Life. “We grieve for every life lost to abortion and we are concerned that abortions among African Americans, while lower than last year, are still disproportionately high. We are hopeful that with each passing year, we will find ways to save more and more lives.”

In 2013, four abortion facilities closed across Ohio. The 2013 Abortion Report reveals a:

– 2.4 percent overall decrease within the African American community
– 13 percent decrease in abortions after 19 weeks
– Decreases in the major metropolitan areas of Franklin, Hamilton and Lucas Counties
– Increases in Cuyahoga and Montgomery Counties

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To read the 2013 Ohio Abortion Report, click here.

“We have to believe that this record-breaking report is directly tied to the efforts of compassionate pro-life Ohioans making a difference in the lives of women and children, and also to the legal protections afforded to children in recent years,” said Krider. “We especially thank Governor Kasich and the leadership of the Ohio House and Senate.”

This report comes on the heels of the closure of six abortion facilities since the start of 2013.

The report also follows the death of a young black woman in Cleveland who had an abortion at an abortion clinic. The State Medical Board of Ohio has stunned pro-life supporters by dropping all complaints related to the death of abortion patient Lakisha Wilson.