Michigan Abortions Drop 1.7% as Pro-Life Groups Save Hundreds of Babies From Abortion

State   |   Micaiah Bilger   |   May 19, 2016   |   7:09PM   |   Lansing, MI

Abortions dropped in Michigan for the first time in three years in 2015 saving almost 500 unborn babies’ lives, according to the Right to Life of Michigan blog.

This week, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released its 2015 abortion report, showing a 1.7 percent decrease in the number of abortions. In total, there were 27,151 abortions in Michigan in 2015, according to the report. The downturn reflects a larger trend across the U.S. where abortion rates are dropping to historic lows.

“We would have liked to see a larger decrease, but these numbers represent almost 500 lives saved, which everyone should celebrate,” said Barbara Listing, president of the Right to Life of Michigan.

When compared with abortion numbers from 1990, however, the 2015 numbers shows that pro-lifers have been making progress in Michigan. The 2015 abortion numbers represent a 44.7 percent drop from the all-time high in 1987, according to the report. Abortions among minors also dropped significantly, down almost 79 percent since 1990, according to the report.

Here is more from the Right to Life of Michigan:

Abortion numbers increased in Michigan in 2013 and 2014. It’s likely that much of those increases were due to failures to follow state reporting requirements in previous years. Michigan updated abortion clinic regulations in 2012, causing several clinics to close, at least one of which was known to be not reporting abortion numbers. Women are now going to clinics more likely to follow state reporting laws.

In debates over Michigan’s Abortion Insurance Opt-Out Act in 2013, abortion supporters claimed that legislation would prevent women from using insurance to pay for abortions. The law protected conscience rights of individuals by preventing them from being forced to pay for abortions though Obamacare health exchanges.

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In 2012, there were 739 abortions in Michigan paid for by insurance. In 2015, there were 1,538 paid for by insurance, more than double the number.

Listing said, “As usual, the exaggerated rhetoric of abortion advocates proved to be completely detached from reality.”

In 2015 abortion rates declined, as well as the abortion ratios, meaning a higher percentage of women chose life for their children. Abortion numbers for Michigan residents and out-of-state residents both declined, ending the recent surge in women traveling to Michigan to have abortions.

The pro-life group also is working on a measure to protect even more unborn babies and their moms from the pain of abortion. According to their blog, the Michigan Coercive Abortion Prevention Act would protect women who are being pressured into having abortions. Coerced abortions are a major problem, with studies showing more than half of women felt pressure from a partner or parent to abort their unborn babies.

The legislation would make it illegal to “coerce a woman to abort by threatening or actually committing the following actions: physical assault, withdrawing financial support, or terminating or otherwise violating a legal contract, destroying or concealing a passport or other identification, and threats to deport or arrest,” according to Michigan RTL.

“Despite claiming to be champions of choice, the abortion industry has an incentive to ignore this problem; they deny it even exists,” Listing said. “They won’t address it, so we will.”

Michigan RTL said it hopes the bill will pass this term. The state House passed it in March, and a Senate committee passed it earlier this month, LifeNews reported.

ACTION: Contact your Michigan state Senator here and urge them to pass the Coercive Abortion Prevention Act.

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