Abortions dropped for the fourth straight year in Arizona thanks to the dedicated work of pro-lifers and the mothers who chose life for their unborn babies.
The Arizona Department of Health reports there were 12,479 abortions performed on residents in 2015, down from 13,606 in 2011. The abortion rate, the number of abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age, also dropped in the past four years from 10.7 in 2011 to 9.5 in 2015, according to the department.
The Arizona Republic reports even abortion advocates partially attributed the decline to pro-life efforts, though Guttmacher Institute researcher Rachel Jones said increased access to contraception also was a factor.
Here’s more from the report:
… Jones agreed that a decline in abortions nationally could be traced in part to what she called TRAP regulations – Targeted Restrictions to Abortion Providers – “the laws and restrictions that reduce access to abortion facilities.” Arizona adopted the regulations in recent years, she said. [LifeNews note: The regulations Jones mentioned are abortion facility regulations that ensure abortion businesses meet basic health and safety standards and protect their female patients.]
That’s just fine with Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, which advocates for family and traditional values.
“Arizona promotes policies and legislation opposing policies that aren’t in favor of pro-life,” Herrod said.
Herrod said she is pleased with the abortion decline and plans to continue fighting.
“I am a strong pro-life advocate and I aim to pursue pro-life policies,” Herrod said.
More babies’ lives were saved from abortions in Arizona; however, the report indicates dozens of women experienced physical problems from their abortions. According to the report, 82 women had complications after their abortions in 2015, including hemorrhaging.
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The report also included new information describing the final disposition of fetal tissue (aborted baby’s remains) in accordance with a state rule that took effect on Aug. 16, 2015. The rule came about after the undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress began showing Planned Parenthood officials discussing the sales of aborted babies’ body parts.
Herrod said she also is hopeful that the new presidential administration will help save more lives from abortion across the country.
“We anticipate the Trump administration will replace ACA (Affordable Care Act) with a national health care that saves lives,” Herrod said. “The Trump administration has implemented a pro-life policy, in the long run it should defund Planned Parenthood and fund community health centers.”
The Arizona report mirrors national abortion trends. A recent report from the Guttmacher Institute found abortions hit a record low nation-wide in 2014.
The pro-abortion research group, considered to have the most comprehensive abortion numbers for the U.S., reported an estimated 926,200 abortions in 2014 and 958,700 in 2013. The abortion rate also dropped to 14.6 per 1,000 in 2014, down 14 percent from 2011, according to the report.
The numbers are the lowest since 1975, two years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Roe v. Wade and allowed abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy.
