Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

January-February 2018 – The Centers for Disease Control released a November 2017 report citing 2014 abortion rates (most recent available) in the U.S. According to CDC, abortion in the U.S. had fallen to its lowest rate of occurrence since 1971, when it was legal in only six states. From 2013 to 2014 alone, the numbers dropped 2%.

However, while CDC requests abortion data from the central health agencies of every state, as well as the District of Columbia and New York City, the federal government does not require that the agencies report. Therefore, CDC figures run short. For instance, in 2014, CDC received data from 49 reporting areas rather than 52.

Nonetheless, the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, known to have more inclusive data, also reported a decrease of nearly 4% from 2013 to 2014.

According to their numbers, abortion rates have not been lower since 1975, just two years after Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that brought about legal abortion nationwide.

cdc.gov, 11/24/17; lifenews.com, 1/17/17, 11/22/17