New abortion demographics

September 25, 2008 by 16 Comments

Study Finds Major Shift in Abortion Demographics:

The analysis confirmed previous reports that the abortion rate fell to the lowest level since 1974, dropping 33 percent from a peak of 29 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 1980 to 20 per 1,000 in 2004.

During that period, the proportion of abortions obtained by women younger than 20 dropped steadily, falling from 33 percent in 1974 to 17 percent in 2004. For those younger than 18, it fell from 15 percent of all abortions in 1974 to 6 percent in 2004. At the same time, the proportion of abortions obtained by women in their 20s increased from 50 percent to 57 percent, and the share done for women age 30 and older rose from 18 percent to 27 percent.

Although abortion rates have declined among all racial and ethnic groups, large disparities persist, with Hispanic and black women having the procedure at rates three to five times the rate of white women.

In 2004, there were 10.5 abortions per 1,000 white women ages 15 to 44, compared with 28 per 1,000 Hispanic women of that age and 50 per 1,000 black women. That translates into approximately 1 percent of white women having an abortion in 2004, compared with 3 percent of Hispanic women and 5 percent of black women.

Filed Under: Life Issues 16 Comments
About Gene Veith

Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry College, the Director of the Cranach Institute at Concordia Theological Seminary, a columnist for World Magazine and TableTalk, and the author of 18 books on different facets of Christianity & Culture.

  • Bruce

    There is hope, then, that Roe vs. Wade can be actually overthrown without overthrowing the law. If abortion remains legal but women increasingly shun abortion, what will happen to the abortionists? By the grace of God, there are always many ways around and through the sinfulness of man.

  • Susan aka organshoes

    it’s those areas of increase that interest me. What does this say about my son’s generation?
    Abortion doesn’t only speak about the mores of women, after all. Are young men (20s, 30s and older; Hispanic; black) just all ok with that?

  • Ryan Fehrmann

    I’m male, 33 and adopted. I could have been legally killed for convenience’s sake in the land of the free, but my High School age mother choose life.

    I am NOT okay with legalized abortion. I stand in protests as a citizen as well as a pastor (with my congregation’s support). My views are very clear to all who know me.

  • Susan aka organshoes

    From a horse’s mouth.
    Well said, Pastor Fehrmann. And well done.
    However, according to statistics, you may be standing either in a minority, or from among a silent majority, and definitely standing against a tide.
    ‘Twas ever thus, though, whenever a Christian stands as a Christian.
    But God bless you for standing, period.

  • Anon

    A law student has conducted research showing that Planned Parenthood is still happy to accept donations given with the requirement that they be used to kill black babies. Google-owned YouTube has censored his proofs. But the statistic show that PP is still working effectively on foundress Margret Sanger’s dream.

    Susan, men have no say in abortion. None. The law protects women from what their husbands or boyfriends say in these matters. Men are considered to have no right to choose life.

  • http://www.gethsemanelutheranchurch.org Greg DeVore

    Perhaps we will win in the long haul. Pro-life parents raising pro-life children will ultimately alter the demographic.

  • http://www.gethsemanelutheranchurch.org Greg DeVore

    Perhaps we will win in the long haul. Pro-life parents raising pro-life children will ultimately alter the demographic.

  • Susan aka organshoes

    I know men don’t have abortions, Anon. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say they have no say, that is, no influence.
    That’s not my way of letting women off the hook, by any means.
    And I know a woman can do what she pleases, regardless of what any man thinks or wants her to do.
    But, being as it takes a woman *and* a man to make a baby, he’s had some say somewhere along the way. He’s not just a bystander.

  • http://www.toddstadler.com/ tODD

    Susan (@2), the generational increases are only proportional increases. I haven’t dug through the data, but it doesn’t mean that the abortion rate actually increased for people older than 20, just that, as abortions overall decreased, they decreased much more for those under 20 (and less so or possibly not at all for those over 20), leaving them making up a greater percentage of those having abortions.

    I would guess (guess, mind you), that the proportionally greater decrease among those under 20 stems from a decrease in (unwanted) pregnancy due to an increase in contraception or abstinence in that same time frame.

    Anon (@5), men’s choice in the matter at this point is in having sex with a pro-life woman or not.

  • Anon

    Which, todd, is the choice the woman had already exercised. Do you now think that she should also be free to murder the baby of both her and the man?

  • Bryan Lindemood

    Yes, tODD, I like that. Christian men certainly have a voice in the matter by only having sex with pro-life women. Certainly if you don’t talk of anything else before coitus, this would be a good topic :)

  • Susan aka organshoes

    Thanks, tODD. I didn’t read the stats that way. Because stats are part of math and math is hard.
    8^)
    I wish reporters (who often, btw, misinterpret stats and figures) found a better way to impart information than thru strings of stats. Wouldn’t the way tODD explained it have been clearer from the git-go, or am I that dense?
    Don’t answer that, anyone!

  • http://www.saintcynic.blogspot.com Christopher

    I think it’s disgusting that abortion is so prevalent in society that they can actually employ people to tally statistics on it. I mean really! Do we really need to make murder more of an industry than it already is? Now we have to employ people to compile statistics on a specific form of murder? How much more marketting can this demonic activity get?

  • WebMonk

    Susan, no you’re not dense. That is a perfect example of how tricky statistics can be. They weren’t trying to portray something incorrectly, and yet the method of portrayal certainly hid some aspects of what those numbers imply.

    Now, imagine what can be done with people who really know their psychology and statistics and are trying to deceive.

    There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.

  • WebMonk

    Just a random plug for a book on statistics, try “The Drunkard’s Walk, How Randomness Rules Our Lives”.

    I don’t know that it’s as cool as “Freakonomics”, but it’s still very awesome.

  • Blanche Devereaux

    Hmmm….is anyone else interested in the comment about pro-life men only having sex with pro-life women? Does that take you back like it does me? If a man is pro-life, wouldn’t he only be having unprotected sex with someone he was sharing a life and planning a baby with? Or is it pro-life to have sex with someone you are sure would feel too guilty to have an abortion, but without a life commitment? A true pro-life worker is not against abortion as much as they are against the causes of it; there is no morality in telling others how to live without giving a life example and toil.


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