Here’s a look at abortion in the United States.
Facts
January 22, 1973 – Roe v. Wade – The US Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, affirms the legality of a woman’s right to have an abortion under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.
2003 – President George W. Bush signs a law called the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. The law uses a non-medical phrase to describe a late-term procedure that involves dilation and extraction of the fetus. The law has been challenged in courts, including the Supreme Court, which upheld the law in a 5-4 ruling in 2007.
May 2, 2022 – Politico publishes what it calls a draft of a majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito that would overturn Roe v. Wade’s holding of a federal constitutional right to an abortion. The court confirms the authenticity of the document on May 3, but stresses it is not the final decision. The opinion in the case is not expected to be published until late June.
June 24, 2022 – The Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade with a 6-3 decision, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion. Going forward, abortion rights will be determined by states, unless Congress acts.
The Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funds like Medicaid to be used to obtain or perform an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger.
Some states fund abortion under other circumstances than those mandated by the Hyde Amendment.
State abortion laws and policies from the Guttmacher Institute (As of April 30, 2023).
Statistics
Number of abortions reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from selected reporting areas:
2020: 620,327
2019: 629,898
2018: 619,591
2017: 609,095
2016: 623,471
2015: 638,169
2014: 652,639
2013: 644,435
2012: 699,202
2011: 730,322
2010: 765,651
2009: 789,217
2008: 825,564
2007: 827,609
2006: 852,385
1995: 1,210,883
1990: 1,429,247
1985: 1,328,570
1980: 1,297,606
* The totals may fluctuate depending on how many states provide numbers in a given year.
2020 Statistics
2020 is the most recent year for which the CDC has released statistics.
The total number of abortions decreased 2% from 2019 to 2020. There were 11.2 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44.
According to the CDC, 80.9% were performed at the ninth week or earlier and 93.1% were performed at or before 13 weeks. About 9.2% were performed later than 13 weeks.