Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, is under fire after undercover videos from the Center for Medical Progress show Planned Parenthood doctors negotiating the amount of money they receive for fetal organs and tissue.
Here are seven facts on abortion in America to help you prepare for discussions you may have concerning this issue.
1. Since Roe v. Wade in 1973, there have been more than 57 million abortions in the United States.
2. About half of American women will have an unintended pregnancy, and nearly 3 in 10 will have an abortion by age 45, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that supports abortion.
3. In 2011, a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that women face an 81 percent increased risk of mental health problems following abortion. Specifically, women with a history of abortion had a 34 percent increased risk of anxiety, a 37 percent increased risk of depression, a 110 percent increased risk of alcohol use, and a 155 percent increased risk of suicide following abortion.
4. Slightly less than half (49 percent) of Americans believe abortion is morally wrong, 15 percent say it is acceptable, and 23 percent believe it’s not a moral issue.
5. For the first time since 2008, half of Americans self-identify as pro-choice.
6. In 2011, 1 million abortions were performed, down from an all-time high of 1.6 million in 1990, according to Guttmacher. A nationwide survey by Associated Press showed a decrease in abortions of about 12 percent since 2010. Every measurement used to measure abortion shows a nationwide decline though the decline has slowed in recent years.
7. In February 2015, Gallup reported 34 percent of Americans were satisfied with the current abortion policies—the lowest number since Gallup began asking the question in 2001. The drop has come from Republicans. Only 21 percent are satisfied, the lowest number yet and down 22 points from 2008. In the last two years, satisfaction among independents fell to its lowest—from 48 to 36 percent. Among those who are dissatisfied, twice as many want stricter abortion laws.
