Abortion Surveillance — United States, 2019

Abstract

Problem/Condition CDC conducts abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions and number of abortion-related deaths in the United States. Period Covered 2019. Description of System Each year, CDC requests abortion data from the central health agencies for 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. For 2019, 49 reporting areas voluntarily provided aggregate abortion data to CDC. Of these, 48 reporting areas provided data each year during 2010–2019. Census and natality data were used to calculate abortion rates (number of abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years) and ratios (number of abortions per 1,000 live births), respectively. Abortion-related deaths from 2018 were assessed as part of CDC’s Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System (PMSS). Results A total of 629,898 abortions for 2019 were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. Among 48 reporting areas with data each year during 2010–2019, in 2019, a total of 625,346 abortions were reported, the abortion rate was 11.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 195 abortions per 1,000 live births. From 2018 to 2019, the total number of abortions increased 2% (from 614,820 total abortions), the abortion rate increased 0.9% (from 11.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years), and the abortion ratio increased 3% (from 189 abortions per 1,000 live births). From 2010 to 2019, the total number of reported abortions, abortion rate, and abortion ratio decreased 18% (from 762,755), 21% (from 14.4 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years), and 13% (from 225 abortions per 1,000 live births), respectively. In 2019, women in their 20s accounted for more than half of abortions (56.9%). Women aged 20–24 and 25–29 years accounted for the highest percentages of abortions (27.6% and 29.3%, respectively) and had the highest abortion rates (19.0 and 18.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 20–24 and 25–29 years, respectively). By contrast, adolescents aged <15 years and women aged ≥40 years accounted for the lowest percentages of abortions (0.2% and 3.7%, respectively) and had the lowest abortion rates (0.4 and 2.7 abortions per 1,000 women aged <15 and ≥40 years, respectively). However, abortion ratios in 2019 were highest among adolescents (aged ≤19 years) and lowest among women aged 25–39 years. Abortion rates decreased from 2010 to 2019 for all women, regardless of age. The decrease in abortion rate was highest among adolescents compared with any other age group. From 2018 to 2019, abortion rates decreased or did not change among women aged ≤24 years; however, the abortion rate increased among those aged ≥25 years. Abortion ratios also decreased or did not change from 2010 to 2019 for all age groups, except adolescents aged <15 years. The decrease in abortion ratio was highest among women aged ≥40 years compared with any other age group. From 2018 to 2019, ab...

Is third‐trimester abortion exceptional? Two pathways to abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy in the United States

“…While third‐trimester abortion is relatively uncommon in the United States compared to first‐trimester abortion, 2 investigation into how some pregnant people come to need an abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy reveals the irreducibility of that need as well as key similarities to the experience of needing a abortion in the first or second trimester. These findings make a strong case for a social conceptualization of abortion not in terms of trimesters but, instead, as an option throughout pregnancy.…”

“…Most abortions in the United States take place in the first trimester of pregnancy 1 . Abortions at later gestational durations are comparatively uncommon: only 1.0% of abortions take place at or after 21 weeks after the first day of the pregnant person's last menstrual period (LMP) 2 . Given that difference in volume, understandably, most clinical training for, research on, and advocacy for abortion and abortion rights has focused on first‐trimester care.…”

“…1 Abortions at later gestational durations are comparatively uncommon: only 1.0% of abortions take place at or after 21 weeks after the first day of the pregnant person's last menstrual period (LMP). 2 Given that difference in volume, understandably, most clinical training for, research on, and advocacy for abortion and abortion DOI: 10.1363/psrh.12190 rights has focused on first-trimester care. However, little research has examined whether and how abortions at other gestational durations are similar or different.…”

The maternal mortality consequences of losing abortion access

“…New in this preprint are the state-specific estimates for the 26 U.S. states expected to ban abortion. Our estimates rely on newly published statistics on 2020 national and state abortion incidence (Rachel Jones et al 2022), incidence of 2020 births (M. J. , and updated statistics on maternal mortality for all pregnancies (Hoyert 2022) and for those ending in abortion (Kortsmit 2021). Stevenson (2021) estimated the effects of a total abortion ban on pregnancy-related mortality, but this measure includes data on deaths up to one year postpartum, which are not yet available for 2020.…”

“…Current estimates of maternal mortality in the U.S. are 23.8 deaths per 100,000 births and 0.41 abortion-related deaths per 100,000 abortions (Hoyert 2022, Kortsmit 2021. As states respond to the reversal of Roe v. Wade with abortion bans, maternal deaths will increase simply because people who would have chosen abortion, with its very low mortality risk, will be exposed to the much higher risks of carrying pregnancies to term.…”