Ohio Abortions Hit New Historic Low, State Report Shows 9% Drop

Date: 

Monday, September 29, 2014
by Steven Ertelt | LifeNews.com | 9/26/14 4:22 PM
 
New figures from the state of Ohio show abortions have declined to a historic low thanks to the work of pro-life laws that have
resulted in shutting down abortion clinics that can’t protect women’s health and safety.
Today’s release of the 2013 Ohio Abortion Report by the Ohio Department of Health shows that abortions
last year hit an all-time low of 23,216. This is a 9 percent drop from last year (25,473 to 23,216). This is the
lowest level since 1976, when record-keeping first began, and significantly lower (almost 18 percent) than
2010 levels (28,123 abortions).
“Ohio’s continual decline in abortions is representative of an increasingly
pro-life culture in our state,” said Stephanie Ranade Krider, executive
director of Ohio Right to Life. “We grieve for every life lost to abortion and
we are concerned that abortions among African Americans, while lower
than last year, are still disproportionately high. We are hopeful that with
each passing year, we will find ways to save more and more lives.”
In 2013, four abortion facilities closed across Ohio. The 2013
Abortion Report reveals a:
- 2.4 percent overall decrease within the African American
community
- 13 percent decrease in abortions after 19 weeks
- Decreases in the major metropolitan areas of Franklin,
Hamilton and Lucas Counties
- Increases in Cuyahoga and Montgomery Counties
“We have to believe that this record-breaking report is directly tied to the efforts of compassionate pro-life
Ohioans making a difference in the lives of women and children, and also to the legal protections afforded to
children in recent years,” said Krider. “We especially thank Governor Kasich and the leadership of the Ohio
House and Senate.”
This report comes on the heels of the closure of six abortion facilities since the start of 2013.
The report also follows the death of a young black woman in Cleveland who had an abortion at an abortion
clinic. The State Medical Board of Ohio has stunned pro-life supporters by dropping all complaints related to
the death of abortion patient Lakisha Wilson.