© 2024 WOSU Public Media
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Ohio Abortions At All-Time Low

Abortions by Ohio women are at an all-time low. The Ohio Department of Health reports that induced abortions dropped 12 percent last year, hitting the lowest number since the state started tracking them 35 years ago. There were 23,250 abortions by state residents last year, compared with 26,322 the previous year. Overall, there were 24,764 abortions in Ohio when out-of-state residents are included. Abortions have fallen in Ohio each year since 2000. Experts attribute it to a variety of factors, including increased use of birth control, better access to health care and improved health education. The number of overall Ohio births also has fallen, 16.5 percent from 1990 to 2010. Abortions peaked at more than 45,000 in 1982.