Abortion rates have declined in Ohio once again.
A new report released by the Ohio Department of Health found that 20,425 women had abortions last year, down 2 percent from the year prior. This is the fewest number of abortions performed in the state in the last 40-plus years, after the procedure was legalized nationwide.
According to the new data, more than half of the women getting abortions in Ohio are in their 20s, and nearly all procedures were performed within the first trimester. About 37 percent of all Ohio abortions occurred in Cuyahoga County, the most of any county.
These falling numbers shouldn't be too surprising for anyone paying attention. First, there are only seven clinics licensed to perform abortions, and all of them are in or near major cities. This is a far cry from 1982, when there were 55 abortion clinics to choose from. That year, Ohio saw the most abortions ever with more than 45,000.
Recent pieces of Ohio legislation, including the controversial heartbeat bill, have also continued to make it more challenging for women in the state to seek out an abortion.
However, Ohio is not alone in these declining abortion numbers. Over the past two decades, abortion rates have been on a downward trajectory nationwide. Fertility rates are also down across the country, including teen pregnancy.Read the full ODH report right here.
