Breaking News: Abortion Rates Increase in the U.S. Ahead of Historic SCOTUS Decision

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a striking report revealing a 5% increase in abortion procedures in the United States in the year preceding the Supreme Court’s monumental decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Key findings from the report indicate that in 2021, the total number of legally induced abortions reported was 625,978, with women in their 20s accounting for 57% of these procedures. Notably, 53% of these abortions were medication procedures, which involve the use of abortion pills, particularly during the first nine weeks of gestation. This specific method saw a 3% increase from 2020 to 2021.

The report also highlights that the vast majority (93.5%) of abortions in 2021 occurred at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy. Abortions between 14 and 20 weeks accounted for 5.7%, and only 0.9% were conducted at or after 21 weeks.

However, experts caution that these figures might not completely capture the total number of abortion procedures in the U.S. This is partly due to inconsistent reporting and non-participation of several states in the data collection process. Axios notes that the data is compiled through voluntary partnerships between state health departments and the CDC.

The Guttmacher Institute, a pro-abortion rights research organization, argues that the CDC’s annual report likely represents only about 70% of total abortions in the U.S. They estimate an 8% increase, contrasting with the 5% reported by the CDC.

This discrepancy is attributed to the exclusion of data from California, Maryland, and New Hampshire in the CDC report. These states are significant, accounting for about 20% of all abortion procedures in the U.S., reports the Institute.

The release of these statistics comes at a crucial time, as the nation grapples with the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a long-standing precedent set by Roe v. Wade. This landmark ruling has sparked widespread debate and has significant implications for reproductive rights across the country.