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PA Abortion Data

With the future of Roe vs. Wade in serious doubt, there has been a lot of debate over what the future of abortion rights would look like here in Pennsylvania.

Crispin Havener looks at State data to see the demographic of those receiving abortions in Pennsylvania?

I looked at nearly 50 years of data to look at the ebbs and flows of how the state abortion rate originally spiked before beginning a long steady decline that in recent years has leveled off and gone the other way again.

With the future of Roe vs. Wade in doubt.

A look at the past shows the level of abortions performed has changed over time.

In 1974, the first full year after Roe vs. Wade established the right to abortion to women in every State, State and CDC historical data show just under 33,000 abortions were performed on Pennsylvania women in State.

That number rose sharply to more than 61,000 by 1980…but since then that number has steadily declined falling below 40,000 in 1994, the first year under new laws limiting abortions following the Supreme Courts decision to side with

Gov. Robert Casey in Planned Parenthood vs. Casey which altered the undue burden standards…to below 30,000 by 2016. Though the last three years of data available, 2018-2020 showed slight upticks.

Looking at 2020 data from the Pennsylvania Department Of Health most abortions were performed on patients in their mid twenties who is unmarried and in their first trimester of pregnancy.

Just a little more than 10% (10.1%) performed in after the beginning of the 2nd trimester at 13 weeks state law prohibits an abortion at 24 weeks.

Locally in our 10 county viewing area, 554 abortions were performed in 2020. That’s below the State per capita rate.

Pennsylvania’s laws would stand for the time being. Though all the Republican candidates for Governor have signaled significant changes or a full blown ban on abortions if elected, with the help of the Republican led legislature.

The lone Democrat, Josh Shapiro, says he will keep the status quo.

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