The public health need for abortion statistics

Abstract

As with the delivery of any medical service, abortion has definite public health effects that should be evaluated. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has monitored the impact of abortion in three ways: (a) conducting epidemiologic surveillance of legally induced abortion beginning in 1969. (b) funding a multicenter study of abortion morbidity beginning in 1971, and (c) undertaking surveillance of abortion-related mortality beginning in 1972. These activities are intended to identify health problems related to abortion, to assess the magnitude of these problems, and to make recommendations directed at eliminating the problems. In addition to the Programmatic uses of abortion data, the CDC statistics have also provided a basis for both legislative and judicial decisions that have had national and local impact. The CDC and the National Center for Health Statistics are currently working collectively to strengthen the reporting of national abortion statistics so that the public health need for abortion statistics can be met.