Abstract

PIP: Reports results of the 7th national survey by the Alan Guttmacher Institute of all known providers of abortion in the US. There were 1.55 million abortions in 1980, about 1/4 of all pregnancies and 1/2 of unintended ones. About 3% of women of childbearing age obtained an abortion. The rate increased by 2% from 1979 to 1980, compared to an increase of 4% over the previous 2 years. As the increases have been smaller each year, the rate may stabilize in 1982 at 1980 levels. Despite the continuing controversy, geographic availability improved somewhat, although 78% of all counties had no provider and 59 of the 305 metropolitan areas had no facilities reporting abortions. Almost 70% of nonmetropolitan women live in counties with no facilities reporting abortions--only 4.5% of abortions take place in nonmetropolitan areas. Other factors restricting availability of abortion include lack of Medicaid funding in most states, parental notification and consent requirements (by law in 7 states), period of gestation at which abortions may be performed (30% of providers will only perform abortions up to 10 weeks' gestation; only 21% will perform them after 14 weeks), and the way in which hospitals are organized to provide services. 3/4 of all abortions were performed in 459 clinics and hospitals which reported 1000 or more abortions each. The proportion performed in nonhospital facilities has risen steadily since legalization: nearly 80% were performed in these facilities in 1980 compared with less than 1/2 in 1973. Improvements and simplification in abortion techniques have contributed to this trend. Only 55% of hospital abortion providers perform any outpatient abortions, and in most cases women are unable to arrange for a hospital abortion without a referral, further restricting access to abortion services in many cases.