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Published on: October 24, 2017
Abortion surveillance--United States, 1997
L M Koonin1, L T Strauss, C E Chrisman
1Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, USA.
Summary
Legal induced abortions in the U.S. declined in 1997 to their lowest level since 1978. This trend highlights the need for continued monitoring of abortion statistics and unintended pregnancy prevention efforts.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Demography
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) initiated abortion surveillance in 1969.
- Surveillance aims to document abortion numbers and characteristics, monitor unintended pregnancies, and reduce associated morbidity and mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize and review data on legal induced abortions in the United States for 1997.
- To analyze trends and characteristics of women obtaining abortions.
Main Methods:
- Data compiled annually by the CDC from 52 reporting areas (50 states, District of Columbia, New York City).
- Information includes abortion numbers, ratios, rates, and characteristics of women by state of occurrence.
- Gestational age and procedure type data were also analyzed.
Main Results:
- In 1997, 1,186,039 legal abortions were reported, a 3% decrease from 1996.
- The abortion rate was 20 per 1,000 women (15-44 years), and the abortion ratio was 306 per 1,000 live births.
- Most abortions occurred early in gestation (< or = 8 weeks), with a trend towards earlier procedures. Younger women were more likely to have later abortions.
Conclusions:
- The number of abortions declined from 1990-1995, saw a slight increase in 1996, and reached a low in 1997.
- Continued monitoring of abortion data and characteristics is crucial for assessing trends and evaluating pregnancy prevention strategies.
