Abortion services in the United States, 1984 and 1985

In 1984 and 1985, the number of abortions, the abortion rate and the abortion ratio stayed at approximately the same levels as in the previous three years. Just under 1.6 million abortions were performed, about three percent of women of reproductive age obtained an abortion, and about 30 percent of pregnancies (excluding those ending in stillbirths and miscarriages) were terminated by abortion. However, the number of abortion providers declined by five percent between 1982 and 1985, and the geographic distribution of abortion services continued to be markedly uneven. Eighty-two percent of all U.S. counties--50 percent of those classified as metropolitan and 91 percent of those classified as nonmetropolitan--lacked an abortion provider in 1985. The long-term trend away from hospital abortions persisted during the period: Eighty-seven percent of the abortions performed in 1985 were done in nonhospital facilities, an increase of five percentage points over the 1982 level. Although abortion clinics constituted only 15 percent of all providers, they were responsible for 60 percent of the procedures performed in 1985. Among all abortion facilities, only 43 percent provided services to women after the 12th week of pregnancy. Abortion clinics were far more likely to offer second-trimester procedures than were other types of abortion providers (75 percent, compared with 13-50 percent). As of mid-1986, charges for a first-trimester nonhospital abortion ranged from $75 to nearly $900. The average amount paid was $213. In 1985, only 39 percent of nonhospital abortion facilities accepted state reimbursement for abortions provided to low-income women, and only 55 percent of facilities offered some reduction in charges to such women.