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Abortion Surveillance -- United States, 1991


Abstract

Problem/Condition: From 1980 through 1991, the number of legal induced abortions reported to CDC remained stable, varying each year by less than or equal to 5%.

Reporting Period Covered: This report summarizes and reviews information reported to CDC regarding legal induced abortions obtained in the United States during 1991.

Description of System: For each year since 1969, CDC has compiled abortion data received from 52 reporting areas: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City.

Results: In 1991, 1,388,937 abortions were reported -- a 2.8% decrease from 1990. The abortion ratio was 339 legal induced abortions per 1,000 live births, and the abortion rate was 24 per 1,000 women 15-44 years of age. Women who were undergoing an abortion were more likely to be young, white, and unmarried; most had had no previous live births and had been obtaining an abortion for the first time. More than half (52%) of all abortions were performed at or before the 8th week of gestation, and 88% were before the 13th week. Younger women (i.e., women less than 19 years of age) were more likely to obtain abortions later in pregnancy than were older women.

Interpretation: Since 1980, the number and rate of abortions have remained relatively stable, with only small year-to-year fluctuations of less than or equal to 5%. However, since 1987, the abortion-to-live-birth ratio has declined; in 1991, the abortion ratio was the lowest recorded since 1977. An increasing rate of childbearing may partially account for this decline.

Actions Taken: An accurate assessment of the number and characteristics of women who obtain abortions in the United States is necessary both to monitor efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy and to identify and reduce preventable causes of morbidity and mortality associated with abortions.

INTRODUCTION

In 1969, CDC began abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions and to assist efforts to identify and reduce preventable causes of morbidity and mortality associated with abortions. This report is based on abortion data for 1991 provided to CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Reproductive Health.

METHODS

For 1991, CDC compiled data from 52 reporting areas: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. The total number of legal induced abortions was available from all reporting areas, and most of these areas provided information on the characteristics of women who obtained abortions. For 47 reporting areas, data were provided from the central health agency *; for the other five areas, data were provided from hospitals and other medical facilities. Abortions were reported by the state in which they were performed.

Women who obtained legal induced abortions were grouped by 5-year age groups. Both ratios (i.e., the number of abortions per 1,000 live births) and rates (the number of abortions per 1,000 women) are presented by age group. Ratios were calculated by using the number of live births provided by each state's central health agency (except where noted), and rates were calculated by using the number of women recorded in special unpublished tabulations provided by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Rates for women less than 15 years of age were based on the number of women ages 10-14 years, and rates for women greater than or equal to 40 years of age were based on the number of women ages 40-44 years.

Race was categorized by either three groups ({a} white {which included Hispanics}, {b} black, and {c} all other races) or two groups ({a} white {which included Hispanics} and {b} black and other races). Other races included Asians/Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and those classified as "other race." In 1990, data regarding Hispanic ethnicity were first available on abortion reports submitted by central health agencies to CDC. In this report for 1991, Hispanic ethnicity was reported separately by race.

Gestational age (in weeks) at the time of abortion was reported by most states from estimates derived from the time elapsed since the woman's last menstrual period. In six states, gestational age was reported on the basis of the physician's estimate, which could have included information from the clinical examination and the time elapsed since the last menstrual period.

RESULTS

For 1991, 1,388,937 legal abortions were reported to CDC -- a 2.8% decrease from the number reported for 1990 (1) Table_1. From 1970 through 1982, the reported number of legal abortions in the United States increased every year Figure_1; the largest percentage increase occurred from 1970 to 1972. From 1976 through 1982, the annual increase declined continuously and reached a low of 0.2% for 1980-1981. From 1980 through 1991, the number of abortions remained relatively stable; year-to-year fluctuations were less than or equal to 5%.

The national abortion ratio increased from 1970 to 1980, peaked at 364 per 1,000 live births in 1984, and began to decline steadily after 1987 to 339 per 1,000 in 1991 (Figure_1; Table_2. The national abortion rate increased from 17 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 years in 1974 to 25 per 1,000 in 1980 and has since remained at a rate of 23-24 per 1,000.

In 1991, as in previous years, most abortions were performed in California, New York City, and Texas; the fewest were performed in North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming (1,2) Table_3. For women whose state of residence was known, about 92% had obtained the abortion within their own state. The percentage of abortions obtained by out-of-state residents ranged from approximately 51% in the District of Columbia to less than 1% in Hawaii. Ten reporting areas could not provide data concerning abortions obtained by out-of-state residents.

In 1991, 41 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City reported legal abortions by age. Women ages 20-24 years obtained 34% of all abortions; women ages less than 15 years obtained less than 1% of all abortions Table_4. Abortion ratios were highest for the youngest women (767 abortions per 1,000 live births for women ages less than 15 years and 462 per 1,000 for women ages 15-19 years) and the oldest women (469 per 1,000 for women ages greater than or equal to 40 years); the ratio was lowest for women ages 30-34 years (187 per 1,000 women) Figure_2. Among teenagers, the abortion ratio was highest for those who were less than 15 years of age and lowest for those who were 19 years of age Table_5. Abortion rates were highest for women ages 20-24 years (42 per 1,000 women) and lowest for women at the reproductive-age extremes (one abortion per 1,000 women ages less than 15 years and two abortions per 1,000 women ages greater than or equal to 40 years) Table_4.

For most age groups, the abortion ratio rose between 1974 and the early to mid-1980s and declined thereafter, particularly for the youngest and oldest women of reproductive age Figure_3. The abortion ratios for women ages less than 15 years and, since 1983, those ages 15-19 years were higher than for the other age groups. During 1991, abortion ratios decreased for the fourth consecutive year for women less than 20 years of age. The abortion ratio for women less than 15 years of age was the lowest recorded ratio for the time period, and the ratio for women 15-19 years of age was the lowest recorded since 1974. The abortion ratio for women 20-34 years of age (i.e., the group with the highest fertility rate) remained relatively stable after 1974 (3).

During 1991, approximately 52% of reported legal abortions were obtained at or before 8 weeks of gestation, and about 88% were obtained before 13 weeks Table_6. Approximately 4% of abortions were obtained at 16-20 weeks of gestation, and approximately 1% were obtained at greater than or equal to 21 weeks.

Approximately 98% of legal abortions were performed by curettage, and less than 1% by intrauterine saline or prostaglandin instillation Table_7. Hysterectomy and hyster-otomy were used rarely; less than 0.02% of abortions were performed by these methods.

Thirty-four states, the District of Columbia, and New York City reported the race of women who obtained legal abortions. As in previous years, almost two thirds of women who obtained abortions were white (1,2) Table_8. The abortion ratio for black women (502 per 1,000 live births), however, was more than twice that for white women (246 per 1,000 live births). The abortion ratio for women of other races (300 per 1,000 live births) was 1.2 times greater than that for white women. In addition, the abortion rate for black women (41 per 1,000 black women) was 2.6 times greater than the rate for white women (16 per 1,000 white women).

Twenty states, the District of Columbia, and New York City reported data on legal abortions classified by Hispanic ethnicity Table_9. The percentage of Hispanic women who obtained abortions in these reporting areas ranged from less than 1% in several states to approximately 38% in New Mexico. For Hispanic women in these reporting areas, the abortion ratio was 300 per 1,000 live births -- slightly lower than the ratio for non-Hispanics in the same areas (332 per 1,000 live births). However, the abortion rate per 1,000 Hispanic women (28 per 1,000 women) was slightly greater than the rate per 1,000 non-Hispanic women (22 per 1,000 women).

Seventy-six percent of women who obtained abortions were unmarried Table_10. The percentage varied by state, from 59% in Utah to 82% in Kansas. The abortion ratio was more than nine times greater for unmarried women than for married women (815 vs. 89 abortions per 1,000 live births).

Approximately 47% of women who obtained legal abortions had had no previous live births, and about 89% had had two or fewer previous live births Table_11. The abortion ratio was highest for women who had had no live births and lowest for women who had had four or more live births.

About 55% of women had been obtaining an abortion for the first time. Approximately 16% of women had had at least two previous abortions Table_12.

The age distribution of women who obtained a legal abortion differed only slightly by race Table_13. However, for women less than 15 years of age, the percentage who were black or of other races, although small (1.3%), was more than twice the percentage who were white (0.6%). The percentage of unmarried women who were black or of other races (81%) was also slightly higher than the percentage who were white (76%). Few differences were found by age and Hispanic ethnicity Table_14, but among married women who had obtained an abortion, a greater percentage were Hispanic than non-Hispanic.

Most women obtained an abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy; however, teenagers (i.e., women ages less than 19 years) were more likely than older women to obtain abortions later in pregnancy Table_15. The percentage of women who obtained an abortion early in pregnancy (i.e., at less than or equal to 8 weeks of gestation) increased with age, and the percentage who obtained an abortion late in pregnancy (at greater than or equal to 16 weeks of gestation) decreased with age Figure_4. Women who were black or of other races were more likely to obtain an abortion later in pregnancy than were white women Table_15. Although Hispanic women were more likely than non-Hispanic women to have had an abortion at less than or equal to 8 weeks of gestation, the overall differences between Hispanic and non-Hispanic women in the timing of abortions were minimal.

More than 99% of abortions at less than or equal to 12 weeks of gestation were performed by curettage (primarily suction procedures) Table_16. After 12 weeks of gestation, the most frequently used procedure was also curettage, although it was usually reported as dilatation and evacuation (D&E). Most intrauterine instillations involved the use of saline and were performed at greater than or equal to 16 weeks of gestation.

DISCUSSION

Although the annual number of abortions remained relatively stable, in 1991 the national abortion-to-live-birth ratio was the lowest recorded since 1977. The abortion ratio increased steadily from 1970 through 1980, decreased slightly during 1981-1983, increased to its highest level in 1984, remained fairly stable until 1987, and then began to decline Figure_1. Increased birth rates for women of all ages might have contributed to this decline (3). Other factors that could have affected the decline in the abortion ratio include reduced access to abortion services, changes in contraceptive practices, attitudinal changes concerning abortion and/or carrying unplanned pregnancies to term, and the possibility that the number of unintended pregnancies have decreased (4-6).

In other countries, the rate for legal abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age ranged from greater than 100 in the former Soviet Union to five in the Netherlands (7). The induced abortion rate in the United States was higher than that reported by Australia, Canada, and Western European countries, and lower than that reported by China, Cuba, the Eastern European countries, and the Newly Independent States of the Soviet Union (7). Abortion rates for teenagers were higher in the United States than in most Western European countries and some Eastern European countries (7).

The abortion ratio in 1991 varied substantially by age. Although the ratio was highest for teenagers, the percentage of legal abortions obtained by women less than 19 years of age has decreased steadily since the mid-1980s -- from 26% in 1984 to 24% in 1989 and to 21% in 1991 (2,8). Since 1980, the abortion ratio declined for most age groups -- particularly for women less than 15 years of age and greater than or equal to 40 years of age. In 1991, the abortion ratio for women 15-19 years of age was the lowest ratio CDC had ever recorded for that age group. Increasing rates of childbearing among teenage women and women greater than or equal to 35 years of age may have accounted for some of the decline in abortion ratios for these age groups (3). The decline in the abortion ratio for teenagers might also be associated with reduced access to abortion services (5), recent changes in abortion laws (e.g., parental consent or notification laws), and mandatory waiting periods, all of which are likely to disproportionately affect adolescents (9,10).

During 1991, the abortion ratio for black women was more than twice that for white women, and the abortion rate for black women was about three times that for white women. Race-specific differences in abortion ratios and rates may reflect differences in factors such as socioeconomic status, contraceptive use, and access to family planning, contraceptive, and abortion services.

The abortion-to-live-birth ratio for Hispanic women during 1991 was slightly lower than that for non-Hispanic women. Other published reports indicate that pregnant Hispanic women are less likely than pregnant non-Hispanic women to obtain an abortion (11). The abortion rate per 1,000 Hispanic women was higher than that for non-Hispanic women. Other studies using previously published data also reported higher abortion rates for Hispanic women than for non-Hispanic women (11). For women in all age groups, fertility was higher for Hispanic than for non-Hispanic women (3). However, in 1991, only 20 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City reported the number and percentage of abortions by Hispanic ethnicity; these geographic areas represent approximately 44% of all Hispanic women of reproductive age in the United States (CDC, unpublished data). Thus, the number, ratio, and rate of abortions for Hispanic women in this surveillance summary might not be representative of the overall Hispanic population in the United States (i.e., these data might reflect utilization of abortion services only in these states).

The percentage distribution of abortions by gestational age was stable from 1980 through 1991 Table_1. In this and previous reports, age was inversely associated with timing of abortion (i.e., younger women were more likely to obtain an abortion later in gestation than were older women) (2,12,13).

The percentage of women who were obtaining an abortion for the first time decreased from 75% in 1974 to 55% in 1991 Table_12 (14). During this period, the percentage of women who previously had had one induced abortion increased from 10% in 1974 to 25% in 1985 and to 27% in 1991 (8). The percentage who had had two previous abortions increased from approximately 1% in 1974 to approximately 10% in 1985; from 1985 through 1991, the percentage remained at approximately 9%-10%. The percentage who had had three or more abortions increased from 0.4% in 1974, to approximately 5% in 1985; during 1990 and 1991, this percentage remained at 6%. Because the proportion of all legal induced abortions that are repeat procedures increases with the abortion rate, the proportion of repeat procedures increased during the 1970s and early 1980s as the abortion rate rose; since then, the abortion rate and the proportion of repeat procedures have stabilized (13,15,16).

From 1972 to 1991, the percentage of abortions performed by curettage (which includes D&E) increased from 89% to 99% Table_1, and the percentage of abortions performed by intrauterine instillation and by hysterectomy and hysterotomy declined sharply (from 10% to 1% and from 0.6% to 0.01%, respectively). From 1974 through 1991, the percentage of second-trimester abortions performed by D&E increased from 31% to 92%; the percentage of second-trimester abortions performed by intrauterine instillation decreased from 57% to 5% (14). The increasing use of D&E might have resulted from the lower risk for complications associated with the procedure (17,18).

The numbers, ratios, and rates of abortion from this analysis are conservative estimates because the number of legal abortions reported to CDC for 1991 was probably lower than the number actually performed. Totals provided by central health agencies are often lower than those obtained by direct surveys of abortion providers (19). For example, the total number of abortions reported to CDC for 1991 was approximately 12% lower than that reported by The Alan Guttmacher Institute, a private organization that directly contacts abortion providers to obtain information on the number of abortions performed (6).

Despite these limitations, findings from ongoing national surveillance of legal induced abortion are used for several purposes. First, data from abortion surveillance are used to identify characteristics of women at high risk for unintended pregnancy. Second, ongoing surveillance is essential to monitor trends in the number, ratio, and rate of abortions in the United States. Third, statistics on the number of pregnancies ending in abortion are used in conjunction with birth statistics to estimate pregnancy rates (e.g., pregnancy rates among teenagers) (20) and other outcome rates (e.g., the rate of ectopic pregnancies per 1,000 pregnancies). Fourth, abortion and pregnancy rates can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of family planning programs and programs for preventing unintended pregnancy. Fifth, ongoing surveillance also provides data for assessing changes in clinical practice patterns related to abortion (e.g., longitudinal changes in the types of procedures). Finally, abortion data are used as the denominator in calculating abortion morbidity rates and case-fatality rates.

Induced abortions are linked usually to unintended pregnancies, which often occur despite use of contraception (11,21,22). In the late 1980s, about 1.2 million live births occurred for which the pregnancy was unintended (i.e., either mistimed or unwanted at conception) (23). Improved contraceptive practices, as well as access to and edu-cation regarding safe, effective, and low-cost contraception and family planning services, can help minimize abortion in the United States (24).

Not all states have acknowledged the need for state-based abortion surveillance, and some states that have recognized the need have been unable to gather such information. Some states emphasize the prevention of unintended pregnancy, particularly among teenagers. To help guide this effort, however, an ongoing, accurate assessment of abortion is needed in all states to determine the number and characteristics of women who obtain abortions.

Additional statistical and epidemiologic information about legal induced abortions is available from CDC's automated Reproductive Health Information System, which provides information by fax, voice recordings, or mail. Telephone (404) 330-1230.

References

  1. Koonin LM, Smith JC, Ramick M. Abortion surveillance -- United States, 1990. In: CDC surveillance summaries, December 1993. MMWR 1993;42(No. SS-6):29-57.

  2. Koonin LM, Smith JC, Ramick M, Lawson HW. Abortion surveillance -- United States, 1989. In: CDC surveillance summaries, September 1992. MMWR 1992;41(No. SS-5):1-33.

  3. National Center for Health Statistics. Advance report of final natality statistics, 1991. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1993; DHHS publication no. (PHS)93-1120. (Monthly vital statistics report; vol 42{suppl}).

  4. Council on Scientific Affairs. Induced termination of pregnancy before and after Roe v. Wade. JAMA 1992;268:3231-9.

  5. Henshaw SK. The accessibility of abortion services in the United States. Fam Plann Perspect 1991;23:246-52.

  6. Henshaw SK, VanVort J. Abortion services in the United States, 1991 and 1992. Fam Plann Perspect 1994;26:100-12.

  7. Henshaw SK. Induced abortions: a world review, 1990. Fam Plann Perspect 1990;22:76-89.

  8. Lawson HW, Atrash HK, Saftlas AF, Koonin LM, Ramick M, Smith JC. Abortion surveillance: United States, 1984-1985. In: CDC surveillance summaries, September 1989. MMWR 1989;38(No. SS-2):11-45.

  9. Benshoof J. Beyond Roe, after Casey: the present and future of a "fundamental" right. Women's Health Issues 1993;3:162-70.

  10. Donovan P. Our daughters' decisions. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1992.

  11. Henshaw SK, Silverman J. The characteristics and prior contraceptive use of U.S. abortion patients. Fam Plann Perspect 1988;20:158-68.

  12. Fielding WL, Sachtleben MR, Friedman LM, Friedman EA. Comparison of women seeking early and late abortion. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1978;131:304-10.

  13. Tietze C, Henshaw SK. Induced abortion: a world review. 6th ed. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1986.

  14. CDC. Abortion surveillance 1974. Atlanta: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1976:1-49.

  15. Tietze C, Jain A. The mathematics of repeat abortion: explaining the increase. Stud Fam Plann 1978;9:294-9.

  16. Tietze C, Bougaarts J. Repeat abortion in the United States: new insights. Stud Fam Plann 1982;13:373-9.

  17. Cates W Jr, Schulz KF, Grimes DA, et al. Dilatation and evacuation procedures and second-trimester abortion: the role of physician skill and hospital setting. JAMA 1982;248:559-63.

  18. Grimes DA. Second-trimester abortions in the United States. Fam Plann Perspect 1984;16: 260-6.

  19. Atrash HK, Lawson HW, Smith JC. Legal abortion in the US: trends and mortality. Contemp Ob Gyn 1990;35:58-69.

  20. Spitz A, Ventura S, Koonin LM, et al. Surveillance for pregnancy and birth rates among teenagers, by state -- United States, 1980 and 1990. In: CDC surveillance summaries, December 1993. MMWR 1993;42(No. SS-6):1-27.

  21. Jones EF, Forrest JD. Contraceptive failure rates based on the 1988 NSFG. Fam Plann Perspect 1992;24:12-9.

  22. Torres A, Forrest JD. Why do women have abortions? Fam Plann Perspect 1988;20:169-76.

  23. National Center for Health Statistics, Williams L, Pratt WF. Wanted and unwanted childbearing in the United States 1973-88. Hyattsville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, 1990;(189):1-7. (Advance data).

  24. Westoff CF. Contraceptive paths towards the reduction of unintended pregnancy and abortion. Fam Plann Perspect 1988;20:4-13.

    • Includes state health departments and the health departments of New York City and the District of Columbia.

+------------------------------------------------------------------- -----+ |             | | Erratum: Vol. 44, No. 23 | | ======================== | | SOURCE: MMWR 44(25);479 DATE: Jun 30, 1995 | |             | | In the article "Implementation of Health Initiatives During a | | Cease Fire -- Sudan, 1995" one of the areas in Figures 1 (page 434) | | and 2 (page 435) was mislabeled. In Figure 1, the area labeled "Red | | Sea" should have been labeled Red Sea state. In Figure 2, the area | | labeled "Red Sea" should not have been labeled. | +------------------------------------------------------------------- -----+


Table_1
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TABLE 1. Characteristics of women who obtained legal abortions -- United States, selected years, 1972-1991
===============================================================================================================================================================
Characteristic                 1972        1973        1976        1980        1985        1986        1987        1988        1989        1990        1991
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reported no. of              586,760     615,831     988,267   1,297,606   1,328,570   1,328,112   1,353,671   1,371,285   1,396,658   1,429,577   1,388,937
  legal abortions
                                                                                Percent distribution *
                             ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Residence
  In-state                     56.2        74.8        90.0        92.6        92.4        92.4        91.7        91.4        91.0        91.8       91.6
  Out-of-state                 43.8        25.2        10.0         7.4         7.6         7.6         8.3         8.6         9.0         8.2       8.4
Age (yrs)
   <=19                        32.6        32.7        32.1        29.2        26.3        25.3        25.8        25.3        24.2        22.4       21.0
  20-24                        32.5        32.0        33.3        35.5        34.7        34.0        33.4        32.8        32.6        33.2       34.4
   >=25                        34.9        35.3        34.6        35.3        39.0        40.7        40.8        41.9        43.2        44.4       44.6
Race
  White                        77.0        72.5        66.6        69.9        66.6        67.0        66.4        64.4        64.2        64.8       63.8
  Black                        23.0 +      27.5 +     +33.4 +      30.1 +      29.8        28.7        29.3        31.1        31.2        31.8       32.5
  Other &                        --          --          --          --         3.5         4.3         4.3         4.5         4.6         3.4        3.7
Hispanic origin
  Hispanic                       --          --          --          --          --          --          --          --          --         9.8       13.5
  Non-Hispanic                   --          --          --          --          --          --          --          --          --        90.2       86.5
Marital status
  Married                      29.7        27.4        24.6        23.1        19.3        20.2        20.8        20.3        20.1        21.7       21.4
  Unmarried                    70.3        72.6        75.4        76.9        80.7        79.8        79.2        79.7        79.9        78.3       78.6
No. of live births @
    0                          49.4        48.6        47.7        58.4        56.3        55.1        53.6        52.4        52.2        49.2       47.8
    1                          18.2        18.8        20.7        19.4        21.6        22.1        22.8        23.4        23.6        24.4       25.3
    2                          13.3        14.2        15.4        13.7        14.5        14.9        15.5        16.0        15.9        16.9       17.5
    3                           8.7         8.7         8.3         5.3         5.1         5.3         5.5         5.6         5.7         6.1        6.4
  >=4                          10.4         9.7         7.9         3.2         2.5         2.6         2.6         2.6         2.6         3.4        3.0
Type of procedure
  Curettage                    88.6        88.4        92.8        95.5        97.5        97.0        97.2        98.6        98.8        98.8       98.9
    Suction curettage          65.2        74.9        82.6        89.8        94.6        94.5        93.4        95.1        97.1        96.0       97.3
    Sharp curettage            23.4        13.5        10.2         5.7         2.9         2.5         3.8         3.5         1.7         2.8        1.6
  Intrauterine                 10.4        10.4         6.0         3.1         1.7         1.4         1.3         1.1         0.9         0.8        0.7
    instillation
  Other **                      1.0         1.2         1.2         1.4         0.8         1.6         1.5         0.3         0.3         0.4        0.4
Weeks of gestation
    <=8                        34.0        36.1        47.0        51.7        50.3        51.0        50.4        48.7        49.8        51.6       52.3
   9-10                        30.7        29.4        28.1        26.2        26.6        25.8        26.0        26.4        25.8        25.3       25.1
  11-12                        17.5        17.9        14.4        12.2        12.5        12.2        12.4        12.7        12.6        11.7       11.5
  13-15                         8.4         6.9         4.5         5.1         5.9         6.1         6.2         6.6         6.6         6.4        6.1
  16-20                         8.2         8.0         5.1         3.9         3.9         4.1         4.2         4.5         4.2         4.0        3.9
   >=21                         1.2         1.7         0.9         0.9         0.8         0.8         0.8         1.1         1.0         1.0        1.1
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * Because the number of states that reported each characteristic varies from year to year, temporal comparisons should be made
cautiously. Percentage
   distributions are based on data from all areas reporting a given characteristic and exclude unknown values.
 + Reported as black and other races.
 & Includes all other races.
 @ For 1972-1976, data indicate number of living children.
** Includes hysterotomy and hysterectomy.
-- Not available.
===============================================================================================================================================================

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Figure_1

Figure_1
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Table_2
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TABLE 2. Number, ratio, * and rate + of legal abortions and source of reporting -- United
States, 1970-1991
===========================================================================================
                                                            No. of areas reporting
                                                      -------------------------------------
             Total no. of                                   Central         Hospitals/
Year        legal abortions     Ratio       Rate        health agency &    Facilities @
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1970            193,491          52           5                18                 7
1971            485,816         137          11                19                 7
1972            586,760         180          13                21                 8
1973            615,831         196          14                26                26
1974            763,476         242          17                37                15

1975            854,853         272          18                39                13
1976            988,267         312          21                41                11
1977          1,079,430         325          22                46                 6
1978          1,157,776         347          23                48                 4
1979          1,251,921         358          24                47                 5

1980          1,297,606         359          25                47                 5
1981          1,300,760         358          24                46                 6
1982          1,303,980         354          24                46                 6
1983          1,268,987         349          23                46                 6
1984          1,333,521         364          24                44                 8

1985          1,328,570         354          24                44                 8
1986          1,328,112         354          23                43                 9
1987          1,353,671         356          24                45                 7
1988          1,371,285         352          24                45                 7
1989          1,396,658         346          24                45                 7

1990          1,429,577         345          24                46                 6
1991          1,388,937         339          24                47                 5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Number of abortions per 1,000 live births.
+ Number of abortions per 1,000 women 15-44 years of age.
& Abortion data reported from central health agency.
@ Abortion data reported from hospitals and/or other medical facilities in state.
===========================================================================================

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Table_3
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TABLE 3. Reported number, * ratio, + and rate & of legal abortions and percentage of
abortions obtained by out-of-state residents, @ by state of occurrence -- United States, 1991
======================================================================================================
                                 Total no.                                     Percentage of legal
                                 of legal                                     abortions obtained by
State                            abortions         Ratio          Rate        out-of-state residents
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                           14,097            224             15                      8.3
Alaska                          1,718 **            147             12                       --
Arizona                           15,491            228             18                      2.7
Arkansas                           6,211            175             12                      3.2
California                    350,983 ++            576             49                       --
Colorado                          11,402            212             14                      8.2
Connecticut                       18,534         382 &&             24                       --
Delaware                           5,547            496             34                       --
District of Columbia              18,899          -- @@         -- ***                     50.5
Florida                           71,254            368             25                       --
Georgia                           38,407            348             23                      8.2
Hawaii                             5,714            286             22                      0.3
Idaho                              1,647             98              7                     10.3
Illinois                          46,502         239 &&             17                       --
Indiana                           13,493            158             10                      3.6
Iowa                            7,029 **            181             11                       --
Kansas                             7,318            194             13                     45.6
Kentucky                           9,590            179             11                     28.7
Louisiana                         12,190            169             12                       --
Maine                              3,827            228             13                      7.9
Maryland                          18,994         240 &&             16                      4.7
Massachusetts                     37,071            420             25                      3.7
Michigan                          34,556            231             16                      4.2
Minnesota                         16,177            241             16                     10.5
Mississippi                        8,184            190             14                     25.0
Missouri                          15,473            197             13                     10.3
Montana                            3,226            281             18                     26.3
Nebraska                           6,194            259             17                     19.4
Nevada                             7,484            337             25                     11.1
New Hampshire                   3,842 **            235             14                       --
New Jersey                        37,541         309 &&             21                      3.0
New Mexico                         5,745            207             16                      4.3
New York                         158,761            553             37                      3.3
  City                       105,195 +++            819             --                      2.9
  State                           53,566            337             --                      4.0
North Carolina                    36,420            356             23                      8.4
North Dakota                       1,602            180             12                     38.4
Ohio                              41,705            257             16                     16.6
Oklahoma                       10,533 **         220 &&             15                       --
Oregon                            14,310            337             21                     10.0
Pennsylvania                      50,988            304             19                      6.4
Rhode Island                       7,412         503 &&             31                     20.7
South Carolina                    12,538            218             15                      6.1
South Dakota                         984             90              7                     21.3
Tennessee                         19,779            266             17                     16.6
Texas                             91,947            289             22                      4.6
Utah                               4,213            117             10                     13.4
Vermont                            3,015            379             22                     30.8
Virginia                          31,943            330             21                      5.9
Washington                        30,243            380             26                      4.1
West Virginia                      1,598             71              4                      9.1
Wisconsin                         16,237            225             14                      5.2
Wyoming                              369             55              3                     11.7

Total                          1,388,937            339             24                      8.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Abortion data from central health agency unless otherwise noted.
  + Abortions per 1,000 live births (live-birth data from central health agency unless otherwise
    specified).
  & Abortions per 1,000 women 15-44 years of age (number of women in this age group
    obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Current
    Population Survey, March 1991, tape technical documentation, Washington, DC).
  @ Based on number of abortions for which residence status of women was known.
 ** Reported from hospitals and/or other medical facilities in state.
 ++ CDC estimate.
 && Live births reported from CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, Advance Report of
    Final Natality Statistics, 1991, vol. 42, no. 3, supplement, September 9, 1993.
 @@ >1,000 abortions per 1,000 live births.
*** >1,000 abortions per 1,000 women 15-44 years of age.
+++ Reported by New York City Department of Health.
 -- Not reported.
======================================================================================================

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Table_4
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TABLE 4. Reported legal abortions, by age of women who obtained an abortion and state in which the procedure was performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
==========================================================================================================================================================================
Age group (yrs)
                          <15            15-19             20-24             25-29             30-34            35-39           >=40       Unknown           Total
State                  No.     %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %      No.     %      No.     %    No.     %        No.        %
Alabama                193   1.4     3,525    25.0     4,910    34.8     2,705    19.2     1,622    11.5      904   6.4      224   1.6     14   0.1     14,097    100.0
Arizona                 83   0.5     3,037    19.6     5,095    32.9     3,389    21.9     2,096    13.5    1,032   6.7      235   1.5    524   3.4     15,491    100.0
Arkansas                66   1.1     1,586    25.5     2,190    35.3     1,232    19.8       685    11.0      342   5.5       95   1.5     15   0.2      6,211    100.0
Colorado                88   0.8     2,575    22.6     3,669    32.2     2,284    20.0     1,572    13.8      933   8.2      251   2.2     30   0.3     11,402    100.0
Dist. of Columbia       90   1.0     1,905    20.7     3,173    34.6     2,098    22.9     1,199    13.1      578   6.3      138   1.5      0   0.0    9,181 +    100.0
Georgia                414   1.1     7,663    20.0    13,270    34.6     8,631    22.5     5,076    13.2    2,545   6.6      643   1.7    165   0.4     38,407    100.0
Hawaii                  62   1.1     1,071    18.7     1,864    32.6     1,282    22.4       776    13.6      507   8.9      149   2.6      3   0.1      5,714    100.0
Idaho                   12   0.7       414    25.1       508    30.8       330    20.0       219    13.3      125   7.6       38   2.3      1   0.1      1,647    100.0
Indiana                 99   0.7     2,977    22.1     4,837    35.8     2,829    21.0     1,599    11.9      860   6.4      246   1.8     46   0.3     13,493    100.0
Kansas                  55   0.8     2,014    27.5     2,444    33.4     1,383    18.9       828    11.3      460   6.3      127   1.7      7   0.1      7,318    100.0
Kentucky               136   1.4     2,595    27.1     3,380    35.2     1,713    17.9     1,053    11.0      529   5.5      130   1.4     54   0.6      9,590    100.0
Louisiana              128   1.1     2,562    21.0     4,221    34.6     2,549    20.9     1,543    12.7      878   7.2      274   2.2     35   0.3     12,190    100.0
Maine                   19   0.5       869    22.7     1,289    33.7       767    20.0       523    13.7      268   7.0       64   1.7     28   0.7      3,827    100.0
Maryland               183   1.0     3,712    19.5     6,443    33.9     4,475    23.6     2,672    14.1    1,204   6.3      305   1.6      0   0.0     18,994    100.0
Massachusetts          190   0.5     6,505    17.5    12,427    33.5     8,660    23.4     5,213    14.1    2,724   7.3      757   2.0    595   1.6     37,071    100.0
Michigan               297   0.9     7,850    22.7    12,093    35.0     7,002    20.3     4,454    12.9    2,225   6.4      581   1.7     54   0.2     34,556    100.0
Minnesota               91   0.6     3,134    19.4     5,670    35.0     3,480    21.5     2,193    13.6    1,067   6.6      348   2.2    194   1.2     16,177    100.0
Mississippi            108   1.3     2,078    25.4     2,772    33.9     1,567    19.1       932    11.4      468   5.7      147   1.8    112   1.4      8,184    100.0
Missouri               175   1.1     3,127    20.2     5,313    34.3     3,434    22.2     2,120    13.7    1,030   6.7      268   1.7      6   0.0     15,473    100.0
Montana                 20   0.6       808    25.0     1,028    31.9       624    19.3       423    13.1      260   8.1       63   2.0      0   0.0      3,226    100.0
Nebraska                36   0.6     1,488    24.0     2,173    35.1     1,244    20.1       723    11.7      407   6.6      120   1.9      3   0.0      6,194    100.0
Nevada                  50   0.7     1,240    16.6     2,383    31.8     1,823    24.4     1,185    15.8      599   8.0      154   2.1     50   0.7      7,484    100.0
New Jersey &           284   0.8     7,838    20.9    12,931    34.4     8,657    23.1     4,847    12.9    2,267   6.0      686   1.8     31   0.1     37,541    100.0
New Mexico              36   0.6     1,311    22.8     1,813    31.6     1,203    20.9       755    13.1      450   7.8      151   2.6     26   0.5      5,745    100.0
New York             1,153   0.7    27,329    17.2    51,024    32.1    38,735    24.4    23,649    14.9   11,764   7.4    3,347   2.1  1,760   1.1    158,761    100.0
  City                 815   0.8    16,268    15.5    32,274    30.7    27,125    25.8    16,838    16.0    8,295   7.9    2,388   2.3  1,192   1.1    105,195    100.0
  State                338   0.6    11,061    20.6    18,750    35.0    11,610    21.7     6,811    12.7    3,469   6.5      959   1.8    568   1.1     53,566    100.0
North Carolina         373   1.0     8,647    23.7    12,971    35.6     7,230    19.9     4,069    11.2    2,107   5.8      524   1.4    499   1.4     36,420    100.0
North Dakota            14   0.9       403    25.2       561    35.0       289    18.0       195    12.2      110   6.9       30   1.9      0   0.0      1,602    100.0
Ohio                   220   0.5     6,907    16.6    14,263    34.2     8,146    19.5     5,006    12.0    2,472   5.9      733   1.8  3,958   9.5     41,705    100.0
Oregon                  98   0.7     3,203    22.4     4,741    33.1     2,972    20.8     1,836    12.8    1,048   7.3      266   1.9    146   1.0     14,310    100.0
Pennsylvania           431   0.8    11,052    21.7    17,751    34.8    10,621    20.8     6,614    13.0    3,576   7.0      941   1.8      2   0.0     50,988    100.0
Rhode Island            40   0.5     1,366    18.4     2,681    36.2     1,619    21.8     1,049    14.2      513   6.9      144   1.9      0   0.0      7,412    100.0
South Carolina         102   0.8     2,842    22.7     4,509    36.0     2,697    21.5     1,493    11.9      728   5.8      167   1.3      0   0.0     12,538    100.0
South Dakota             6   0.6       253    25.7       331    33.6       170    17.3       125    12.7       76   7.7       23   2.3      0   0.0        984    100.0
Tennessee              226   1.1     4,593    23.2     6,725    34.0     4,065    20.6     2,432    12.3    1,412   7.1      320   1.6      6   0.0     19,779    100.0
Texas                  463   0.5    15,953    17.4    32,235    35.1    21,059    22.9    13,112    14.3    6,772   7.4    2,067   2.2    286   0.3     91,947    100.0
Utah                    36   0.9       881    20.9     1,411    33.5       897    21.3       583    13.8      293   7.0       90   2.1     22   0.5      4,213    100.0
Vermont                 16   0.5       731    24.2       980    32.5       619    20.5       363    12.0      229   7.6       74   2.5      3   0.1      3,015    100.0
Virginia               240   0.8     6,374    20.0    10,843    33.9     7,292    22.8     4,357    13.6    2,162   6.8      626   2.0     49   0.2     31,943    100.0
Washington             187   0.6     6,014    19.9    10,196    33.7     6,732    22.3     4,232    14.0    2,210   7.3      642   2.1     30   0.1     30,243    100.0
West Virginia           21   1.3       416    26.0       585    36.6       290    18.1       166    10.4       94   5.9       26   1.6      0   0.0      1,598    100.0
Wisconsin              122   0.8     3,520    22.9     5,434    35.3     3,205    20.8     1,931    12.5      899   5.8      266   1.7     12   0.1   15,389 +    100.0
Wyoming                  1   0.3        87    23.6       108    29.3        76    20.6        59    16.0       25   6.8       12   3.3      1   0.3        369    100.0

Total                6,664   0.8   172,455    20.0   293,245    34.0   190,075    22.0   115,579    13.4   59,152   6.9   16,492   1.9  8,767   1.0    862,429    100.0
Abortion ratio @       767             462               378               221               187              262            469                           295
Abortion rate **         1              28                42                25                14                8              2                            17
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 41 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City.
 + Includes residents only.
 & Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
 @ Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women in a given age group per 1,000 live births to women in the same age group for these
   states. For each state, abortions obtained by women of unknown age are distributed according to the known age distribution for that state. Excludes states reporting
   age unknown for >15% of women who obtained abortions.
** Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women in a given age group per 1,000 women in the same age group for these states. For each
   state, abortions obtained by women of unknown age are distributed according to the known age distribution for that state. Excludes states reporting age unknown for
   >15% of women who obtained abortions.
==========================================================================================================================================================================

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Figure_2

Figure_2
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Figure_3

Figure_3
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Table_5
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TABLE 5. Reported legal abortions obtained by teenagers, by age and state of occurrence -- selected states, * United States, 1991
===========================================================================================================================================================
                                                               Age (yrs)
                        ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                             <15                  15                 16                  17                 18                  19              Total
                        -------------      --------------     --------------      --------------    ---------------     ----------------   ----------------
State                   No.        %        No.        %       No.        %        No.        %       No.        %        No.        %       No.        %
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                 193      5.2        282      7.6       486     13.1        595     16.0     1,010     27.2      1,152     31.0     3,718    100.0
Arizona                  83      2.7        203      6.5       312     10.0        530     17.0       932     29.9      1,060     34.0     3,120    100.0
Arkansas                 66      4.0        102      6.2       191     11.6        253     15.3       506     30.6        534     32.3     1,652    100.0
Colorado                 88      3.3        178      6.7       377     14.2        584     21.9       685     25.7        751     28.2     2,663    100.0
Georgia                 414      5.1        567      7.0     1,032     12.8      1,398     17.3     2,186     27.1      2,480     30.7     8,077    100.0
Hawaii                   62      5.5         88      7.8       154     13.6        207     18.3       281     24.8        341     30.1     1,133    100.0
Idaho                    12      2.8         23      5.4        43     10.1         74     17.4       147     34.5        127     29.8       426    100.0
Indiana                  99      3.2        203      6.6       323     10.5        403     13.1     1,014     33.0      1,034     33.6     3,076    100.0
Kansas                   55      2.7        175      8.5       293     14.2        446     21.6       526     25.4        574     27.7     2,069    100.0
Kentucky                136      5.0        213      7.8       378     13.8        609     22.3       638     23.4        757     27.7     2,731    100.0
Louisiana               128      4.8        195      7.2       284     10.6        389     14.5       804     29.9        890     33.1     2,690    100.0
Maine                    19      2.1         56      6.3       118     13.3        185     20.8       249     28.0        261     29.4       888    100.0
Maryland                183      4.7        278      7.1       483     12.4        664     17.0     1,035     26.6      1,252     32.1     3,895    100.0
Massachusetts           190      2.8        322      4.8       607      9.1        998     14.9     2,033     30.4      2,545     38.0     6,695    100.0
Michigan                297      3.6        546      6.7       953     11.7      1,350     16.6     2,394     29.4      2,607     32.0     8,147    100.0
Minnesota                91      2.8        191      5.9       376     11.7        523     16.2       969     30.0      1,075     33.3     3,225    100.0
Mississippi             108      4.9        178      8.1       300     13.7        389     17.8       597     27.3        614     28.1     2,186    100.0
Missouri                175      5.3        241      7.3       397     12.0        410     12.4       968     29.3      1,111     33.6     3,302    100.0
Montana                  20      2.4         52      6.3       118     14.3        160     19.3       236     28.5        242     29.2       828    100.0
Nebraska                 36      2.4         93      6.1       190     12.5        277     18.2       441     28.9        487     32.0     1,524    100.0
Nevada                   50      3.9         78      6.0       163     12.6        233     18.1       366     28.4        400     31.0     1,290    100.0
New Jersey +            284      3.5        525      6.5       932     11.5      1,467     18.1     2,244     27.6      2,670     32.9     8,122    100.0
New Mexico               36      2.7        108      8.0       175     13.0        260     19.3       378     28.1        390     29.0     1,347    100.0
New York              1,153      4.0      1,978      6.9     3,528     12.4      5,447     19.1     7,579     26.6      8,797     30.9    28,482    100.0
  City                  815      4.8      1,272      7.4     2,168     12.7      3,209     18.8     4,454     26.1      5,165     30.2    17,083    100.0
  State                 338      3.0        706      6.2     1,360     11.9      2,238     19.6     3,125     27.4      3,632     31.9    11,399    100.0
North Carolina          373      4.1        596      6.6     1,143     12.7      1,667     18.5     2,501     27.7      2,740     30.4     9,020    100.0
North Dakota             14      3.4         27      6.5        44     10.6         60     14.4       132     31.7        140     33.6       417    100.0
Ohio                    220      3.1        388      5.4       746     10.5      1,205     16.9     1,884     26.4      2,684     37.7     7,127    100.0
Oregon                   98      3.0        217      6.6       424     12.8        621     18.8       894     27.1      1,047     31.7     3,301    100.0
Pennsylvania            431      3.8        871      7.6     1,435     12.5      2,027     17.7     3,017     26.3      3,702     32.2    11,483    100.0
Rhode Island             40      2.8         74      5.3       134      9.5        179     12.7       461     32.8        518     36.8     1,406    100.0
South Carolina          102      3.5        185      6.3       300     10.2        551     18.7       807     27.4        999     33.9     2,944    100.0
South Dakota              6      2.3         21      8.1        31     12.0         49     18.9        74     28.6         78     30.1       259    100.0
Tennessee               226      4.7        328      6.8       609     12.6        836     17.3     1,312     27.2      1,508     31.3     4,819    100.0
Texas                   463      2.8        808      4.9     1,748     10.6      2,897     17.6     4,406     26.8      6,094     37.1    16,416    100.0
Utah                     36      3.9         52      5.7       114     12.4        134     14.6       289     31.5        292     31.8       917    100.0
Vermont                  16      2.1         37      5.0       100     13.4        146     19.5       217     29.0        231     30.9       747    100.0
Virginia                240      3.6        430      6.5       819     12.4      1,201     18.2     1,799     27.2      2,125     32.1     6,614    100.0
Washington              187      3.0        378      6.1       769     12.4      1,226     19.8     1,657     26.7      1,984     32.0     6,201    100.0
West Virginia            21      4.8         29      6.6        42      9.6         69     15.8       127     29.1        149     34.1       437    100.0
Wisconsin               122      3.3        221      6.1       457     12.5        632     17.4       990     27.2      1,220     33.5   3,642 &    100.0
Wyoming                   1      1.1          9     10.2        10     11.4         14     15.9        27     30.7         27     30.7        88    100.0

Total                 6,574      3.7     11,546      6.5    21,138     11.9     31,365     17.7    48,812     27.6     57,689     32.6   177,124    100.0
Abortion ratio @        765                 570                498                 439                480                 427                466
Abortion rate **          1                  10                 18                  26                 40                  42                 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 41 states for which data were available and New York City.
 + Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
 & Includes residents only.
 @ Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of a given age per 1,000 live births to women of the same age for these states.
** Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of a given age per 1,000 women of the same age for these states.
===========================================================================================================================================================

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Table_6
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TABLE 6. Reported legal abortions, by weeks of gestation and state of occurrence -- selected states, * United States, 1991
===================================================================================================================================================================
                                                                          Weeks of gestation
                     ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            <=8              9-10             11-12              13-15             16-20              >=21            Unknown           Total
                     ---------------   ---------------    --------------    --------------    --------------     -------------    --------------  -----------------
State                   No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama               7,825    55.5     3,735    26.5     1,211     8.6       728     5.2       279     2.0       177     1.3       142     1.0    14,097   100.0
Arkansas              3,479    56.0     1,464    23.6       575     9.3       284     4.6        96     1.5        11     0.2       302     4.9     6,211   100.0
Colorado              4,096    35.9     4,092    35.9     1,749    15.3       800     7.0       507     4.4       110     1.0        48     0.4    11,402   100.0
Dist. of Columbia     4,539    49.4     2,078    22.6     1,296    14.1       761     8.3     356 +     3.9      26 &     0.3       125     1.4   9,181 @   100.0
Georgia              13,823    36.0    10,677    27.8     6,459    16.8     3,040     7.9     1,699     4.4       664     1.7     2,045     5.3    38,407   100.0
Hawaii **             3,078    53.9     1,332    23.3       591    10.3       320     5.6       293     5.1        41     0.7        59     1.0     5,714   100.0
Idaho                   877    53.2       506    30.7       231    14.0        22     1.3         7     0.4         1     0.1         3     0.2     1,647   100.0
Indiana               9,955    73.8     2,490    18.5       666     4.9       123     0.9        26     0.2         4     0.0       229     1.7    13,493   100.0
Kansas                3,113    42.5     1,859    25.4       907    12.4       536     7.3       502     6.9       374     5.1        27     0.4     7,318   100.0
Kentucky              4,462    46.5     1,960    20.4     1,157    12.1       762     7.9       820     8.6       336     3.5        93     1.0     9,590   100.0
Louisiana             5,362    44.0     3,866    31.7     1,275    10.5       676     5.5       761     6.2       154     1.3        96     0.8    12,190   100.0
Maine **              1,911    49.9     1,227    32.1       447    11.7       180     4.7      25 +     0.7      19 &     0.5        18     0.5     3,827   100.0
Maryland **          10,951    57.7     4,422    23.3     2,091    11.0       934     4.9       532     2.8         4     0.0        60     0.3    18,994   100.0
Michigan             16,860    48.8     8,701    25.2     4,565    13.2     2,413     7.0       959     2.8       205     0.6       853     2.5    34,556   100.0
Minnesota             7,978    49.3     4,187    25.9     2,029    12.5       970     6.0       827     5.1        84     0.5       102     0.6    16,177   100.0
Mississippi           4,690    57.3     1,755    21.4       793     9.7       464     5.7       186     2.3        41     0.5       255     3.1     8,184   100.0
Missouri              5,801    37.5     4,975    32.2     2,899    18.7     1,148     7.4       552     3.6        90     0.6         8     0.1    15,473   100.0
Montana **            1,839    57.0       648    20.1       328    10.2       232     7.2       172     5.3         0     0.0         7     0.2     3,226   100.0
Nevada                4,613    61.6     1,459    19.5       788    10.5       342     4.6       179     2.4         0     0.0       103     1.4     7,484   100.0
New Jersey ++        19,395    51.7     7,586    20.2     3,149     8.4     3,962    10.6     2,761     7.4       688     1.8         0     0.0    37,541   100.0
New Mexico            2,830    49.3     1,072    18.7       505     8.8       357     6.2       314     5.5        44     0.8       623    10.8     5,745   100.0
New York             86,246    54.3    35,384    22.3    15,747     9.9     8,288     5.2     7,157     4.5     2,562     1.6     3,377     2.1   158,761   100.0
  City               58,605    55.7    22,061    21.0     9,610     9.1     5,215     5.0     5,770     5.5     2,346     2.2     1,588     1.5   105,195   100.0
  State              27,641    51.6    13,323    24.9     6,137    11.5     3,073     5.7     1,387     2.6       216     0.4     1,789     3.3    53,566   100.0
North Carolina       17,782    48.8     9,115    25.0     4,697    12.9     2,550     7.0        85    32.3        88     0.2     1,335     3.7    36,420   100.0
North Dakota            885    55.2       369    23.0       185    11.5       140     8.7        21     1.3         0     0.0         2     0.1     1,602   100.0
Oregon                7,002    48.9     4,067    28.4     1,534    10.7       764     5.3       509     3.6       216     1.5       218     1.5    14,310   100.0
Pennsylvania         24,800    48.6    13,857    27.2     6,584    12.9     3,339     6.5     1,963     3.8       383     0.8        62     0.1    50,988   100.0
Rhode Island          3,983    53.7     2,159    29.1       639     8.6       365     4.9       242     3.3         5     0.1        19     0.3     7,412   100.0
South Carolina        6,933    55.3     3,526    28.1     1,678    13.4       237     1.9        61     0.5        31     0.2        72     0.6    12,538   100.0
South Dakota            612    62.2       267    27.1       104    10.6         1     0.1         0     0.0         0     0.0         0     0.0       984   100.0
Tennessee  **        10,094    51.0     5,400    27.3     2,622    13.3     1,473     7.4       152     0.8        16     0.1        22     0.1    19,779   100.0
Texas                49,539    53.9    20,830    22.7    10,067    10.9     6,084     6.6     3,993     4.3     1,423     1.5        11     0.0    91,947   100.0
Utah                  2,864    68.0       721    17.1       295     7.0       165     3.9       136     3.2         3     0.1        29     0.7     4,213   100.0
Vermont               1,681    55.8       895    29.7       317    10.5       106     3.5        13     0.4         2     0.1         1     0.0     3,015   100.0
Virginia             17,888    56.0     9,333    29.2     3,397    10.6       686     2.1       457     1.4       117     0.4        65     0.2    31,943   100.0
Washington **        17,169    56.8     7,660    25.3     2,564     8.5     1,357     4.5     1,143     3.8       332     1.1        18     0.1    30,243   100.0
West Virginia           564    35.3       631    39.5       289    18.1        68     4.3        13     0.8         1     0.1        32     2.0     1,598   100.0
Wisconsin             7,356    47.8     4,362    28.3     1,915    12.4     1,074     7.0       589     3.8        90     0.6         3     0.0  15,389 @   100.0
Wyoming                 176    47.7       157    42.5        33     8.9         1     0.3         1     0.3         0     0.0         1     0.3       369   100.0

Total               393,051    51.6   188,824    24.8    86,378    11.3    45,752     6.0    29,156     3.8     8,342     1.1    10,465     1.4   761,968   100.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 37 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City; excludes two states where unknown gestational age is >15%.
 + Includes 16-19 weeks only.
 & Includes gestation of >=20 weeks.
 @ Includes residents only.
** Weeks of gestation are based on physician's estimate.
++ Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
===================================================================================================================================================================

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Table_7
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TABLE 7. Reported legal abortions, by type of procedure and state in which the procedure was performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
======================================================================================================================================================================
                                                                             Procedure

                                                                               Intrauterine
                               Suction           Sharp              All           saline      Prostaglandin  Hysterotomy/
                              curettage         curettage        curettage     instillation   instillation   Hysterectomy  Other +        Unknown           Total
                           --------------     ------------    --------------  --------------  ------------- ------------- ----------    ------------    --------------
State                         No.       %      No.      %        No.      %     No.     %      No.     %    No.     %     No.     %      No.      %       No.      %
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                  13,969 &    99.1       14    0.1     13,983   99.2       3   0.0        1   0.0      2   0.0      2   0.0      106     0.8    14,097   100.0
Arizona                    15,121    97.6        2    0.0     15,123   97.6       0   0.0        0   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0      368     2.4    15,491   100.0
Arkansas                  5,925 &    95.4      229    3.7      6,154   99.1       3   0.0        8   0.1      0   0.0     24   0.4       22     0.4     6,211   100.0
Colorado                 11,079 &    97.2       19    0.2     11,098   97.3      11   0.1       54   0.5      0   0.0      0   0.0      239     2.1    11,402   100.0
Dist. of Columbia           9,145    99.6        3    0.0      9,148   99.6      32   0.3        0   0.0      0   0.0      1   0.0        0     0.0   9,181 @   100.0
Georgia                  33,823 &    88.1    3,835   10.0     37,658   98.0       6   0.0      713   1.9      2   0.0      0   0.0       28     0.1    38,407   100.0
Hawaii                      5,593    97.9        7    0.1      5,600   98.0       0   0.0        6   0.1      0   0.0     84   1.5       24     0.4     5,714   100.0
Idaho                     1,640 &    99.6        7    0.4      1,647  100.0       0   0.0        0   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0        0     0.0     1,647   100.0
Indiana                  13,279 &    98.4        2    0.0     13,281   98.4       0   0.0        1   0.0     13   0.1     79   0.6      119     0.9    13,493   100.0
Kansas                    7,201 &    98.4        1    0.0      7,202   98.4       0   0.0        0   0.0      0   0.0      4   0.1      112     1.5     7,318   100.0
Kentucky                  9,027 &    94.1      477    5.0      9,504   99.1       1   0.0        8   0.1      0   0.0      7   0.1       70     0.7     9,590   100.0
Louisiana                10,633 &    87.2        3    0.0     10,636   87.3       0   0.0        2   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0    1,552    12.7    12,190   100.0
Maine                     3,699 &    96.7       48    1.3      3,747   97.9       1   0.0        1   0.0      1   0.0     15   0.4       62     1.6     3,827   100.0
Maryland                   18,550    97.7      100    0.5     18,650   98.2      99   0.5      107   0.6      0   0.0    138   0.7        0     0.0    18,994   100.0
Massachusetts              35,534    95.9      342    0.9     35,876   96.8      13   0.0      769   2.1      0   0.0    413   1.1        0     0.0    37,071   100.0
Michigan                 34,500 &    99.8        0    0.0     34,500   99.8       3   0.0       51   0.1      2   0.0      0   0.0        0     0.0    34,556   100.0
Minnesota                15,926 &    98.4        7    0.0     15,933   98.5       0   0.0        3   0.0      0   0.0      7   0.0      234     1.4    16,177   100.0
Mississippi               7,982 &    97.5      164    2.0      8,146   99.5       3   0.0       29   0.4      1   0.0      3   0.0        2     0.0     8,184   100.0
Missouri                 15,363 &    99.3        8    0.1     15,371   99.3       0   0.0       26   0.2      1   0.0     21   0.1       54     0.3    15,473   100.0
Montana                   3,224 &    99.9        1    0.0      3,225  100.0       0   0.0        1   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0        0     0.0     3,226   100.0
Nebraska                    6,147    99.2        2    0.0      6,149   99.3       0   0.0        0   0.0      0   0.0     37   0.6        9     0.1     6,195   100.0
Nevada                      7,440    99.4        7    0.1      7,447   99.5       0   0.0        2   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0       35     0.5     7,484   100.0
New Jersey **              31,393    83.6    5,720   15.2     37,113   98.9     338   0.9       42   0.1     23   0.1     25   0.1        0     0.0    37,541   100.0
New Mexico                  5,323    92.7        7    0.1      5,330   92.8     405   7.0        0   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0       10     0.2     5,745   100.0
New York                  149,464    94.1      900    0.6    150,364   94.7   1,471   0.9      270   0.2      0   0.0    188   0.1    6,468     4.1   158,761   100.0
  City                  102,327 &    97.3      716    0.7    103,043   98.0   1,260   1.2       34   0.0      0   0.0     19   0.0      839     0.8   105,195   100.0
  State                  47,137 &    88.0      184    0.3     47,321   88.3     211   0.4      236   0.4      0   0.0    169   0.3    5,629    10.5    53,566   100.0
North Carolina             35,485    97.4       96    0.3     35,581   97.7     165   0.5      281   0.8      5   0.0    100   0.3      288     0.8    36,420   100.0
North Dakota                1,602   100.0        0    0.0      1,602  100.0       0   0.0        0   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0        0     0.0     1,602   100.0
Oregon                   14,134 &    98.8        5    0.0     14,139   98.8       1   0.0       21   0.1      4   0.0      3   0.0      142     1.0    14,310   100.0
Pennsylvania             50,680 &    99.4       14    0.0     50,694   99.4      23   0.0       27   0.1      1   0.0    243   0.5        0     0.0    50,988   100.0
Rhode Island              7,384 &    99.6        6    0.1      7,390   99.7       2   0.0       11   0.1      0   0.0      1   0.0        8     0.1     7,412   100.0
South Carolina           12,471 &    99.5        0    0.0     12,471   99.5      12   0.1       37   0.3      0   0.0     14   0.1        4     0.0    12,538   100.0
South Dakota                  984   100.0        0    0.0        984  100.0       0   0.0        0   0.0      0   0.0      0   0.0        0     0.0       984   100.0
Tennessee                  19,727    99.7        3    0.0     19,730   99.8       3   0.0       43   0.2      0   0.0      0   0.0        3     0.0    19,779   100.0
Texas                 89,897 & ++    97.8        0    0.0     89,897   97.8       0   0.0   278 &&   0.3      7   0.0  1,431   1.6      334     0.4    91,947   100.0
Utah                      3,885 &    92.2      311    7.4      4,196   99.6       1   0.0        3   0.1      0   0.0      3   0.1       10     0.2     4,213   100.0
Vermont                   3,001 &    99.5        1    0.0      3,002   99.6       0   0.0        2   0.1      0   0.0     11   0.4        0     0.0     3,015   100.0
Virginia                 31,486 &    98.6       31    0.1     31,517   98.7      22   0.1       62   0.2     12   0.0     53   0.2      277     0.9    31,943   100.0
Washington               30,041 &    99.3        6    0.0     30,047   99.4       8   0.0       90   0.3     33   0.1      5   0.0       60     0.2    30,243   100.0
West Virginia             1,594 &    99.7        0    0.0      1,594   99.7       0   0.0        2   0.1      0   0.0      2   0.1        0     0.0     1,598   100.0
Wyoming                       367    99.5        0    0.0        367   99.5       0   0.0        1   0.3      0   0.0      0   0.0        1     0.3       369   100.0

Total                     773,718    96.1   12,378    1.5    786,096   97.6   2,626   0.3    2,952   0.4    107   0.0  2,914   0.4   10,641     1.3   805,336   100.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 39 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City.
 + Includes instillation procedures not reported as a specific category and procedures reported as "other."
 & Includes dilatation and evacuation procedures.
 @ Includes residents only.
** Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
++ Includes all vacuum aspirations.
&& Includes all chemical inductions.
======================================================================================================================================================================

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Table_8
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TABLE 8. Reported legal abortions, by race of women who obtained an abortion and state in which the procedure
was performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
================================================================================================================
                                                             Race
                        --------------------------------------------------------------------
                             White +            Black             Other            Unknown           Total
                        --------------     -------------      ------------     -------------    ----------------
State                      No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                  7,760    55.0     5,799    41.1       171     1.2       367     2.6    14,097   100.0
Arizona                 12,773    82.5       736     4.8       784     5.1     1,198     7.7    15,491   100.0
Arkansas                 4,332    69.7     1,775    28.6        61     1.0        43     0.7     6,211   100.0
Dist. of Columbia        1,716    18.7     7,205    78.5       220     2.4        40     0.4   9,181 &   100.0
Georgia                 19,150    49.9    17,563    45.7     1,694     4.4         0     0.0    38,407   100.0
Hawaii                   1,793    31.4       200     3.5     3,080    53.9       641    11.2     5,714   100.0
Idaho                    1,581    96.0        12     0.7        52     3.2         2     0.1     1,647   100.0
Indiana                 10,299    76.3     2,831    21.0       190     1.4       173     1.3    13,493   100.0
Kansas                   5,948    81.3     1,091    14.9       157     2.1       122     1.7     7,318   100.0
Kentucky                 7,614    79.4     1,713    17.9       182     1.9        81     0.8     9,590   100.0
Louisiana                6,809    55.9   5,275 @    43.3        --      --       106     0.9    12,190   100.0
Maine                    3,639    95.1        38     1.0       150     3.9         0     0.0     3,827   100.0
Maryland                 8,516    44.8     9,200    48.4     1,032     5.4       246     1.3    18,994   100.0
Minnesota               13,692    84.6     1,153     7.1     1,053     6.5       279     1.7    16,177   100.0
Mississippi              3,910    47.8     4,194    51.2        50     0.6        30     0.4     8,184   100.0
Missouri                 9,752    63.0     5,306    34.3       361     2.3        54     0.3    15,473   100.0
Montana                  2,660    82.5        19     0.6       195     6.0       352    10.9     3,226   100.0
Nevada                   6,647    88.8       596     8.0       195     2.6        46     0.6     7,484   100.0
New Jersey **           20,743    55.3    15,159    40.4     1,449     3.9       190     0.5    37,541   100.0
New Mexico               4,940    86.0       140     2.4       665    11.6         0     0.0     5,745   100.0
New York                79,164    49.9    65,056    41.0     4,254     2.7    10,287     6.5   158,761   100.0
  City                  41,364    39.3    53,591    50.9     3,628     3.4     6,612     6.3   105,195   100.0
  State                 37,800    70.6    11,465    21.4       626     1.2     3,675     6.9    53,566   100.0
North Carolina          20,740    56.9    13,786    37.9     1,123     3.1       771     2.1    36,420   100.0
North Dakota             1,447    90.3        20     1.2       134     8.4         1     0.1     1,602   100.0
Oregon                  12,666    88.5       689     4.8       662     4.6       293     2.0    14,310   100.0
Pennsylvania            32,865    64.5    16,467    32.3     1,548     3.0       108     0.2    50,988   100.0
Rhode Island             6,113    82.5       945    12.7       308     4.2        46     0.6     7,412   100.0
South Carolina           6,901    55.0     5,408    43.1       226     1.8         3     0.0    12,538   100.0
South Dakota               909    92.4         7     0.7        68     6.9         0     0.0       984   100.0
Tennessee               12,846    64.9     6,628    33.5       251     1.3        54     0.3    19,779   100.0
Texas                   68,981    75.0    18,451    20.1     3,173     3.5     1,342     1.5    91,947   100.0
Utah                     3,645    86.5        81     1.9       377     8.9       110     2.6     4,213   100.0
Vermont                  2,939    97.5        25     0.8        47     1.6         4     0.1     3,015   100.0
Virginia                19,659    61.5    11,140    34.9     1,021     3.2       123     0.4    31,943   100.0
West Virginia            1,400    87.6       190    11.9         5     0.3         3     0.2     1,598   100.0
Wisconsin               11,606    75.4     3,117    20.3       490     3.2       176     1.1  15,389 &   100.0

Total                  436,155    62.2   222,015    31.7    25,428     3.6    17,291     2.5   700,889   100.0

Abortion ratio ++          246               502            300 &&               297
Abortion rate @@            16                41                21                20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 34 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City;
   excludes four states reporting race unknown for >15% of women who obtained abortions.
 + White race includes women of Hispanic ethnicity.
 & Includes residents only.
 @ Reported as black and other races.
** Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
++ Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of a given race per 1,000
   live births to women of the same race for these states. For each state, data for women of
   unknown race were distributed according to the known distribution for that state. Excludes
   states reporting race unknown for >15% of women who obtained abortions.
&& Ratio for other race excludes Louisiana because abortions for blacks and others were
   grouped together.
@@ Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of a given race per 1,000
   women 15-44 years of age of the same race for these states.
-- Not reported.
================================================================================================================

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Table_9
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TABLE 9. Reported legal abortions, by Hispanic ethnicity of women who obtained an abortion and state in which
the procedure was performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
=================================================================================================================
                                                      Ethnicity
                              ----------------------------------------------------------
                                 Hispanic            Non-Hispanic             Unknown                 Total
                              ------------         --------------          -------------        -----------------
State                           No.      %            No.       %            No.      %            No.       %
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona                       3,152   20.3         11,141    71.9          1,198    7.7         15,491   100.0
Arkansas                         24    0.4          5,651    91.0            536    8.6          6,211   100.0
Dist. of Columbia               771    8.4          8,370    91.2             40    0.4        9,181 +   100.0
Georgia                         438    1.1         37,969    98.9              0    0.0         38,407   100.0
Idaho                           101    6.1          1,540    93.5              6    0.4          1,647   100.0
Kansas                          213    2.9          7,051    96.4             54    0.7          7,318   100.0
Mississippi                      18    0.2          7,981    97.5            185    2.3          8,184   100.0
Nevada                          342    4.6          7,096    94.8             46    0.6          7,484   100.0
New Jersey &                  5,247   14.0         32,104    85.5            190    0.5         37,541   100.0
New Mexico                    2,199   38.3          3,546    61.7              0    0.0          5,745   100.0
New York                     26,751   16.8        119,141    75.0         12,869    8.1        158,761   100.0
  City                       24,485   23.3         67,841    64.5         12,869   12.2        105,195   100.0
  State                       2,266    4.2         51,300    95.8              0    0.0         53,566   100.0
North Dakota                     16    1.0          1,500    93.6             86    5.4          1,602   100.0
Oregon                          446    3.1         13,410    93.7            454    3.2         14,310   100.0
Pennsylvania                  1,431    2.8         48,962    96.0            595    1.2         50,988   100.0
Rhode Island                    115    1.6          6,342    85.6            955   12.9          7,412   100.0
South Carolina                  112    0.9         12,422    99.1              4    0.0         12,538   100.0
Tennessee                        76    0.4         19,617    99.2             86    0.4         19,779   100.0
Texas                        24,959   27.1         65,646    71.4          1,342    1.5         91,947   100.0
Utah                            282    6.7          3,931    93.3              0    0.0          4,213   100.0
Vermont                          20    0.7          2,984    99.0             11    0.4          3,015   100.0
Wisconsin                       512    3.3         14,877    96.7              0    0.0       15,389 +   100.0

Total                        67,225   13.0        431,281    83.4         18,657    3.6        517,163   100.0

Abortion ratio @                300                   332                    327
Abortion rate **                 28                    22                     23
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 20 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City;
   excludes eight states where unknown ethnicity was >15%.
 + Includes residents only.
 & Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
 @ Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of Hispanic origin per 1,000
   live births to women of Hispanic origin for these states.
** Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of Hispanic origin per 1,000
   women 15-44 years of age to women of Hispanic origin for these states.
=================================================================================================================

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Table_10
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TABLE 10. Reported legal abortions, by marital status of women who obtained an abortion and state in
which the procedure was performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
===========================================================================================================
                                                Marital status
                            -------------------------------------------------------
                              Married +           Unmarried &             Unknown              Total
                            -------------       --------------          -----------       -----------------
State                         No.       %          No.       %          No.       %          No.       %
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                     2,519    17.9       11,326    80.3          252     1.8       14,097   100.0
Arkansas                    1,332    21.4        4,711    75.8          168     2.7        6,211   100.0
Colorado                    2,396    21.0        8,900    78.1          106     0.9       11,402   100.0
Dist. of Columbia           1,417    15.4        7,358    80.1          406     4.4      9,181 @   100.0
Georgia                     7,668    20.0       30,467    79.3          272     0.7       38,407   100.0
Hawaii                      1,506    26.4        4,086    71.5          122     2.1        5,714   100.0
Idaho                         399    24.2        1,248    75.8            0     0.0        1,647   100.0
Indiana                     2,525    18.7       10,648    78.9          320     2.4       13,493   100.0
Kansas                      1,283    17.5        6,033    82.4            2     0.0        7,318   100.0
Kentucky                    1,723    18.0        7,664    79.9          203     2.1        9,590   100.0
Maine                         824    21.5        2,801    73.2          202     5.3        3,827   100.0
Maryland                    4,180    22.0       14,038    73.9          776     4.1       18,994   100.0
Massachusetts               7,497    20.2       26,209    70.7        3,365     9.1       37,071   100.0
Michigan                    5,935    17.2       28,313    81.9          308     0.9       34,556   100.0
Minnesota                   3,065    18.9       12,583    77.8          529     3.3       16,177   100.0
Mississippi                 1,339    16.4        6,697    81.8          148     1.8        8,184   100.0
Missouri                    3,429    22.2       11,840    76.5          204     1.3       15,473   100.0
Montana                       605    18.8        2,323    72.0          298     9.2        3,226   100.0
Nevada                      1,841    24.6        5,485    73.3          158     2.1        7,484   100.0
New Jersey **               7,880    21.0       29,533    78.7          128     0.3       37,541   100.0
New Mexico                  1,095    19.1        4,567    79.5           83     1.4        5,745   100.0
New York City              21,540    20.5       77,863    74.0        5,792     5.5      105,195   100.0
North Carolina              8,468    23.3       27,062    74.3          890     2.4       36,420   100.0
North Dakota                  332    20.7        1,270    79.3            0     0.0        1,602   100.0
Ohio                        6,871    16.5       29,927    71.8        4,907    11.8       41,705   100.0
Oregon                      3,392    23.7       10,569    73.9          349     2.4       14,310   100.0
Pennsylvania                9,351    18.3       41,555    81.5           82     0.2       50,988   100.0
Rhode Island                1,702    23.0        5,612    75.7           98     1.3        7,412   100.0
South Carolina              2,658    21.2        9,870    78.7           10     0.1       12,538   100.0
South Dakota                  187    19.0          797    81.0            0     0.0          984   100.0
Tennessee                   4,242    21.4       15,404    77.9          133     0.7       19,779   100.0
Texas                      22,702    24.7       63,203    68.7        6,042     6.6       91,947   100.0
Utah                        1,714    40.7        2,499    59.3            0     0.0        4,213   100.0
Vermont                       657    21.8        2,215    73.5          143     4.7        3,015   100.0
Virginia                    6,459    20.2       24,852    77.8          632     2.0       31,943   100.0
West Virginia                 292    18.3        1,304    81.6            2     0.1        1,598   100.0
Wisconsin                   2,715    17.6       12,492    81.2          182     1.2     15,389 @   100.0
Wyoming                        78    21.1          290    78.6            1     0.3          369   100.0

Total                     153,818    20.7      563,614    75.7       27,313     3.7      744,745   100.0

Abortion ratio ++              89                  815                                       295
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * All 36 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City;
   excludes three states where unknown marital status was >15%.
 + Married includes married and separated.
 & Unmarried includes never married, divorced, and widowed women.
 @ Includes residents only.
** Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
++ Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women of a given marital status
   per 1,000 live births to women of the same marital status for these states. For each state,
   data regarding women of unknown marital status were distributed according to known
   marital status distribution for that state.
===========================================================================================================

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Figure_4

Figure_4
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Table_11
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TABLE 11. Reported legal abortions, by number of previous live births and state in which the procedure was performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
===============================================================================================================================================================
                                                                     No. of previous live births
                         --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 0                 1                2                 3               >=4             Unknown              Total
                         -------------    --------------    --------------     -------------      ------------      -------------    ----------------
State                      No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %        No.         %
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                  6,743    47.8     3,479    24.7     2,329    16.5       771     5.5       321     2.3       454     3.2     14,097     100.0
Arizona                  7,314    47.2     3,656    23.6     2,726    17.6     1,205     7.8       567     3.7        23     0.1     15,491     100.0
Arkansas                 2,773    44.6     1,772    28.5     1,108    17.8       366     5.9       145     2.3        47     0.8      6,211     100.0
Colorado                 6,471    56.8     2,325    20.4     1,717    15.1       609     5.3       232     2.0        48     0.4     11,402     100.0
Georgia                 18,883    49.2    10,121    26.4     6,260    16.3     2,099     5.5       887     2.3       157     0.4     38,407     100.0
Hawaii                   2,778    48.6     1,296    22.7       964    16.9       413     7.2       194     3.4        69     1.2      5,714     100.0
Idaho                      808    49.1       351    21.3       303    18.4       108     6.6        76     4.6         1     0.1      1,647     100.0
Indiana                  6,552    48.6     3,409    25.3     2,348    17.4       813     6.0       283     2.1        88     0.7     13,493     100.0
Kansas                   4,031    55.1     1,647    22.5     1,106    15.1       375     5.1       150     2.0         9     0.1      7,318     100.0
Kentucky                 5,030    52.5     2,333    24.3     1,372    14.3       477     5.0       182     1.9       196     2.0      9,590     100.0
Maine                    2,038    53.3       758    19.8       542    14.2       178     4.7        84     2.2       227     5.9      3,827     100.0
Maryland                 8,878    46.7     5,172    27.2     3,346    17.6     1,082     5.7       496     2.6        20     0.1     18,994     100.0
Massachusetts           16,546    44.6     8,057    21.7     5,601    15.1     2,200     5.9       904     2.4     3,763    10.2     37,071     100.0
Michigan                15,916    46.1     8,909    25.8     6,177    17.9     2,333     6.8     1,010     2.9       211     0.6     34,556     100.0
Minnesota                9,039    55.9     3,248    20.1     2,492    15.4       889     5.5       508     3.1         1     0.0     16,177     100.0
Mississippi              3,670    44.8     2,194    26.8     1,470    18.0       540     6.6       286     3.5        24     0.3      8,184     100.0
Missouri                 6,899    44.6     4,078    26.4     2,862    18.5     1,115     7.2       337     2.2       182     1.2     15,473     100.0
Montana                  1,805    56.0       617    19.1       500    15.5       205     6.4        80     2.5        19     0.6      3,226     100.0
Nebraska                 3,365    54.3     1,200    19.4     1,047    16.9       393     6.3       189     3.1         0     0.0      6,194     100.0
Nevada                   3,292    44.0     1,962    26.2     1,433    19.1       566     7.6       212     2.8        19     0.3      7,484     100.0
New Jersey +            16,474    43.9     9,939    26.5     7,315    19.5     2,592     6.9     1,221     3.3         0     0.0     37,541     100.0
New Mexico               2,719    47.3     1,484    25.8       968    16.8       408     7.1       154     2.7        12     0.2      5,745     100.0
New York                65,643    41.3    41,180    25.9    30,749    19.4    12,516     7.9     6,744     4.2     1,929     1.2    158,761     100.0
  City                  35,746    34.0    30,099    28.6    22,669    21.5     9,430     9.0     5,322     5.1     1,929     1.8    105,195     100.0
  State                 29,897    55.8    11,081    20.7     8,080    15.1     3,086     5.8     1,422     2.7         0     0.0     53,566     100.0
North Carolina          17,588    48.3     9,624    26.4     5,566    15.3     1,610     4.4       560     1.5     1,472     4.0     36,420     100.0
North Dakota               915    57.1       299    18.7       247    15.4        86     5.4        55     3.4         0     0.0      1,602     100.0
Ohio                    22,524    54.0     9,532    22.9     6,415    15.4     2,246     5.4       979     2.3         9     0.0     41,705     100.0
Oregon                   6,802    47.5     3,326    23.2     2,510    17.5       895     6.3       400     2.8       377     2.6     14,310     100.0
Pennsylvania            25,522    50.1    12,630    24.8     8,408    16.5     3,091     6.1     1,294     2.5        43     0.1     50,988     100.0
Rhode Island             3,961    53.4     1,666    22.5     1,180    15.9       399     5.4       200     2.7         6     0.1      7,412     100.0
South Carolina           6,281    50.1     3,384    27.0     2,038    16.3       651     5.2       184     1.5         0     0.0     12,538     100.0
South Dakota               540    54.9       170    17.3       174    17.7        65     6.6        35     3.6         0     0.0        984     100.0
Tennessee                9,579    48.4     5,395    27.3     3,281    16.6     1,044     5.3       470     2.4        10     0.1     19,779     100.0
Texas                   42,845    46.6    23,281    25.3    16,060    17.5     5,981     6.5     2,937     3.2       843     0.9     91,947     100.0
Utah                     1,956    46.4       949    22.5       815    19.3       319     7.6       164     3.9        10     0.2      4,213     100.0
Vermont                  1,818    60.3       552    18.3       440    14.6       137     4.5        65     2.2         3     0.1      3,015     100.0
Virginia                16,365    51.2     8,023    25.1     5,034    15.8     1,619     5.1       632     2.0       270     0.8     31,943     100.0
Washington              13,765    45.5     7,431    24.6     5,353    17.7     2,008     6.6       895     3.0       791     2.6     30,243     100.0
West Virginia              816    51.1       415    26.0       241    15.1        84     5.3        38     2.4         4     0.3      1,598     100.0
Wyoming                    164    44.4       102    27.6        60    16.3        33     8.9         9     2.4         1     0.3        369     100.0

Total                  389,108    47.1   205,966    24.9   142,557    17.3    52,521     6.4    24,179     2.9    11,338     1.4    825,669     100.0

Abortion ratio &           348               232               319               310               226                                  298
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* All 39 states for which data were available and New York City.
+ Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
& Calculated as the number of legal abortions obtained by women with a given number of previous live births per 1,000 live births to
  women with the same number of previous live births for these states. For each state, women whose number of previous live births was
  unknown were distributed according to known number of previous live births for that state.
===============================================================================================================================================================

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Table_12
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TABLE 12. Reported legal abortions, by number of previous induced legal abortions and state in which the procedure was
performed -- selected states, * United States, 1991
====================================================================================================================================
                                                      No. of previous induced abortions
                         --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               0                 1                 2                >=3             Unknown             Total
                        --------------    --------------     -------------     -------------     --------------   --------------
State                      No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alabama                  8,570    60.8     3,044    21.6       861     6.1       348     2.5     1,274     9.0    14,097   100.0
Arizona                  9,636    62.2     4,030    26.0     1,266     8.2       380     2.5       179     1.2    15,491   100.0
Arkansas                 4,287    69.0     1,422    22.9       328     5.3       131     2.1        43     0.7     6,211   100.0
Colorado                 7,115    62.4     2,921    25.6       874     7.7       413     3.6        79     0.7    11,402   100.0
Dist. of Columbia        3,154    34.4     3,028    33.0     1,503    16.4       856     9.3       640     7.0   9,181 +   100.0
Georgia                 22,604    58.9    10,310    26.8     3,528     9.2     1,631     4.2       334     0.9    38,407   100.0
Hawaii                   3,087    54.0     1,402    24.5       670    11.7       488     8.5        67     1.2     5,714   100.0
Idaho                    1,193    72.4       320    19.4        89     5.4        40     2.4         5     0.3     1,647   100.0
Indiana                  8,834    65.5     3,193    23.7       934     6.9       408     3.0       124     0.9    13,493   100.0
Kansas                   4,734    64.7     1,775    24.3       553     7.6       212     2.9        44     0.6     7,318   100.0
Kentucky                 6,130    63.9     2,184    22.8       594     6.2       216     2.3       466     4.9     9,590   100.0
Maine                    2,441    63.8       831    21.7       287     7.5       122     3.2       146     3.8     3,827   100.0
Maryland                 8,126    42.8     6,318    33.3     2,929    15.4     1,604     8.4        17     0.1    18,994   100.0
Massachusetts           17,715    47.8     9,659    26.1     4,213    11.4     2,548     6.9     2,936     7.9    37,071   100.0
Michigan                18,641    53.9     9,477    27.4     3,821    11.1     2,186     6.3       431     1.2    34,556   100.0
Minnesota               10,087    62.4     4,022    24.9     1,300     8.0       768     4.7         0     0.0    16,177   100.0
Mississippi              5,248    64.1     2,022    24.7       612     7.5       276     3.4        26     0.3     8,184   100.0
Missouri                 9,294    60.1     4,218    27.3     1,301     8.4       621     4.0        39     0.3    15,473   100.0
Montana                  2,275    70.5       670    20.8       193     6.0        52     1.6        36     1.1     3,226   100.0
Nebraska                 4,184    67.5     1,308    21.1       419     6.8       241     3.9        42     0.7     6,194   100.0
Nevada                   3,731    49.9     1,959    26.2       996    13.3       760    10.2        38     0.5     7,484   100.0
New Jersey &            17,879    47.6    11,217    29.9     5,118    13.6     3,327     8.9         0     0.0    37,541   100.0
New Mexico               3,686    64.2     1,350    23.5       435     7.6       253     4.4        21     0.4     5,745   100.0
New York                69,838    44.0    43,373    27.3    22,605    14.2    16,399    10.3     6,546     4.1   158,761   100.0
  City                  40,180    38.2    30,690    29.2    17,736    16.9    13,849    13.2     2,740     2.6   105,195   100.0
  State                 29,658    55.4    12,683    23.7     4,869     9.1     2,550     4.8     3,806     7.1    53,566   100.0
North Carolina          21,750    59.7     9,062    24.9     2,543     7.0     1,001     2.7     2,064     5.7    36,420   100.0
North Dakota             1,187    74.1       308    19.2        74     4.6        33     2.1         0     0.0     1,602   100.0
Oregon                   7,722    54.0     3,980    27.8     1,516    10.6       868     6.1       224     1.6    14,310   100.0
Pennsylvania            30,445    59.7    13,600    26.7     4,583     9.0     2,305     4.5        55     0.1    50,988   100.0
Rhode Island             4,376    59.0     1,957    26.4       700     9.4       362     4.9        17     0.2     7,412   100.0
South Carolina           8,184    65.3     3,104    24.8       916     7.3       334     2.7         0     0.0    12,538   100.0
South Dakota               839    85.3       124    12.6        18     1.8         3     0.3         0     0.0       984   100.0
Tennessee               12,848    65.0     4,827    24.4     1,419     7.2       677     3.4         8     0.0    19,779   100.0
Texas                   54,840    59.6    24,446    26.6     7,314     8.0     3,494     3.8     1,853     2.0    91,947   100.0
Utah                     2,721    64.6       972    23.1       335     8.0       177     4.2         8     0.2     4,213   100.0
Vermont                  1,870    62.0       740    24.5       247     8.2       157     5.2         1     0.0     3,015   100.0
Virginia                18,298    57.3     8,503    26.6     2,807     8.8     1,228     3.8     1,107     3.5    31,943   100.0
Washington              15,055    49.8     8,500    28.1     3,585    11.9     2,304     7.6       799     2.6    30,243   100.0
West Virginia            1,114    69.7       352    22.0        89     5.6        41     2.6         2     0.1     1,598   100.0
Wyoming                    258    69.9        74    20.1        27     7.3         9     2.4         1     0.3       369   100.0

Total                  433,996    54.7   210,602    26.6    81,602    10.3    47,273     6.0    19,672     2.5   793,145   100.0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* All 39 states for which data were available, the District of Columbia, and New York City.
+ Includes residents only.
& Based on known distribution for 1990 data.
====================================================================================================================================

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Table_13
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TABLE 13. Number and percentage of reported legal abortions, by race, age group,
and marital status of women who obtained abortions -- United States, 1991
=====================================================================================
                                         Race
                        ---------------------------------------
                              White +           Black/Other                 Total
Age group (yrs)/        ----------------       ----------------      ----------------
Marital status *             No.      %            No.       %            No.      %
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age group
    <15                    2,457    0.6          2,993     1.3          5,450    0.8
  15-19                   90,335   20.9         46,294    19.4        136,629   20.4
  20-24                  148,090   34.3         81,867    34.3        229,957   34.3
  25-29                   93,316   21.6         56,255    23.6        149,571   22.3
  30-34                   58,041   13.4         32,305    13.5         90,346   13.5
  35-39                   31,026    7.2         15,113     6.3         46,139    6.9
   >=40                    8,964    2.1          3,895     1.6         12,859    1.9

  Total &                432,229  100.0        238,722   100.0        670,951  100.0

Marital status
  Married                 87,408   23.7         40,379    18.7        127,787   21.8
  Unmarried              281,769   76.3        175,824    81.3        457,593   78.2

  Total @                369,177  100.0        216,203   100.0        585,380  100.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Excludes unknowns.
+ Includes Hispanics.
& Reported by 34 states and New York City.
@ Reported by 31 states and New York City.
=====================================================================================

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Table_14
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TABLE 14. Number and percentage of reported legal abortions, by Hispanic ethnicity,
age group, and marital status of women who obtained abortions -- United States, 1991
=====================================================================================
                                    Hispanic ethnicity
                          ------------------------------------
                              Hispanic           Non-Hispanic               Total
Age group (yrs)/          ---------------      ---------------        ---------------
Marital status *             No.      %            No.       %            No.      %
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age group
    <15                      413    0.6          3,153     0.8          3,566    0.8
  15-19                   12,082   18.5         80,901    19.9         92,983   19.7
  20-24                   22,653   34.6        137,758    33.9        160,411   34.0
  25-29                   15,838   24.2         91,283    22.5        107,121   22.7
  30-34                    8,952   13.7         55,907    13.8         64,859   13.8
  35-39                    4,304    6.6         28,817     7.1         33,121    7.0
   >=40                    1,207    1.8          8,033     2.0          9,240    2.0

  Total +                 65,449  100.0        405,852   100.0        471,301  100.0

Marital status
  Married                 15,654   26.3         75,041    21.3         90,695   22.0
  Unmarried               43,867   73.7        278,171    78.8        322,038   78.0

  Total &                 59,521  100.0        353,212   100.0        412,733  100.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Excludes unknowns.
+ Reported by 19 states and New York City.
& Reported by 18 states and New York City.
=====================================================================================

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Table_15
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TABLE 15. Number and percentage of reported legal abortions, by weeks of gestation, age group, race, and Hispanic ethnicity of women who
obtained abortions -- United States, 1991
=================================================================================================================================================
                                                             Weeks of gestation
                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age group (yrs)/            <=8              9-10             11-12             13-15             16-20              >=21             Total
Race/Hispanic       ----------------  ----------------   ---------------   ---------------    --------------    --------------  -----------------
ethnicity *             No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Age group
    <15               2,140    36.3     1,521    25.8       879    14.9       635    10.8       522     8.8       206     3.5     5,903   100.0
  15-19              65,303    43.4    40,112    26.7    21,301    14.2    12,640     8.4     8,426     5.6     2,622     1.7   150,404   100.0
  20-24             128,093    50.7    65,541    25.9    30,537    12.1    16,150     6.4     9,839     3.9     2,650     1.0   252,810   100.0
  25-29              91,729    55.8    40,481    24.6    17,198    10.5     8,427     5.1     5,117     3.1     1,456     0.9   164,408   100.0
  30-34              59,021    59.0    23,645    23.6     9,312     9.3     4,381     4.4     2,822     2.8       804     0.8    99,985   100.0
  35-39              31,369    61.3    11,581    22.6     4,274     8.3     2,027     4.0     1,539     3.0       408     0.8    51,198   100.0
   >=40               8,931    62.6     3,085    21.6     1,174     8.2       548     3.8       427     3.0       109     0.8    14,274   100.0

  Total +           386,586    52.3   185,966    25.2    84,675    11.5    44,808     6.1    28,692     3.9     8,255     1.1   738,982   100.0

Race
  White             229,858    55.2   101,916    24.5    43,880    10.5    22,467     5.4    14,049     3.4     4,302     1.0   416,472   100.0
  Black/Other       110,980    47.2    60,870    25.9    30,969    13.2    17,279     7.3    11,753     5.0     3,285     1.4   235,136   100.0

  Total &           340,838    52.3   162,786    25.0    74,849    11.5    39,746     6.1    25,802     4.0     7,587     1.2   651,608   100.0

Hispanic
ethnicity
  Hispanic           33,539    53.6    14,666    23.4     6,708    10.7     4,184     6.7     2,741     4.4       775     1.2    62,613   100.0
  Non-Hispanic      210,517    51.9    99,735    24.6    46,958    11.6    26,206     6.5    16,918     4.2     5,391     1.3   405,725   100.0

  Total @           244,056    52.1   114,401    24.4    53,666    11.5    30,390     6.5    19,659     4.2     6,166     1.3   468,338   100.0
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Excludes unknowns.
+ Reported by 37 states and New York City.
& Reported by 33 states and New York City.
@ Reported by 19 states and New York City.
=================================================================================================================================================

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Table_16
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TABLE 16. Number and percentage of reported legal abortions, by weeks of gestation and type of procedure -- United States, 1991
====================================================================================================================================================
                                                             Weeks of gestation
                    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            <=8              9-10             11-12             13-15             16-20              >=21             Total
                    ----------------  ----------------  ----------------   ---------------   ---------------    --------------- ----------------
Type of procedure *     No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %       No.       %
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Curettage
  (suction or
  sharp) +          376,126    99.9   179,989    99.9    81,666    99.5    42,497    98.5    23,998    86.6     6,293    79.5   710,569    99.0
Intrauterine
  saline
  instillation           40   0.0 &        42   0.0 &        47     0.1       207     0.5     1,497     5.4       593     7.5     2,426     0.3
Intrauterine
  prostaglandin
  instillation           46   0.0 &        27   0.0 &        47     0.1       138     0.3     1,142     4.1       543     6.9     1,943     0.3
Hysterotomy/
  Hysterectomy           55   0.0 &        13   0.0 &         8   0.0 &         6   0.0 &        20     0.1         4     0.1       106   0.0 &
Other @                 207     0.1        79   0.0 &       290     0.4       309     0.7     1,056     3.8       483     6.1     2,424     0.3

Total **            376,474   100.0   180,150   100.0    82,058   100.0    43,157   100.0    27,713   100.0     7,916   100.0   717,468   100.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * Excludes unknowns.
 + Includes dilatation and evacuation.
 & <=0.05%.
 @ Includes instillation procedures not reported as a specific category.
** Reported by 36 states and New York City.
====================================================================================================================================================

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