Current Trends
Abortion Surveillance: Preliminary
Analysis -- United States, 1986 and 1987
In 1986 and 1987, 1,328,112 and 1,353,671 legal abortions,
respectively, were reported to CDC from the 50 states and the
District
of Columbia (Table 1). From 1985 to 1986, the number of legal
abortions
decreased less than 1%; from 1986 to 1987, the number
increased by 1.9%.
In 1986, the national abortion ratio was 354.2 legal abortions per
1000 live births (Table 1); in 1987, the ratio was 356.1. The
national
abortion rate (number of legal abortions per 1000 women 15-44 years
of
age) was 23 for 1986 and 24 for 1987. In both years, 92% of women
who
had legal abortions were residents of the state in which the
procedure
was performed (Table 1).
Women obtaining legal abortions in 1986 and 1987 were
predominantly
less than 25 years of age, white, and unmarried and had had no live
births (Table 1). Curettage (suction and sharp) remained the
primary
method of abortion and accounted for 97% of all legal abortion
procedures in 1986 and 1987, respectively. In both years, as in
previous years, slightly more than half the legal abortions were
performed in the first 8 weeks of gestation, and nearly 90%, in the
first 12 weeks (Table 1).
Reported by: Pregnancy Epidemiology Br and Research and Statistics
Br,
Div of Reproductive Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention
and
Health Promotion, CDC.
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