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Current Trends
Abortion Surveillance: Preliminary Analysis --
United States, 1984, 1985
The total number of legal abortions reported to CDC from the 50
states
and the District of Columbia was 1,333,521 in 1984 and 1,328,570 in
1985 (Table 1). The number of abortions reported for 1984 was
approximately 5% higher than the number reported for 1983, whereas
virtually no change occurred in the number reported between 1984
and
1985 (less than 1% decrease between 1984 and 1985).
In 1984, the national abortion ratio was 364.1 legal abortions per
1000 live births (Table 1). The ratio was 353.8 in 1985. The
national
abortion rate (number of legal abortions per 1000 women 15-44 years
of
age) was 24 for both 1984 and 1985, a figure essentially unchanged
since 1980.
As in previous years, women obtaining abortions in 1984 and 1985
tended to be young, white, and unmarried and to have had no live
births
(Table 1). In 1985, 61.0% of women obtaining legal abortions were
less
than 25 years of age, 66.6% were white, 80.7% were unmarried, and
56.5%
had had no live births. Comparable figures were also reported for
1984.
Curettage (suction curettage and sharp curettage) continued to be
the
primary method of abortion and accounted for 96.6% and 97.8% of all
abortion procedures in 1984 and 1985, respectively. The remaining
abortions were performed by intrauterine instillation,
hysterotomy/hysterectomy, and other procedures. In both 1984 and
1985,
as in previous years, approximately half of the legal abortions
were
performed in the first 8 weeks of gestation, and nearly 90% in the
first 12 weeks of gestation.
Reported by: Pregnancy Epidemiology Br and Research and Statistics
Br,
Div of Reproductive Health, Center for Chronic Disease Prevention
and
Health Promotion, CDC. Editorial Note
Editorial Note: CDC initiated national abortion surveillance in
1969.
Between 1969 and 1982, the reported number of women obtaining
abortions
increased yearly. However, the annual percentage increase in
numbers of
abortions declined continuously between 1976 and 1982, from 9.2%
for
1976-1977 to 0.2% for 1981-1982. Since 1980, the abortion numbers,
ratios, and rates appear to be relatively stable, with minor
year-to-year fluctuations.
Twenty-eight of the 52 reporting areas reported more abortions for
1984 than for 1983 (average increase of 8.9%); the remaining areas
reported fewer (average decrease of 10.9%). Twenty-two of the areas
reported more abortions in 1985 than in 1984 (average increase of
4.6%); the remaining 30 areas reported fewer (average decrease
5.2%).
Because of annual variation in the number of states reporting data
to
CDC on specific characteristics of women obtaining abortions,
temporal
trends based on these summary data should be viewed with caution.
Disclaimer
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