Abortions in Ohio Hit All-Time Low Last Year: 5,000 Pregnancies Terminated Legally In Hamilton County

Ohio Health Department County Stats

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- State health statistics show there were 28,721 abortions performed in Ohio in 2009, the lowest number since the 1980s when records began to be kept.  Ohio Right to Life said there has been a 40% decline in pregnancy terminations over the decades, and that the downward trend has been consistent and steady since the year 2000.  Still, the Ohio Department of Health's annual report contained some disturbing data.  There were 190 girls under age 15 who had abortions last year.  Were they sexually active or victims of child molesters?  The report does not offer any clues.  Overall, 18% of Ohio abortions involved women under the of 20; 83% were single and 41% were African American.  Said Ohio Right to Life Executive Director Mike Gonidakis, whose organization has posted the state health department's annual report:

"We are winning the fight against those who push abortion as the first and sometimes only choice for women in crisis.  We continue to witness a trend of Ohioans moving towards a firm respect for life.  One of the reasons for the continued decline in abortions has been the enactment of new laws which help young women make positive decisions for themselves and their babies.  Whenever you have even the slightest legislative gain that protects women and defends her baby, it will make a difference.” 

The Ohio Right to Life press release is available here. The full text of the Ohio Health Department's report on Ohio abortions in 2009 is accessible by clicking here. The documents contains data going back to 1997. Reaction to the numbers has been muted. Right Ohio blogger Matt Naugle said, "Any abortion is horrendous and an act of murder," but he was first to publish the numbers and noted the decline. On the Democratic left, Plunderbund called the declining number a positive development:

"The reduction in the number of abortions in Ohio IS good news and providing women with as much information as possible and as many options as possible SHOULD be everyone’s goal. That’s because we all have the same goal: reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies in Ohio. And, based on the statistics, that has been happening, and happening rather quickly in the past few years."