Ohio abortion report shows increases and jump in care for out-of-state residents • Ohio Capital Journal

Ohio's most recent official abortion count found an increase between 2022 and 2023 and also found that the majority of abortions are still performed before nine weeks of pregnancy.

Out-of-state abortion seekers have also increased sharply, with this group accounting for nearly 13% of all abortions performed in Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Health Annual ReportAccording to ODH, a total of 22,000 “induced abortions” were reported in the state in 2023, a 19% increase from the previous year.

The report uses information from a “confidential abortion report” and a “post-abortion complications follow-up report” provided by medical professionals performing the procedures.

Despite the slight increase in abortion services, both the abortion rate – the number of abortions per 1,000 live births – and the abortion rate – the number of abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 – are at the same level as in 2020, lower than all Rates from 1996 to 2017, according to ODH data.

The ODH reported a 2023 abortion rate of 8.7 per 1,000 residents ages 15 to 44 and an abortion rate of 151 abortions per 1,000 live births.

Abortions procured by Ohio residents fell to their lowest level ever in 2022, and the increase to 22,000 last year only brought the number to the level of 2018 and 2020. These numbers are still well below the highest number recorded, more than 45,000 abortions in 1982.

There have been clashes among Republican political candidates, among others Candidates for President And US Senatethe so-called “late-term abortion” is a problem even though the term does not any basis in medical practice. Ohio's abortion report confirms other data showing that the vast majority of abortions occur very early in pregnancy.

“More than half of all abortions in 2023 involved pregnancies of less than nine weeks (60.8%), with approximately 25.9% involving pregnancies of nine to 12 weeks,” the report said.

In 2023, there were 476 abortions at 19 weeks of gestation or longer, up from 342 the previous year, and 146 abortions were performed at 21 weeks of gestation or longer, representing less than 1% of all induced abortions in 2023.

Of the abortions performed after 19 weeks of pregnancy, only one case was considered a viable pregnancy based on medical tests performed before the abortion.

Under the Ohio Revised Code, abortion is legal up to 22 weeks of pregnancy. The Reproductive Rights Amendment passed by voters in 2023 sets fetal viability as the legal threshold, ranging from about 25 to 27 weeks. While a state law was passed in 2019 to shorten the legal abortion period to six weeks, that law was stopped by a court Lawsuit seeking to abolish the law completely goes forward.

The majority of abortions in 2023 used surgical abortion, but medical abortion, specifically the use of mifepristone, was used in almost 45% of cases.

More than 62% of abortions in Ohio were performed on people ages 25 to 55, with 29% of procedures performed on people ages 20 to 24.

The report also collected data on the number of living children those who had abortions had before the procedure, and the largest group (36.9%) were those with two or more children. People who reported not having children made up 34.5% of those who had an abortion last year.

The issue of abortion continues to concern the public and politicians ahead of the general election in November has become a central topic of conversation for many in their pushes for voter support for candidates. Starting in late 2023, next year's abortion report will also likely be influenced by changes in Ohio's abortion landscape.

The Constitutional amendment passed in November 2023 57% of Ohio voters allow abortions to be “banned based on fetal viability,” but abortions cannot be banned “if, in the professional judgment of the pregnant patient's treating physician, it is necessary to jeopardize the life or health of the pregnant patient.” “To protect the patient,” is the statement about the change.

This year, a Franklin County judge blocked a state law requiring a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion and a Hamilton County Judge enabled the virtual prescription and distribution of the abortion drug mifepristone via pharmacies and mail order companies.

The The US Supreme Court also rejected the lawsuit The goal is to prevent mifepristone from being prescribed according to current FDA-approved standards.

Responding to the latest abortion report, Kellie Copeland, executive director of advocacy group Abortion Forward, said the data “shows the importance of protecting access to trusted providers.”

The anti-abortion group Ohio Right to Life called the statistics “heartbreaking” and said the number of people traveling to Ohio for abortions from more heavily regulated states shows that “Ohio is unfortunately becoming a destination state for abortions of babies.” ORL President Mike Gonidakis.