NATION : U.S. Abortions Increase 1.3%
There was a slight increase in the number of abortions performed in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control reported today.
The CDC said 17,614 more abortions were performed in 1988 than in the preceding year, an increase of 1.3%. In 1988, 1,371,285 abortions were reported and in 1987 there were 1,353,671 abortions, according to the CDC.
But the national ratio--the number of abortions per 1,000 live births--dropped from 356 to 352.
The characteristics of women having abortions also remained the same, epidemiologist Lisa Koonin said. About 92% of the women were residents of the state in which the procedure was performed. They were predominately younger than 25, white, unmarried and had no other children.
About half the abortions were performed in the first eight weeks and 88% within the first trimester. Curettage, a suction and scrape method, accounted for 97% of the abortions.
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