What Are the Facts?
Frequently Asked at Justice For All Events
Note: Justice For All staff and volunteers aim to create dialogue with members of the campus community about the issue of abortion. For us, dialogue is one key to solving the abortion controversy in our culture. Dialogue doesn’t mean that we agree on everything, but it does mean that we seek to ask questions with an open heart, listen to understand those who disagree with us, and find common ground whenever possible. In seeking this sort of dialogue, we’ve found that members of the campus community regularly ask certain factual questions that are not fully addressed in the Justice For All Exhibit (2000) and Exhibit Brochure. The purpose of this document is to provide answers to those questions, using sources most people in the campus community respect, in order to make our dialogue about the moral and legal aspects of abortion more productive. If we can agree on a few facts, we believe this common ground can lead to finding other areas of agreement. We believe this will also illuminate the areas where we disagree, areas that need more discussion. If you’re reading this page right now, why not ask a Justice For All staff person what he or she thinks about abortion? We guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised at the dialogue that results. If you don’t experience that sort of dialogue, please fill out a JFA response card (or comment here) and we’ll do our best to make things right.
– Stephen Wagner, Executive Director, Justice For All
1. How many abortions are performed in America?
Source: Jones RK et al., “Long-term decline in US abortions reverses, showing rising need for abortion as Supreme Court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, supplemental data tables, 2022,” Guttmacher Institute, 2022” (accessed 8/27/2022)
[Length of Time: Number of Abortions Performed (US)]
Annual: Approximately 930,160 *
Daily: Approximately 2,548 **
Since you started reading this article (12 seconds): Approximately 1 **
* 2020 (United States)
** Note: These calculations are approximate. To calculate, we arbitrarily assumed abortions are done 8 hours a day, 365 days a year.
2. When in pregnancy is abortion legal?
In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992). The syllabus of the opinion summarized the holding: “The Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives.” (Dobbs, Syllabus, p. 1: “Held…”)
Since the Dobbs decision, various states have put in place laws and/or begun enforcing laws previously in place. See Guttmacher’s interactive map for the best summary currently available of state policies.
JFA is uncertain of how the Court now views the definition of “health” put forward in Roe’s companion case Doe v. Bolton (1973). In Doe, “Health” was defined so nebulously that virtually any reason for abortion after viability can fit the definition, making the exception the rule. [“We agree with the District Court, 319 F.Supp. at 1058, that the medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors – physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age – relevant to the wellbeing of the patient. All these factors may relate to health.” (Doe v. Bolton, 1973)] We expect some states will continue to utilize it and some will ignore it.
3. What’s the origin of the abortion pictures on the Justice For All Exhibit?
The pictures of aborted embryos and fetuses are used with the permission of the Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, the world’s largest online library of aborted fetus and embryo photographs. According to CBR’s website, the pictures were taken at “abortion clinics which perform elective pregnancy terminations.” CBR warns that it is “preparing to take legal action against pro-abortion defendants who falsely accuse CBR of fraudulently altering pictures of aborted embryos and fetuses.” CBR also possesses signed affidavits from a former abortion provider and from the photographer who took the pictures, attesting to the authenticity of the abortion photos and videos. For more information, see CBR’s “Verifying Photograph Authenticity” page (or find a link here).
4. What do the ages on the Exhibit pictures mean?
Embryologists date the embryo or fetus from the time of fertilization. In one method, they measure the length from the top of the embryo’s head to its behind (“crown to rump” length). Physicians, on the other hand, typically date pregnancy from a woman’s last menstrual period (LMP). A woman’s LMP occurs approximately two weeks before fertilization. Like pregnancy, abortions are typically dated from LMP. To avoid confusion, Justice For All uses the standard dating system of embryologists and calculates the ages of the embryos and fetuses on the Exhibit from the time of fertilization using “crown to rump” length as a guide. JFA does not use LMP dates on any of the Exhibit photos.
Example: A woman whose pregnancy is dated at 12 weeks LMP is carrying a 10-week fetus. Therefore, the picture of the 10-week aborted fetus on page 9 of the Exhibit Brochure was the result of a 12-week abortion procedure.
5. When in pregnancy are abortions performed?
Source: Jatlaoui TC, Boutot ME, Mandel MG, et al., “Abortion Surveillance—United States, 2015,” MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 2018, Vol. 67, No. SS-13, Tables 8-10 (accessed 09-19-19).
(Note: The CDC released newer data recently here. We will be updating this page with the newer data soon.)
Before 9 Weeks LMP*
65.4% of abortions **
608,325***
Weeks 9-13 LMP*
25.6% of abortions **
238,121***
Weeks 14-20 LMP*
7.6% of abortions **
70,692***
After 20 Weeks LMP*
1.4% of abortions **
13,022***
* Remember the dating of Exhibit pictures of embryos and fetuses is from conception/fertilization. Subtract two weeks from these numbers to correlate.
** Note: Does not include data from 18 states and the District of Columbia. Among these are California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, which together comprise more than 35% of US abortions (See Guttmacher Institute for more.)
*** Estimated Number, If Applied to 2020 Total (U.S.A.)
6. How are abortions performed?
Mifepristone and Misoprostol
also known as “RU-486,” “the abortion pill,” and “chemical abortion”
Approximately 5-10 weeks LMP (3-8 weeks post-fertilization)
According to the National Abortion Federation, “Mifepristone blocks the progesterone receptor, leading to changes in the endometrial blood supply…The net effect of mifepristone [is] detachment of the trophoblast from the uterine decidua…”
Source: Navigate on this page to Medical Abortion / History and Overview / Mechanism of Action. (Note: The trophoblast is the part of the embryo that connects the embryo to the uterus. It becomes the embryonic/fetal part of the placenta.)
In other words, mifepristone reduces blood flow between the embryo and the uterus, stopping nutrition from reaching the embryo. The embryo dies as a result.
*Update (March 31, 2016): The FDA recently approved Mifepristone to be used up to 10 weeks LMP (8 weeks post-fertilization). (See also this FDA Mifepristone page.) Previously, the FDA had approved the drug to be used up to 7 weeks LMP. Previously, we listed 5-9 weeks LMP for this question, referencing other sources than the FDA. Justice For All's statement above is meant to express current practice in the US, so we revised the upper end of the range in March 2016. Some of our fact sheets in circulation still have the previous number.
Vacuum aspiration
also known as “suction curettage” or “suction abortion”
Up to approximately 12 weeks LMP (Up to approximately 10 weeks post-fertilization)
“Cervix is gradually opened with tapered rods. A cannula (straw-like tube), which is attached to a suction apparatus (either an electric machine or hand-held syringe), is inserted through the cervix into the uterus. The contents of the uterus are emptied by suction.”
Source: National Abortion Federation, “First-Trimester Abortion: A Comparison”
Dilation and Evacuation, or D&E
Beyond approximately 12 weeks LMP (Beyond approximately 10 weeks post-fertilization)
This procedure was described in the U.S. Supreme Court Case Gonzales v Carhart (2007). “The doctor, often guided by ultrasound, inserts grasping forceps through the woman’s cervix and into the uterus to grab the fetus. The doctor grips a fetal part with the forceps and pulls it back through the cervix and vagina, continuing to pull even after meeting resistance from the cervix. The friction causes the fetus to tear apart. For example, a leg might be ripped off the fetus as it is pulled through the cervix and out of the woman. The process of evacuating the fetus piece by piece continues until it has been completely removed.”
Source: Gonzales v Carhart (2007), Section 1-A
7. What reasons do women give for having abortions?
Having a baby would dramatically change my life
74% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
4% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Can’t afford a baby now
73% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
23% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Don’t want to be a single mother or having relationship problems
48% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
8% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Have completed my childbearing
38% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
19% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Not ready for a(nother) child
32% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
25% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Don’t want people to know I had sex or got pregnant
25% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
Less than .5% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Don’t feel mature enough to raise a(nother) child
22% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
7% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Husband or partner wants me to have an abortion
14% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
Less than .5% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Possible problems affecting the health of the fetus
13% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
3% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Physical problem with my health
12% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
4% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Parents want me to have an abortion
6% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
Less than .5% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Was a victim of rape
1% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
Less than .5% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Became pregnant as a result of incest
Less than .5% of women in 2004 said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion.
The percentage of women in 2004 who said this is the most important reason for their abortion was not reported in the study.
Other
The percentage of women in 2004 who said this reason contributed to their decision to have an abortion was not reported in the study.
6% of women in 2004 said this is the most important reason for their abortion.
Note:
Unfortunately, the study linked above is the most recent US-wide research of which we are aware that addressed Question 7. Florida, however, has published some interesting, helpful, and very recent data related to people in that state. (Sources: Data - Florida, Percentage Calculations: Abort73.com). The following are from 2021 (year to date of publishing):
0.01% The pregnancy resulted from an incestuous relationship
0.15% The woman was raped
0.15% The woman's life was endangered by the pregnancy
0.95% There was a serious fetal abnormality
1.34% The woman's physical health was threatened by the pregnancy
1.89% The woman's psychological health was threatened by the pregnancy
21.3% The woman aborted for social or economic reasons
74.2% No reason (elective)