The Boston Globe claims that the abortion rate declined very dramatically in Massachusetts and that the pro-life movement had nothing to do with it. Their conclusions are suspect on both points. First, the data.
The abortion rate among American women has dropped to its lowest level since the mid-1970s, and among larger states, Massachusetts showed the most dramatic four-year decline in the country, according to the most comprehensive national survey of abortion, results of which were released today.
Abortion specialists said the 5 percent drop from 1996 to 2000 probably reflected an improved range of birth control options, including emergency hormone doses within days after sex to prevent pregnancy. They also cited the greater sexual caution practiced in the age of AIDS.
In other words, only the number of surgical abortions dropped, while the number of chemical abortions skyrocketed. As we reported yesterday on Catholic World News:
- “PPFA affiliates committed 213,026 surgical abortions between January 1 and December 31, 2001—an increase of 8.1 percent over the previous year. With one exception, Planned Parenthood has increased its share of the surgical abortion market every year. PPFA’s vastly more lucrative ‘emergency contraception’ market, which includes an untold number of chemical abortions, rose a staggering 248.6 percent, from 131,638 in 2000 to 458,892 in 2001,” reports Scott.
In other words, what the Globe calls “emergency hormone doses” is not a contraceptive, but a kind of abortion that makes the uterus inhospitable to the fetal unborn child and thus it should be included in the number of abortions. And since it is the fastest growing kind of abortion—and the most profitable to abortionists—they have a vested interest in convincing people that it’s not abortion as a way to make people complacent.
And of course, we have reason to suspect all the data in the report. Why? Because it comes from the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, the country’s largest abortionist. Of course, the article doesn’t tell you that. And this supposedly non-profit organization gets millions of dollars per year from the US government to spread death around, yet makes millions in profits. From CWNews:
- Financial reports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2002 show that the organization’s total revenue was $692.5 million (up nearly three percent from the 2000-2001 fiscal year). Its expenses were nearly $680.3 million (up 8.2 percent), leaving a $12.2 million profit for that one-year period alone. Despite the surplus cash, which is common for Planned Parenthood, Scott notes that PPFA continually claims to need more and more money. “Maybe Planned Parenthood would be willing to return the funds it gets from taxpayers?” Scott asked.
Don’t hold your breath, Scott.
Of course, we have to “worry” that perhaps the drop in abortions in Massachusetts means women can’t get to abortionists in this state.
- The survey found a drop in the number of abortion providers in Massachusetts, from more than 80 in 1980 to fewer than 50 in 2000. But Dr. Lawrence B. Finer, the institute’s assistant director of research who oversaw the survey, noted that in the period from 1996 to 2000, while some providers had closed down, others had opened. In addition, there was no rise in the number of abortions in the surrounding states that would indicate an access problem here.
Thank God, there’s no “access problem.” They’re just finding other way to kill their children or fool themselves into complacency and self-destructive behavior.
