This is a follow-up to today's earlier news release regarding the 2017 Minnesota Abortion Report.
ST. PAUL — Abortions in Minnesota increased slightly in 2017 thanks to the state's leading performer and promoter of abortion. Planned Parenthood grew its own abortion total by 11 percent while non-Planned Parenthood abortion centers saw a 10 percent drop.
"Planned Parenthood likes to take credit when abortions go down," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "That's simply bizarre, because abortion is Planned Parenthood's business, and Planned Parenthood is dominating the market. No organization or group does more to keep abortion numbers high."
The Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH) annual Abortion Report, released today, shows that 10,177 abortions took place in the state last year, a three percent increase since 2015, when abortions hit their lowest level since 1974. Despite the recent plateau, abortions in Minnesota have dropped 47 percent since their high in 1980.
Planned Parenthood, however, performed a record-high 6,234 abortions in 2017—giving the organization a record-high 61 percent share of the state's abortion market. It has increased its abortions by 58 percent just since 2008 (overall abortions in the state have dropped 21 percent over the same period) and doubled its market share.
Whole Woman's Health, the second leading provider of abortion, performed 2,012 abortions in 2017—a 15 percent decline compared to the previous year.
The 2017 data show some positive developments. Minor abortions dropped from 292 in 2016 to 248 in 2017, just 2.4 percent of all abortions. With the help of Minnesota's 1981 parental notification law, abortions on minors have plummeted 89 percent from their 1980 peak of 2,327.
A total of 11,338 women received Woman's Right to Know informed consent information in 2017. That means 1,161 women opted against abortion after receiving information about risks and alternatives.
“Woman's Right to Know and Minnesota's other pro-life laws continue to empower women and save lives from abortion,” said Fischbach. "But more pro-life measures are needed to reduce abortions further and counteract Planned Parenthood's influence. That's why getting a pro-life governor—someone who will sign pro-life legislation into law—is so crucial."
Full reports for 2017 and prior years are available at the MDH website.
The following is additional information concerning "Induced Abortions in Minnesota January – December 2017: Report to the Legislature," released June 29, 2018, by the Minnesota Department of Health:
The total number of reported abortions performed in Minnesota since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion on demand: 639,008
Chemical (non-surgical) abortion is becoming more and more prevalent as an abortion method. Chemical abortions using the drug mifepristone (RU486) accounted for an all-time high of 39% of all abortions in 2017—up from 35% in 2016
Suction was still the most common abortion procedure, used in 53% of abortions (down from 56% in 2016). Dilation and evacuation (dismemberment) abortion, the primary second-trimester method, was used in 696 abortions (down from 861 in 2016)
The number of abortions at 20 weeks gestation or later fell from 241 in 2016 to 223 in 2017. The latest abortion was performed at 26 weeks (same as 2016)
65 different people performed abortions in 2017 (a decline from 118 in 2016). Minnesota's 5 abortion centers performed 99% of all abortions in the state
41% of women who received an abortion in 2017 had at least one prior abortion (up from 40% in 2016)
Reasons women gave for their abortions (more than one reason could be given):
Less than 1% rape or incest (consistent with past years)
70% “does not want children at this time” (same percentage as 2016)
24% economic reasons (down from 29% in 2016)
Complications:
75 complications were reported at the time of the abortion procedure, including cervical laceration, hemorrhage, and uterine perforation (67 were reported in 2016)
57 post-operative complications were reported, including hemorrhage, infection, and "incomplete termination of pregnancy" (89 were reported in 2016)
3 abortions in 2017 resulted in a live birth; in none of the cases did the infant survive.