STATISTICS ON ABORTION IN THE U.S. AND NEW YORK STATE
Total # of Abortions in US1
1990 2005 2020*
1,600,000 1,250,000 930,160
*Does not include abortions outside clinical settings
Medication Abortions vs. Procedural Abortions in US, 20231
Medication 58%
Medication via Telehealth 20% of total
Procedural 42%
Total # of Abortions in NYS, 20222
72,710
% of pregnancies ending in abortion 26%
Abortions by Age in NYS, 20222
< 20 8%
20-29 54%
30-39 33%
Abortions by Race / Ethnicity, 20222
White % of population: 53% % of abortions: 39%
Hispanic % of population: 20% % of abortions: 22%
Black % of population: 15% % of abortions: 31%
Asian % of population: 10% % of abortions: 7%
Abortion Facts in NYS3
Abortion is legal up to 24 weeks
Minors do not need parental permission or awareness
State-regulated private insurers are required to cover abortions
Abortions Across State Lines1
Before Roe v Wade reversed in 2020 10%
From 2020 – 2023 20%
States Where Abortion is Permitted at Any Stage of Pregnancy1
Alaska
Colorado
Michigan
Minnesota
New Jersey
New Mexico
Oregon
Vermont
Fetal Development by Month of Pregnancy4
1st month: heart begins to beat
2nd month: limbs begin to grow; organs identifiable
3rd month: organs fully formed (except reproductive; baby can feel pain5)
4th month: baby can stretch, yawn, suck his/her thumb, make other movements
5th month: baby has hair, eyelashes; mother can feel baby move
New York State allows abortion until the end of 5th month
6th month: baby can respond to stimuli such as sound or movement
7th month: hearing is fully developed; baby responds to sound, pain, light
8th month: baby can see; kicks more
9th month: baby can grasp and turn his or her head
8 states allow abortion up to the end of pregnancy
1Guttmacher Institute
2Center For Disease Control and Prevention
3NYS Attorney General Website
4American Pregnancy Association
5Stuart WG Derbyshire and John C. Bockmann, “Reconsidering Fetal Pain,” Journal of Medical Ethics 46, no. 1 (January 1, 2020)
