The following news release was issued on July 1, 2014.
ST. PAUL — Abortion numbers have dropped for the seventh straight year in Minnesota to their lowest level since 1974, confirming the success of life-affirming laws that provide women with abortion information and alternatives and empower them to choose life for their unborn children—and themselves.
Women are turning away from abortion in greater numbers, according to the latest annual Abortion Report issued today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). The 2013 decrease of 7.5 percent follows a trend of fewer abortions statewide since Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL) helped to enact the Positive Alternatives law, which took effect in July 2006. But the abortion total could have been even lower.
"As governor, Mark Dayton has vetoed seven protective measures, at least four of which would have protected women and further reduced the number of abortions last year," said MCCL Executive Director Scott Fischbach. "Dayton's defense of the abortion industry has been at the expense of unborn babies and their mothers, who are nonetheless rejecting the self-destruction, dehumanization and death that result from abortion."
Pro-life legislation—all of which Gov. Dayton vehemently opposes—has helped to empower women in their desire to give birth to their unborn babies. Positive Alternatives offers women life-affirming alternatives to abortion by funding programs that help women with health care, housing, education, transportation and much more. The state's Woman's Right to Know informed consent law and the parental notification law for minors considering abortion also serve to empower women and girls with factual information and trustworthy support. Ultrasound, in utero surgery and other technology have caused more Americans to reject what unquestionably kills a developing human life in the womb.
"Most women don't want to abort their unborn babies, and today's report is further evidence that the greater the access women are given to factual information and abortion alternatives, the fewer of them resort to abortion," Fischbach said. "MCCL has always been focused on empowering women to choose life and our efforts are clearly working."
The 2013 total of 9,903 abortions is a reduction of 7.5 percent from the previous year's 10,701 total. More than half were performed on women in their 20s. A total of 12,164 women received the Woman's Right to Know informed consent information, meaning 2,261 women chose not to abort after learning about fetal development, abortion risks and complications, and abortion alternatives.
Today's report also shows that taxpayer funded abortions grew to 34.8 percent of all abortions reported in the state, the highest percentage since the 1995 Doe v. Gomez Supreme Court ruling requiring taxpayers to fund abortions.
Full reports for 2013 and prior years are available at the MDH website.
MCCL will release a further analysis of the MDH Abortion Report later today.
