Planned Parenthood performs more abortions than ever in Minnesota

State abortion total rises slightly in 2014

ST. PAUL — Planned Parenthood proved again to be Minnesota’s largest abortionist and grew its market share even bigger despite only a small increase in abortions statewide, according to the state’s annual Abortion Report issued Wednesday by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH).

Planned Parenthood managed to increase its abortions by another 14.2 percent last year, following increases of 8.6 percent in 2012 and 11.6 percent in 2013. State abortion totals declined 5.4 percent over the same three-year period. Planned Parenthood’s 2014 total of 4,990 abortions was its highest number ever, and a record market share of 49.3 percent of all abortions performed in Minnesota.

Despite Planned Parenthood, many of the 2014 statistics are encouraging. Just 307 abortions were performed on minors, representing 3 percent of the total. This is the second smallest number (295 in 2013) since the state began recording minor abortions in 1975 and represents a decline of 87 from their peak in 1980, the year prior to passage of Minnesota’s Parental Notification law.

More than 12,000 women received factual, state provided information about abortion risks and complications, abortion alternatives and much more under the Woman’s Right to Know law. MCCL helped to pass the informed consent law in 2003; state abortion numbers have decreased in all but two years since the law took effect. The 2014 increase of 2.2 percent is the first since MCCL helped to enact the Positive Alternatives law, which took effect in July 2006.

Not all of today’s report is good news, however. Abortions were performed at a rate of more than 27 every single day last year. More than 40 percent of abortions in 2014 were performed on women who had undergone at least one prior abortion; 295 women had four or more previous abortions.

[The report also shows that African Americans remain a target of the abortion industry. They represent just 5.5 percent of the state’s population, yet 23 percent of abortions were performed on African Americans.

Tax-funded abortions increased from 34.8 to 38.1 percent of all abortions last year. This is the highest percentage since the 1995 Doe v. Gomez decision by the Minnesota Supreme Court required taxpayers to pay for abortions performed on low-income women. This percentage has increased nearly every year since the court ruling. Taxpayers have funded 73,072 abortions since the decision.

Full reports for 2014 and prior years are available at the MDH website.

Editor’s note. The following are excerpts from additional information concerning “Induced Abortions in Minnesota, 2014, Report to the Legislature,” released July 1, 2015, by the Minnesota Department of Health:

The 2014 total of 10,123 reported abortions is the second lowest recorded since 1974, and also the second lowest abortion rate since 1974 (8.7 per 1,000 females age 15-44). 10,123 abortions equates to more than 27 abortions performed every single day last year

The total number of reported abortions performed in Minnesota since the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion on demand: 608,953

40.2% of women who received an abortion in 2014 had at least one prior abortion. A total of 680 women reported they had had 3 or more prior abortions; 68 women had had 6 or more previous abortions

12,231 women received information about abortion risks, complications and alternatives under the Woman’s Right to Know informed consent law, which is 2,108 more than the number who underwent abortions

Planned Parenthood performed an average of nearly 14 abortions every day in 2014, for a total of 4,990. The provider performed 49.3% of all abortions, performing 2,231 more than the next largest provider. It has been the state’s largest abortionist since 2004, and increased its abortions by an astonishing 14.2% last year as the state total increased just 2.2%

Abortionists:

• 129 different people performed abortions in 2013, an increase of 6 over the prior year
• 12 physicians each performed more than 300 abortions last year
• Minnesota’s 5 abortion facilities (6 locations) performed 99% of all abortions in 2014

60.5% of abortions were used as birth control (no contraception used at time of conception), up from 56% in 2013

Race and abortion: African Americans—5.5% of population, 23% of abortions; Asians—4% of population, 7% of abortions; Caucasians—86% of population, 53% of abortions; Hispanics—5% of population, 6% of abortions, American Indians—1.3% of population, 2.5% of abortions

Late-term abortions (after week 20) increased from 74 to 97. The latest abortion was performed at 27 weeks (in 2013 the latest was at 23 weeks)

Reasons women gave for their abortions (more than one reason could be given):

• Less than 1% for rape, incest (consistent with past years)
• 69% “does not want child at this time” (same as 2013)
• 27% economic reasons (same as 2013)

Complications: 82 reported, up from 72 in 2013

• 20 occurred during abortion procedure (10 cervical laceration, 2 hemorrhage, 1 uterine perforation, 7 other)
• 62 occurred after abortion procedure (including 26 incomplete abortions)