A data set provided by the Georgia Department of Health (DPH) to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) indicates that the number of abortions in the state has decreased by approximately 45% since the overturn of Roe v. Wade.
Following the receipt of information from an open records request, The AJC reports that from January to July of 2022, approximately 4,000 abortions were conducted in the state each month. With the overturn of Roe v. Wade in late June, a state law protecting most preborn children from abortion upon the detection of a heartbeat was allowed to take effect. The implementation of this law, which restricts abortion to approximately the first six weeks, resulted in a reduction in the number of abortions to an average of approximately 2,176 per month.
According to Cole Muzio, who oversees the Frontline Policy Action group, the number of abortions in the state has decreased by approximately half. This equates to 20,000 to 21,000 lives, which is comparable to the population of the city of Acworth. This outcome aligns with the group’s expectations.
Notably, the data indicates a surge in abortions in November, coinciding with a brief period when a judge placed a hold on the state’s heartbeat law. A week later, the state Supreme Court overturned the lower judge’s ruling, reinstating the law. Consequently, there were 195 abortions conducted at seven weeks or later in November, compared with 13 in September and 10 in December. The state’s records also indicate that the majority of abortions in the state are chemical abortions, which correlates with national data.
Claire Bartlett, executive director of Georgia Life Alliance, informed The AJC that she is “delighted” in the decrease in abortions, yet acknowledges that there is still work to be done. “We’d like to see the number at zero, but we have generations of people who have a different understanding of things,” she said. “At this juncture, we are endeavoring to implement an educational campaign with the objective of effecting a transformation in the hearts and minds of the populace. This is a more ambitious endeavor, to be sure.”
The AJC also conducted an interview with a woman who described her experience of attempting to undergo an abortion procedure but being denied access due to the advanced stage of her pregnancy. Despite her intention to travel out of state for the abortion, her family persuaded her to continue with the pregnancy. She subsequently married the child’s father and gave birth to a two-month-old son. She expressed gratitude for having chosen not to terminate the pregnancy, stating that it had made her realise the extent of her selfishness in that moment. “At that moment, I was relieved that I would not have to undergo an abortion. I was also happier with myself because I was aware that I would not be engaging in an act that would have a traumatic impact on me and cause distress to those I love.”
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
