The number of abortion providers nationwide has declined by 37% since 1982. The absence of health care providers trained and available to provide abortion services can endanger women’s lives and health. Across the country, 86% of U.S. counties had no abortion provider in 2000, and as noted in the National Report Card, 34% of women live in such counties. (1) The lack of access to abortion services is particularly severe for women in rural communities. In non-metropolitan areas, 97% of counties had no abortion provider. (2)
What percentage of women live in a county without an abortion provider?1
The Report Card benchmark is the goal that no women live in a county without an abortion provider.
Data Source: Women in County without Abortion Provider (%), 2000
EXPLANATION:
This measure includes women ages 15-44 living in a county without an abortion provider (defined as a place where abortions are performed, e.g., a hospital, clinic, or physician's office). If an organization offers abortion services at more than one location, each service site is counted as a provider. The number of providers is different than the number of physicians who perform abortions, because one physician could be responsible for services in several facilities, and several physicians could perform abortions in a single setting. An abortion is defined as "any procedure, including menstrual extraction and menstrual regulation, intended to terminate a pregnancy."
SOURCE:
Lawrence B. Finer and Stanley K. Henshaw, "Abortion Incidence and Services in the United States in 2000," Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health 35 (January/February 2003), Table 3.