Abortion Clinics Closing at Record Rates Across Nation
Reduced demand cited in blue states
John Kasich was the latest of ten governors to ban or limit funding for abortion mills in their states, and the change in taxpayer funding for abortion “services” is resulting in record closures.
Abortion access in the U.S. has been vanishing at the fastest annual pace on record, propelled by Republican state lawmakers’ push to legislate the industry out of existence. Since 2011, at least 162 abortion providers have shut or stopped offering the procedure, while just 21 opened.
At no time since before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion, has a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy been more dependent on her zip code or financial resources to travel. The drop-off in providers—more than one every two weeks—occurred in 35 states, in both small towns and big cities that are home to more than 30 million women of reproductive age.
Interestingly, however, the closures aren’t just taking place in conservative states; California, for example, has also seen a decrease in abortion clinics.
Bloomberg continues:
No region was exempt, though some states lost more than others. Texas, which in 2013 passed sweeping clinic regulations that are under scrutiny by the Supreme Court, saw the most: at least 30. It was followed by Iowa, with 14, and Michigan, with 13. California’s loss of a dozen providers shows how availability declined, even in states led by Democrats, who tend to be friendly to abortion rights.
Bloomberg’s reporting shows that the downward trend has accelerated to the fastest annual pace on record since 2011, with 31 having closed or stopped performing the procedure each year on average.
. . . . Summit Women’s Center in Bridgeport, Conn., closed in 2015 after 40 years in business, citing reduced demand. In Kalispell, Mont., Susan Cahill said she didn’t have the money to rebuild after her practice got vandalized in 2014. Following the loss of two providers, Missouri is now one of five states in which a sole clinic remains. Of all the facilities in the nation that closed or stopped performing terminations, about a third were operated by Planned Parenthood; of the ones that opened, three-quarters were.
While the progressive left wants to blame Republican governors and legislatures, it seems clear that the closures aren’t only happening in red states and that they are often occurring due to reduced demand. One would think that progressives who claim to want abortions to be “rare” would be rejoicing, and they are . . . about a new Google extension that changes “pro-life” to “anti-choice.”
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Comments
Ehhh. This is a count of specialized clinics, not something more pertinent, such as for example, the number of abortions, which may or may not be declining.
Our new Obamacare insurance law mandates coverage of both contraception and abortion, and often also restricts the sources of such care. Further, there has been a proliferation of clinics that offer a variety of services, which may be competing for the same market.
Obamacare may be shifting services particularly contraceptive services, away from abortion clinics.
Killjoy. It seemed that Americans had finally rejected the religion pulled from the dark fringes of a penumbra, and that there was hope for change, but it was all a statistical maneuver perpetrated for the progress of abortion rites and cannibalistic trials.
Val’s right. More normal doctors are doing abortions now. With the reduced rate of babies being born everywhere outside of immigrant areas, they basically have to do abortions if they want to stay busy. There’s no need for specialized clinics.
Could this also be the result of a demographic shift with fewer women of childbearing age overall?
So this jerk acted like a little girl while running against the worst president in American history and finds some small testosterone when a real man comes forward to actually make a real change, especially in hurting the jerk Republican elites.
Wrong thread?
Well, it’s the right blog.
It’s not surprising, and it’s just economics.
Bear with me, I have decidedly pro-life views.
But abortion (baby-killing) is also a business, sad to say. The ‘medical practice’ of abortion has a catchment area same as for family doctors and neurosurgeons. If you run the numbers on the number of child-bearing capable women, the abortion rate, and the finances of abortion, turns out that every abortion provider needs a certain catchment area to stay in business.
And one of the more important variables is the abortion rate — drive that down and their catchment area has to go up. That’s just what has been happening. The abortion rate is declining (thank goodness). Couple that with some nibbling around the edges in the law and it’s not surprising that abortion clinics are closing. But it’s the shift in societal attitude that is important — fewer women want abortions.
I suggest that ultrasound has done far more than either religion or the law to change those attitudes. I have grandmas coming to my clinic asking, “wanna see a picture of my grandchild?” And when I say “sure, of course I do”, they whip out a Polaroid of an ultrasound of a 12 week old fetus. Those pictures have done so, so much to humanize the debate (why do you think the pro-abortion crowd fights every law that mandates a pre-procedure ultrasound?).
It’s simple: fewer women want abortions. That’s why the clinics are closing.
Ultrasound images are the pro life’s movements most potent weapon.
While abortion advocates talk of the woman’s right to chose, in fact, the driving force in the decision to abort can be the threat of abandonment by the boyfriend or even a parent or parents. Pro life advocates say that they have seen the boyfriend’s mind change when he sees the ultrasound image. That actually seeing his own child in its mother’s womb can trigger the masculine instinct to protect.
By the way, there were about 1800 abortion providers in 2008: a reduction of ~ 140 providers is about a 7% decline. We’re still nibbling at the margins.
The Bloomberg complaint, “At no time since before 1973, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion, has a woman’s ability to terminate a pregnancy been more dependent on her zip code or financial resources to travel”, is simply a matter of catchment area as I noted above. If a woman lives out in the country she’s going to have to travel, be it for an abortion provider or for a cardiac surgeon. The news hounds, PP, and Democrats (but I repeat myself) don’t want to point out that obvious truth.
Interesting topic, details and comments. Thanks!
Whatever the reason, these closures are excellent news.
This is a powerful video by a dr. who used to perform abortions.
The video depicts the procedure- horrible- but I recommend watching and sharing.
People need to be informed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgw4X7Dw_3k
Bloomberg reports: Abortion access in the U.S. has been vanishing at the fastest annual pace on record, propelled by Republican state lawmakers’ push to legislate the industry out of existence.
Well, that’s kind of one-sided, isn’t it?
Alternate hypothesis: Abortion clinics (not access) in the U.S. have been phased out at the fastest annual pace on record, propelled by American voters of all parties being shown in graphic detail the behind-the-scenes inner workings of the abortion mill industry and deciding that their tax dollars are better utilized elsewhere.
Sounds more reasonable to me. What do y’all think?
The closures in Texas were mostly centered around the requirement that clinics meet the same minimum medical standards that a dentist’s office would need to…. that should scare everyone.