Abortion Incidence

•Approximately 862,320 abortions occurred in the United States in 2017. The resulting abortion rate of 13.5 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15–44) represents an 8% decrease from the 2014 rate of 14.6.[1]

•In 2017, 29,500 abortions were provided in North Carolina, though not all abortions that occurred in North Carolina were provided to state residents: Some patients may have traveled from other states, and some North Carolina residents may have traveled to another state for an abortion. There was a a 3% decline in the abortion rate in North Carolina between 2014 and 2017, from 15.1 to 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive age. Abortions in North Carolina represent 3.4% of all abortions in the United States.[1]

Where Patients Obtain Abortions

•In 2017, there were 1,587 facilities providing abortion in the United States, representing a 5% decrease from the 1,671 facilities in 2014. Sixteen percent of facilities in 2017 were abortion clinics (i.e., clinics where more than half of all patient visits were for abortion), 35% were nonspecialized clinics, 33% were hospitals and 16% were private physicians' offices. Sixty percent of all abortions were provided at abortion clinics, 35% at nonspecialized clinics, 3% at hospitals and 1% at physicians' offices.[1]

•There were 26 facilities providing abortion in North Carolina in 2017, and 14 of those were clinics. These numbers represent a 13% decline in clinics from 2014, when there were 37 abortion-providing facilities overall, of which 16 were clinics.[1]

•In 2017, 89% of U.S. counties had no clinics providing abortions. Some 38% of reproductive-age women lived in those counties and would have had to travel elsewhere to obtain an abortion.[1] Of patients who had an abortion in 2014, one-third had to travel more than 25 miles one way to reach a facility.[2]

•In 2017, some 91% of North Carolina counties had no clinics that provided abortions, and 53% of North Carolina women lived in those counties.[1]

Restrictions on Abortion

In North Carolina, the following restrictions on abortion were in effect as of June 28, 2022:

• A patient must receive state-directed counseling that includes information designed to discourage the patient from having an abortion, and then wait 72 hours before the procedure is provided.
• Health plans offered in the state’s health exchange under the Affordable Care Act can only cover abortion in cases of life endangerment, or in cases of rape or incest.
• Abortion is covered in insurance policies for public employees only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
• The use of telemedicine to administer medication abortion is prohibited.
• The parent of a minor must consent before an abortion is provided.
• Public funding is available for abortion only in cases of life endangerment, rape or incest.
• A patient must undergo an ultrasound before obtaining an abortion.
• An abortion may be performed at or after viability only in cases of life endangerment or severely compromised health.
• The state prohibits abortions performed for the purpose of sex selection.
• The state requires abortion clinics to meet unnecessary and burdensome standards related to their physical plant, equipment and staffing.