2006 IL abortion stats: Good and bad news

IFRL Daily News

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

2006 IL abortion stats: Good and bad news

The Illinois abortion statistics for 2005 from the Illinois Department of Public Health were delayed significantly. They did not become available until March 2007. Maybe that is why no one apparently noticed when the 2006 abortion statistics were posted November 30th.

Unfortunately, those statistics offer bad news. The number of abortions in Illinois in 2006 reached 46,467, an increase of over 3,000 abortions compared to 2005. Along with a 1,300 increase in 2004 (abortions dropped by 128 in 2005), the annual abortions in Illinois have nearly returned to the 2002 level, reversing the welcomed, but unexpected 4,700 decline in abortions that occurred in 2003. Check the annual totals at Illinois Abortion Statistics: 1973-Current

Given the recent news about the 78% increase in abortions committed at Stroger Cook County Hospital since 2003, some of the increase must be attributed to those 4,000 taxpayer-funded abortions. Surprisingly, total abortions in Cook County were relatively stable from 2003 to 2006 and actually remain almost 4,000 below the 1999 abortion total for Cook County. However, the Cook County total for 2006 shows over 600 more abortions than the low point reached in 2003 and nearly repeated in 2005.

Another important factor in the increased abortion total is an apparent increase of over 1,000 abortions committed on out-of-state women. Over 600 of these additional abortions were recorded specifically as out-of-state residency, but there was an increase of over 400 in women of unknown residency. Given the lack of an enforceable parental involvement law in Illinois, might we not expect most of that increase to be out-of-state teenagers?

That still leaves over 1,400 increased abortions unaccounted for. A review of abortions committed county-by-county reveals that abortions increased in at least 20 counties while going down in 11 counties. Since detailed numbers are not reported for any county with 50 or less abortions, there is no way to know whether abortions increased or decreased in many of the less populated counties of Illinois. Based on the net increase of less than 700 for the counties with abortion counts displayed, at least 700 abortions must have come from increases in less populated counties that still remain under 51 abortions annually.

The new abortion total indicates the need to maintain caution about reaching any conclusions about causes and trends. However, there are certainly enough reliable studies to establish that any attempt to reduce this now climbing abortion total must begin with more abstinence education in schools. If more schools have recently moved in the direction of so-called comprehensive sex education, that would certainly be a likely factor in the rise in abortions. Hopefully, this blatant promotion of casual sex as long as a condom is used is not the cause, and abortions will go back down in coming years. If parental notice is finally allowed to become enforceable, that would certainly lead to a reduction in abortions committed in Illinois, especially on out-of-state teenagers.

So where is the good news? Well, since we cannot yet report that parental notice can be enforced, the good news for now is two recent successes in defending free speech rights so efforts to educate the public on abortion can continue.

Officer Dick Lalowski, a veteran Des Plaines police officer, was fired on December 3rd for verbally and physically harassing a group of women who were gathered in prayer last year outside American Women's Medical Center on South River Road in Des Plaines. Acting on a recommendation from Des Plaines Police Chief James Prandini, the suburb's Board of Fire and Police Commissioners voted unanimously to fire the officer. Thanks to Thomas Brejcha, attorney with the Thomas More Society in Chicago, for successfully representing these women and defending their free speech rights.

Gwinnett County Georgia Solicitor General Rosanna Szabo announced December 3rd that the driver of Operation Rescue’s Truth Truck, Bob Roethisberger, who was arrested and jailed over Thanksgiving weekend, will not be facing charges. Szabo stated that the display of the graphic photos of aborted babies depicted on the Truth Truck banners could not be considered obscene, as charged by the arresting officers.

Do prayer and educational efforts have an impact to reduce abortions? Information compiled from the 40 Days for Life prayer vigils that were held in 89 cities from September 26th to November 4th reveal the great news that 340 babies were known to be saved from abortion during these vigils. How many more babies were saved that none of the participants learned about?

Contact: Bill Beckman

Source: Illinois Review

Publish Date: December 7, 2007