Abortions drop in York County, across Pennsylvania

The number of abortions performed in Pennsylvania and York County dropped in 2013.

There were 32,108 abortions performed in the state that year, down from 34,536 in 2012 and 36,280 in 2011, according to data from the state Department of Health.

The department says 2013’s figure is the lowest annual number on record. Statewide, the number of abortions has dropped each year since 2008.

Locally, 671 abortions were performed in York County in 2013, and 580 county residents had abortions that year. Those numbers are down from 763 and 629, respectively, in 2012, but the county hasn’t seen a consistent trend over the past few years.

Birth rate drop: The state Department of Health said 2013’s statewide abortion numbers are a 51.2 percent decrease from the 1980 total of 65,777, the highest ever recorded.

The department collects and reports the data, but it does not analyze it and does not comment, said department spokeswoman Aimee Tysarczyk.

The public is decidedly split on the issue: In a 2014 Gallup poll, 47 percent of U.S. adults described their views as “pro-choice,” and 46 percent said their views were “pro-life.”

The state’s birth rate has come down in recent years, from 148,934 in 2008 to 140,873 in 2012.

The decrease in both birth and abortion rates could mean that more people are planning their pregnancies, said Sari Stevens, executive director of Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates.

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That could be because of no-cost birth control under the Affordable Care Act, as well as the availability of emergency and long-lasting contraception, she said.

“All that leads to planned pregnancies, and that’s a good thing,” Stevens said.

The Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation is grateful when the abortion rate drops “because it shows that we’re making a difference,” said legislative director Maria Gallagher.

With social media, an “incredible amount” of information is available to young women, especially in terms of help available to them during pregnancy, she said.

“I think that there is more of an awareness. … They’re only a click away from the help they need to bring babies into the world,” Gallagher said.

Legislation: In 2011, Act 122 called for abortion centers to be regulated and held to the same standards as ambulatory surgical facilities, possibly causing some to close.

And in June 2013, Gov. Tom Corbett enacted legislation that, in most cases, makes women in Pennsylvania unable to purchase abortion coverage through the federal Affordable Care Act’s insurance exchange.

Although Stevens said she doesn’t support the laws and Gallagher said she does, both said they have their focus on Gov. Tom Wolf’s new administration.

The only abortion facility in York County is Planned Parenthood Keystone’s location at 728 S. Beaver St. in York City, according to the Department of Health’s online database.

Not all Planned Parenthood facilities offer abortions, and the health centers also provide birth control, cancer screenings, sexual health education, women’s health services and STD testing and treatment.

— Reach Mollie Durkin at mdurkin@ yorkdispatch.com.

Abortions drop in York County, across Pennsylvania