Annual Abortions in ‘80s: 1.5 Million
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WASHINGTON — Throughout the 1980s, about 1.5 million abortions have been performed on American women each year, according to a private survey.
The number climbed steadily after the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion--from about 750,000 to more than a million by 1976, the survey showed.
The Alan Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based organization that studies reproductive issues, said that women in their 20s obtain more than half of all reported abortions, about 55%. About 24% are obtained by teen-agers--14% by those aged 18 or 19.
The statistics also show about 42% are obtained by Protestants; about 31% by Catholics. Less than 2% are obtained by Jewish women. About 22% of those obtaining abortions belong to no religious denomination.
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