Maine Right to Life Committee excitedly announced that the recently released 2011 Induced Abortion Report produced by the Maine Center for Disease Control shows a substantial decrease in the number of abortions.
The statistics of Maine residents who had abortions in Maine are as follows:
2007 – 2611 abortions
2008 – 2541 abortions
2009 – 2330 abortions
2010 – 2226 abortions
2011 – 1644 abortions
The ratio of number of abortions per number of pregnancies dropped from 15.6% in 2007 down to 11.4% in 2011.
Out of the sixteen counties in Maine, the number of abortions dropped in all counties except for one. Maine’s most populated counties, Cumberland County and York County, saw decreases in abortions by 36% and 31% respectively.
According to Teresa McCann-Tumidajski, executive director of Maine Right to Life Committee:
This trend represents a pattern for life which cannot be denied or minimized. The people of Maine are speaking loud and clear: abortion is not the answer.
The recorded high for abortions in Maine occurred in 1987, with 4,767 abortions. Compared to the 2011 statistics, abortions have decrease 65.5% since 1987. The trend of fewer abortions is also occurring in the 12-24 age range; with a drop in abortions by 39.3% from 2006 to 2011.
Interestingly, while abortion has decreased, the STD gonorrhea, has increased:
Pro-choice advocates and the abortion lobby would have you believe that the reduced number of abortions in Maine is due to increased contraception and sex education. But a closer look at the numbers tells a different story, particularly with regard to STDs like gonorrhea. Maine CDC reports incidents of gonorrhea in Maine have quadrupled in the past 4 years.
Tumidajski believes that the drop in abortions is not just a coincidence:
There is no single, silver bullet by which to attribute this phenomenal abortion decline. Decades of perseverance, education, and grassroots advocacy by thousands of dedicated pro-life Mainers has been instrumental in bringing us to this historic moment.
There are twenty-five Pregnancy Centers in the state, offering free help to those facing unexpected pregnancies. Maine Vitae Society, the advertising branch of Maine Right to Life, has aired over 100,000 pro-life commercials. Teenbreaks.com, a website by Maine Vitae Society, has provided education with a pro-life perspective to over 130,000 young adults. Pro-life organizations and individuals have lobbied their governmental officials. According to Maine Senator James Hamper, the decrease in abortion “is an indication that the people of Maine are, once again, ahead of their representatives in August.”
With the continued trend of a decrease in the number of abortions, pro-life organizations in Maine should be hopefully as they look to the future. According to Tumidajski:
Maine’ s abortion numbers, rate, and ratio have plummeted in the past 4 years. The tide in Maine is turning in favor of life. We are changing hearts, minds, and behaviors in favor of life…one precious child at a time.
