The number of abortions in Massachusetts dropped by nearly 11 percent from 2010 to 2015. According to a review of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health statistics by the Associated Press, the number of abortions in Massachusetts reached 20,802 in 2010, but by 2015, that number had dropped to 18,570.
The decline in abortions in Massachusetts matches a national trend. Abortion rates are at their lowest since 1973, according to the Guttmacher Institute. Rachel K. Jones, a senior researcher at Guttmacher, said that even if the abortion rate continues to drop, it can not be assumed that it is “due to positive factors” such as increased use of contraceptives.
Recently enacted pro-life laws could be the cause — such as improved licensing and inspection requirements for abortion clinics and women being allowed access to their ultrasounds before an abortion. Increased education efforts on the part of pro-life groups could also be to thank. Moreover, the prevalence of social media sites and the viral ability of articles and posts has enabled accurate information about abortion to be spread widely in recent years. The videos on common abortion procedures available at AbortionProcedures.com are one example.
“It absolutely is happening, we’re thrilled, and we absolutely believe our education efforts are making a difference,” Massachusetts Citizens for Life President Anne Fox told the Associated Press. “Our goal is to educate everyone so there isn’t a need to go to the door of a clinic.” Like many pro-life groups around the nation, Massachusetts Citizens for Life works through social media campaigns and educational awareness to teach people the truth about abortion and life inside the womb.
“This is a post-sonogram generation,” Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life, told The Washington Post. “There is increased awareness throughout our culture of the moral weight of the unborn baby. And that’s a good thing.”
President Trump recently signed legislation allowing states to decide whether or not to fund Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion corporation. In Massachusetts, Planned Parenthood is responsible for providing over 57 percent of the abortions that occurred during 2015. Despite this large market share, and despite the drop in abortions in his state, Governor Charlie Baker has vowed to increase the amount of money the state gives to Planned Parenthood if the federal government ends taxpayer funding for the abortion provider.
