This week, the Ohio Department of Health released abortion data for 2022. Overall, the news is good for pro-lifers. Between 2022 and 2021, the number of abortions performed in the Buckeye State fell by more than 3,300. This represents a decline of more than 15 percent. This is especially important since Ohio abortion numbers had been trending upward in recent years. Specifically, the Ohio Department of Health found that the number of abortions performed in Ohio increased in both 2020 and 2021.
A key factor in Ohio’s 2022 abortion decline is that, for part of 2022, the Heartbeat Act was in effect. It protects preborn children after six weeks’ gestation. Specifically, Ohio’s Heartbeat Act was in effect from June 24 to September 14. These new data from Ohio, along with both birth data and abortion data from Texas, provide very strong statistical evidence that heartbeat laws lower abortion rates and protect preborn children.
Ohio’s 2022 abortion report contains some other information that might be of interest to pro-lifers. Last year, 136 women who obtained abortions in Ohio suffered a subsequent complication. Additionally, the report contains information about contraception use. Though not every woman answered a survey question about contraception, over 2,800 women who obtained abortions in Ohio said that they were using some form of contraception when they became pregnant. This provides evidence that efforts to promote contraception use are often a poor strategy for lowering abortion numbers.
The Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas issued an injunction against the Heartbeat Act in September 2022. Its fate will be determined by subsequent litigation. It will also be determined by the outcome of Issue 1, a November ballot proposition that would place abortion rights in Ohio’s state constitution. If Issue 1 passes, it will jeopardize many strong pro-life laws in Ohio, including the Heartbeat Act, the parental-involvement law, and limits on Medicaid funding of elective abortions. Hopefully these new data about the lifesaving impact of the Heartbeat Act will motivate Ohio pro-lifers as they continue their opposition to Issue 1.