Only a small minority of abortions were done in the 1980s from the so-called “hard cases” of rape, incest, and health problems.
THE ‘HARD CASES’
To save the mother’s life or health 0.13%
For rape and incest 0.07%
For fetal birth defects 0.24%
For girls under 15 years old 1.0%
Total ‘hard cases’ 1.31%
Non-Medically Indicated Abortions 98.56%
United States Bureau of Commerce, Department of the Census. National Data Book and Guide to Sources, Statistical Abstract of the United States. 1990, 110th edition. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. Table 101, “Legal Abortions, By Selected Characteristics: 1973 to 1985.” Also: Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI) annual reports.
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