polling.png

The Washington Post has assembled an interesting roundup of statistics on abortion since Roe v. Wade made it a legal right 40 years ago. It tells the tale of, among others, increasing state legal restrictions and changing demographics among women seeking to end pregnancies. Charts include the one above, tracking public opinion on abortion by Harris for the last 40 years.

Advertisement

This was most fascinating to me:

Research has found countries with more liberal abortion laws have lower abortion rates. How abortion restrictions affect abortion rates isn’t completely clear. States with fewer abortion restrictions have tended to have higher abortion rates, in part because they include women traveling from out-of-state to terminate a pregnancy.

A recent study from the Guttmacher Institute, however, questions the role of restrictions. It found that countries with more liberal abortion laws tend to have lower rates of abortion — perhaps due to factors like greater access to contraception.

That research, published in the Lancet, also found countries with more abortion restrictions to have higher rates of abortion-related deaths.

Arkansas’s legislature will deal this year with a lengthy list of proposals to make it harder to get an abortion in Arkansas.

Advertisement

50 years of fearless reporting and still going strong

Be a part of something bigger and join the fight for truth by subscribing or donating to the Arkansas Times. For 50 years, our progressive, alternative newspaper in Little Rock has been tackling powerful forces through our tough, determined, and feisty journalism. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 email subscribers, it's clear that our readers value our commitment to great journalism. But we need your help to do even more. By subscribing or donating – as little as $1 –, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be supporting our efforts to hire more writers and expand our coverage. Take a stand with the Arkansas Times and make a difference with your subscription or donation today.

Previous article AT&T buys Little Rock-based wireless carrier Next article Shorty Small’s stands big and tall for brunch