ABORTION SERVICES IN THE UNITED-STATES, 1991 AND 1992

According to a survey by The Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1, 529, 000 ab ortions were performed in 1992, the lowest number of abortions since 1 979. The abortion rate has gradually declined, from a high of 29 per 1 ,000 women of reproductive age in 1981 to 26 per 1,000 in 1992. The nu mber of hospitals, clinics and physicians' offices that provide aborti ons-2,380 in 1992-has been declining at a rate of about 65 a year. Mos t of the decline has occurred among hospitals; the number providing ab ortions decreased by 18% between 1988 and 1992. Most US. counties (84% ) have no known abortion provider, and in nonmetropolitan areas, 94% o f counties have no provider Among metropolitan areas, 33% have either no abortion provider or none that serves at least 50 women per year Am ong states, North Dakota and South Dakota have only one provider each. Most abortions (69%) are performed in abortion clinics, and only 7% a re performed in hospitals. Fewer than 1% of women who have an abortion are hospitalized for the procedure.