Indiana Abortion Ban Will Save Thousands of Babies When It Goes Into Effect
Multiple factors that could have been avoided transformed Indiana into an abortion destination state in 2022, said Indiana Right to Life president and chief executive officer Mike Fichter.
Data reported by the Indiana Department of Health last Friday shows that nonresident abortions were up significantly in 2022, with more babies aborted in Indiana than a decade ago, and more pregnant mothers experiencing abortion-procedure complications – including one death.
Fichter said the rise in nonresident abortions was a confluence of several factors.
“This was the result of abortion-industry hysteria, pre-emptive pro-life laws in Ohio and Kentucky that went into effect upon the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the time it took for Indiana’s legislation to pass, and judicial activism blocking Indiana’s new law from being in effect,” said Fichter. “Together this combination of actions doomed Indiana to become an abortion destination state. This is exactly what we warned would happen, and it did.”
IDOH’s report indicates 9,529 abortions were performed in Indiana in 2022, the largest annual number since 2010 when the state reported 10,031 abortions. The majority of abortions in 2022 were performed at Indiana abortion clinics, with nearly half (4,717) of those abortions conducted at Planned Parenthood locations.
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More than 50 abortions were reported to be conducted at Indiana University Health locations, including IU Health Methodist Hospital (5 abortions), IU Health Riley Hospital for Children (32 abortions) and IU Health University Hospital (14 abortions). Additionally, 60 abortions were reported to be conducted at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, along with several other hospitals.
“Sadly, the 2022 reported abortion complications increased by 600% over the number of abortion complications reported in 2021,” said Fichter. “Abortion is traumatic to women – mentally, emotionally, and the State’s latest report underscores abortion presents real life-threatening complications as well.”
State data showed 100 reported abortion complications in 2022, including one death, uterine perforation, incomplete abortions (retained tissue), and cervical laceration. A concerning 72% of reported abortion complications were specific to medical abortions, in which Mifepristone and Misoprostol were listed as the abortion drugs used in 53 reported complications overall.
In the first quarter of 2023, a total of 28 abortion complications were reported in Indiana, including 20 related to medical abortions (which makes up 71% of reported complications). Mifepristone and Misoprostol were cited as the drugs used in 16 of the reported complications.
Out of State Abortions Soared in 2022 — ‘Essentially, Open Borders on Abortion’
IDOH data shows between January and June 2022, an average of 76 abortions in Indiana were conducted per month (456 total) on nonresidents. However, when Roe v. Wade was overturned and surrounding states activated pro-life legislation to restrict abortions, Indiana’s abortion rates soared. Comparatively, data shows that in July 2022, nonresident abortions spiked to 404 for that month alone, nearly the entire total for the previous six months combined. From July through September 2022, nonresident abortions averaged 348 per month, mostly from women traveling from Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee.
Following the injunction of Ohio’s law in September, Indiana averaged 108 nonresident abortions from October through December 2022. Nonresident abortions increased to an average of 128 nonresident abortions per month in the first quarter of 2023, mostly from Kentucky.
Indiana resident abortions dropped to the lowest mark since 2019 in the first quarter of 2023, contributing to a reduction in total abortions compared to recent years.
“Last year was, essentially, open borders on abortion, despite the will of millions of loving and compassionate Hoosiers represented in the passage of SEA 1,” said Fichter. “We are hopeful the recent Indiana Supreme Court ruling ends this exploitation by abortion businesses in Indiana. Each day the law remains inactive, is another day where Indiana becomes the final and fatal destination for unborn babies.”
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