Abortion Services in the United States, 1987 and 1988

A 1989 survey by The Alan Guttmacher Institute shows that 1.6 million abortions were performed in the United States in 1988, a number that has remained relatively unchanged since 1980. More than 98 percent of abortions in 1987-1988 were performed in metropolitan areas. Although 51 percent of metropolitan counties have no provider of abortion services, 93 percent of nonmetropolitan counties are without a provider. The lack of abortion services in nonmetropolitan areas has been intensified by a 13 percent reduction since 1985 in the number of hospitals that offer abortion services. The number of nonhospital facilities providing abortion services increased by four percent, however, and specialized clinics provided 64 percent of all abortions performed in 1988.