NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      ATLANTA (CWNews.com) - The number of abortions in the United States rose in 1996 for the first time since 1990, according to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Thursday.

      The CDC said there were 1,221,585 legal abortions in 1996, the latest year for which figures were available, an increase of 0.9 percent from the 1,210,883 reported in 1995. CDC epidemiologist Lisa Koonin said the increase in 1996 "may represent a leveling off in the numbers of abortions performed in this country."

      There were 314 legal abortions per 1,000 live births in 1996, a slight increase from the 1995 rate of 311 per 1,000, which was the lowest for any year since 1976. According to the report, about 55 percent of abortions in 1996 were performed during the first eight weeks of pregnancy and 88 percent occurred during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. "As in previous years, most women who obtained abortions were white and unmarried. And, as in 1995 and in years earlier, most women who receive an abortion are 19 years and older," Koonin said. "Only about one-fifth of women who receive abortions are 20 years and younger," she said.