Friday , October 4, 2002

A story released today by the Copley New Service reports that abortions in Illinois increased by slightly more than 1 percent in 2001, compared with 2000, when the total number of abortions dropped to its lowest level since 1973.

Pregnant girls and women obtained 46,546 abortions statewide in 2001, compared with 45,884 abortions in 2000 — an increase of 622, according to figures released this week by the state Department of Public Health.

"It's such a slight increase," said Pam Sutherland, chief executive of the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, which supports abortion rights. "The nice thing is, it's still staying steady, which says to me that family planning is working."

Most abortions were sought by women aged 20 to 24 — 13,314 — followed by women aged 25 to 29 — 9,388. Those numbers were similar to those reported in 2000, as was the number of girls 14 or younger seeking abortions in 2001 — 298.

At least 80 percent of the Illinois girls and women obtaining abortions in the state are unmarried, statistics show.

Sutherland attributed part of the drop in abortions in the late 1990s and in recent years to better forms of contraception. Among teen-agers and young adults, a delay in sexual activity and more consistent use of contraception have resulted in fewer unplanned pregnancies and fewer abortions, she said.

Public Health officials last year reported that there were 47,250 abortions in 2000, an increase of nearly 3 percent from 1999, but spokesman Tom Schafer said Wednesday that officials had double-counted some abortions and adjusted the number downward to 45,884.