We commonly hear abortion supporters insist that the decision should be made in “a private discussion between a woman and her doctor.”   In reality, the picture of a woman having a compassionate dialogue with a physician who knows her medical history and with whom she has a personal relationship is not what usually occurs.   Most women have abortions done by doctors whom they have never met and will likely never see again.

Many of these abortions are done in mega-clinics.   According to a recent Alan Guttmacher Institute study, over 80 percent of the abortions performed annually in the U.S. are done by 22 percent of abortion providers.   The majority (quite possibly, nearly all) of the patient visits at these facilities were for “abortion services.”   In Oregon, 94 percent of abortions are done at abortion clinics rather than in traditional doctors’ offices.

In 2005, 12 percent of the nation’s abortions took place at 20 clinics that do 5,000 abortions or more per year.   Another 380 clinics performed between 1,000 and 4,999 abortions annually.   These clinics accounted for 68 percent of all abortions.   Chemical abortions (using drugs such as RU486) are only a small proportion of the abortions done at these clinics.

There is an enormous amount of money involved in the abortion industry.   In 2006, the average price paid by a woman seeking an abortion at 10 weeks was $413.   An abortionist can easily take in thousands of dollars per day.   A clinic that performs 5,000 abortions per year can top $2 million annually.   Given that, it’s not surprising to see abortion promoters such as Planned Parenthood building mega-clinics in Chicago, Sarasota and Denver - a trend that is expected to continue.