Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released its annual abortion numbers in August, this time for 2021 and the first half of 2022.
In a welcome development for pro-lifers, abortions in the Beaver State dropped from 6,991 in 2020 to 6,577 in 2021. Unsurprisingly, women from Multnomah County accounted for the vast majority (2,068), with Washington and Marion counties coming in at a distant second and third (844 and 646, respectively).
OHA also released abortion numbers for January through June of 2022. The figures and graphs show a sad reality: in the first half of 2022, exactly 3,300 abortions were performed — a time period taking place almost entirely before the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision on June 24 (see page 1). This means that Oregonians and out-of-state “abortion tourists” who come to Oregon to obtain abortions are on par to surpass last year’s abortion numbers in 2022.
Echoing a national trend, the percentage of chemical or medication abortions (via the “abortion pill” or RU-486) in Oregon continued its steady ascent. Of the nearly 7,000 unborn children who were aborted in 2020, more than 4,100 were by chemical abortion. Though the vast majority of those were aborted in the first trimester using the fatal cocktail of pills, 11 of the abortions were performed at 23 weeks and beyond — a point at which the child can survive outside the womb with intervention.
The abortion pill comes with a host of well-documented risks, including severe abdominal pain, septic shock and death. Additionally, there is also the reality of delivering the dead fetus, often in isolation.
“It is remarkable to see the decline in reported abortions here in Oregon. I know the dedicated efforts of pro-life advocates have contributed to more mothers choosing life,” says Oregon Right to Life’s executive director Lois Anderson. “It is important for pro-life Oregonians to be aware of these trends in order to effectively offer pregnant women true compassion and assistance while acknowledging and valuing the life inside them.”
