State: Abortions in Missouri decrease by 9.4 percent

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According to newly released information from the Missouri Department of Health, Missouri women had 1,019 fewer abortions in 2010 than in the previous year -- a 9.4 percent decline.

The Missouri Catholic Conference, public policy agency of the state's bishops, stated that the decrease represented the fewest number of abortions performed in Missouri since 1973.

In addition, the Catholic Conference reported that Planned Parenthood of St. Louis, now the only active abortion provider in the state, had a net loss of more than a half-million dollars and cut payments to its abortion doctors by almost one-sixth.

"This good news is due to the valiant efforts of God's people who pray for an end to abortion, witness to life outside abortion clinics, work in pregnancy resource centers and maternity homes, and work to pass pro-life legislation regulating abortion and to provide funding for the Alternatives-to-Abortion program," a statement from the Catholic Conference noted.

"We get caught up in numbers and statistics all the time. We must remember the lives behind these statistics. We pray for the 9,796 babies that were lost to abortion in 2010 and the mothers and families that have to deal with those losses," said Carl Landwehr, president of Vitae Foundation. "At the same time, we are grateful for the lives that were saved from abortion."

During 2010, Vitae conducted eight campaigns in Missouri directing women to positive abortion alternatives at a number of pregnancy help centers. There were indoor billboards in St. Louis, outdoor billboards in Kansas City/Lee's Summit, billboards and bus ads in St. Joseph, radio ads in Springfield, television ads in Central Missouri, print ads in The ADD Sheet in Columbia, radio ads on the statewide Mizzou Sports Network and Internet ads promoting YourOptions.com in Mid-Missouri.

The 9,796 abortions performed on Missouri women in 2010 marks the first time these numbers were below 10,000 since 1973, the year Roe vs. Wade was decided. The peak year was 1980 when 21,671 Missouri women had abortions. The one-year 9.4 percent reduction was greater than the decrease in the five previous years combined (down 8.9 percent from 2004-2009).

Kansas health officials report that the number of Missouri girls under 18 crossing state lines to get abortions there dropped almost 20 percent from 2009 to 2010.

Reproductive Health Services (RHS) of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri -- currently the only abortion clinic performing surgical abortions in the state -- had fewer abortion patients. RHS/Planned Parenthood's annual reports indicate that for the year ending June 30, 2010, it had 603 fewer abortions compared to the year before – down almost 10 percent.

Sam Lee, director of Campaign Life Missouri, credited the more than 1,000 babies saved from abortion to five factors: The 56 Pregnancy Help Centers and 14 maternity homes and agencies that provide concrete assistance to pregnant moms in need; ongoing pro-life educational efforts from groups such as Vitae Foundation; public, prayerful witness, such as the 40 Days for Life participants; new pro-life laws that make it harder for Missouri clinics to perform abortions; and prayer.

For the Missouri Department of Health report, see http://stlou isreview.com/1Gs.