The Tullahoma News rounds up some figures on abortion in Tennessee in a story that begins by noting 12 years have passed since the state Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee’s Constitution gives women stronger rights to abortion than does the U.S. Constitution.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, 14 percent of pregnancies in the state ended in abortion in the five-year period between 2006-2010.
More than 67,000 abortions were performed in Tennessee compared to 417,000 births during that time period. Statistics show the largest percentage of abortions occurred in girl’s ages 10-14, with 33 percent of those pregnancies ending in abortion.
The Tennessee Department of Health released figures that break down the total number of abortions performed by age and race.
According to the state’s figures, women ages 20-24 (from 2006-2010) had the highest number of abortions. More than 22,000 abortions were performed in this age group. It should be noted this age group also had the highest number of births.
Tennessee ranks 13th (excluding California) when it comes to abortions. Neighboring state North Carolina has a higher abortion rate, and Alabama and Kentucky aren’t far behind Tennessee.
According to Steven Emmert, chief operating officer with Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee, there will always be a need for abortion services due to unavoidable circumstances.