What to know about Ohio abortions: Who, where, when and more

A leaked draft of a U.S. Supreme Court opinion indicates that Roe v. Wade could be overturned.

But what would the loss of the landmark case mean for Ohioans? And who would be most impacted?

This news organization took a closer look at the most recent state data available, providing a window into the current status of abortion and who might be most impacted.

How many

If an overturned Roe. v. Wade led to an Ohio abortion ban (as pending state legislation proposes), it would impact thousands of women each year seeking abortions in the state.

There were 20,605 induced abortions in Ohio in 2020, according to the latest annual report by Ohio Department of Health.

This includes 19,438 abortions obtained by Ohio residents (94.3%). While there was an increase in 2020, there has been a steady decline in terminations over the last two decades.

Who

The majority of patients who received abortions were in their 20s (59.2%).

Residents who received an abortion in Ohio were most likely to be Black (48.1%), with white residents not far behind (43.8%).

About 77.4% of patients reported they were not Hispanic while 4.6% reported they were Hispanic, though a significant portion (17.9%) didn’t report either category.

About 86% of women with known marital status who obtained abortions were never married, divorced, or widowed.

About 38% of women who received an Ohio abortion that year reported a high school degree or GED as their highest level of education. The second most common education level was some college but no degree (22.4%).

When

The overwhelming majority of women who received an abortion in Ohio in 2020 were in the first trimester.

Most women who received an abortion in 2020 in Ohio were under nine weeks pregnant (62.3%). Another 25% were nine to 12 weeks pregnant.

Where

The number of abortion clinics in the state has been declining in recent years, consolidating the sites where they occur.

A little more than 13% of abortions in Ohio occurred in Montgomery County in 2020.

Residents receiving abortions lived across the state.

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