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Induced Abortion Ratio
An induced abortion is an intentional termination of pregnancy with the
intention other than to produce a live born infant or to remove a dead fetus.
In 1996, there were 6,082 such procedures reported to have been performed on
Arkansas residents.
An Induced Abortion Ratio is calculated by dividing the number of induced
abortions by the number of live births. The Induced Abortion Ratio = (6,082 /
36,356) X 100 = 16.7 induced abortions per 100 live births. The comparable
U.S. figure in 1995 was 31.1.
The number of Arkansas residents having induced abortions done in other states
is a relatively small proportion of the total. However, for some of the
border counties, the number may be significant. In 1996, data on induced
abortions were exchanged with five of the six immediately adjacent states;
these included Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and, for the first
time, Texas. Data were not received from Louisiana, however. The reader
should exercise caution, therefore, in the interpretation of induced abortion
ratios for counties along the Louisiana border. It should also be noted that
while data were received from the state of Texas, the data were not broken
down by county of residence of the patient. The 95 induced abortions
performed in Texas on Arkansas residents will, therefore, be counted only in
the state total and not in the totals for ADH health management areas or in
the county totals. Caution should, therefore, also be used in interpreting
data for counties near the Texas state line and for Health Management Area 5.
The map of induced abortion ratios shows a very different pattern than that of
the other indicators. The counties with the highest induced abortion ratios
tend to be most heavily concentrated in the central part of the state.
Pulaski County has the highest average ratio for the five-year period at 32.4
induced abortions for every 100 live births. The county with the lowest
average induced abortion ratio is Miller County at 2.5. However, this county
is near Texas and Louisiana, the two states for which we do not have complete
reporting on induced abortions.
Area 8 had the highest induced abortion ratio, by far, of the ten ADH Health
Management Areas, with a ratio of 30.5. This is clearly a result of the very
large population impact that Pulaski County exerts on the Area ratio. The
lowest Induced Abortion Ratio was in Area 5 at 7.2. This may be due to the
close proximity to Texas and Louisiana.
As with the other indicators, there are differences by race for induced
abortions. The average induced abortion ratio for the five-year period was
14.9 for Whites and 24.2 for Blacks.
An examination of the state data from 1991 through 1995 indicates a steady
decline in the Arkansas induced abortion ratio. In 1996, however, the ratio
remained at the 1995 level of 16.7. National data indicate a steady decrease
in the U.S. abortion ratio from 1987 through 1995.
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