Kansas abortion numbers drop to lowest in 25 years

In the state of Kansas, abortions dropped by around 5.4 percent in 2012, according to the Department of Health and Environment. According to the Associated Press, pro-life and pro-choice advocates are pointing to tougher abortion restrictions under Republican Governor Sam Brownback. Brownback took office in January 2011.

The executive director for Kansans for Life says the decrease is evidence that an approach supported by the group to implement laws incrementally is working. According to Mary Kay Culp, “this is good news for women and unborn babies.” The group has encouraged lawmakers to avoid enacting legislation that is more likely to end up in court battles. Culp believes that the work of crisis pregnancy centers is helping with the decline of abortion numbers.

According to the health department, 7,457 abortions were reported in 2012. That is down by 428 from the 7,885 reported by doctors in 2011. The highest year was in 2001, when doctors reported 12,422 abortions, and the lowest year was 1987, when only 6,409 abortions were reported. However, that was before medical facilities were required to report abortions.

And while pro-choice advocates such as Elise Higgins, a lobbyist for the National Organization for Women, say laws in Kansas have “decreased” women’s “ability to get the health care they need,” pro-life Kansans such as Mary Kay Culp continue to believe that the pro-life Kansas laws are savings lives by helping to lower the number of abortions.