LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In 2023, Michigan saw a significant increase in induced abortions, marking the highest number in three decades. According to the latest data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), 31,242 abortions were performed, reflecting a 3.7% rise from the previous year. This increase is part of a broader trend, with the state experiencing its seventh consecutive year of rising abortion numbers.

The information came from the state’s data report which was released online last week.

Michigan disproportionately killing Black babies with abortions.

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52.3% of the women obtaining abortions in Michigan were Black, 35% were White, with the remaining women being American Indian, Asian & Pacific Islander, Multiracial or listed as “other.”

Nationally, the numbers run a little lower than Michigan’s statistics concerning the number of Black babies who are aborted each year. The Pew Research Center says, “In the District of Columbia, New York City (but not the rest of New York) and the 31 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to the CDC, 42% of all women who had abortions in 2021 were non-Hispanic Black, while 30% were non-Hispanic White, 22% were Hispanic and 6% were of other races.”

Planned Parenthood’s 2022-2023 Annual Report says that they performed 392,715 abortions in 2021-22 (a 5% increase from the previous year) but they do not list their abortions by race – which isn’t surprising considering the ideology of their founder Margaret Sanger, who believed in eugenics.

Eugenics is a set of beliefs and practices aimed at “improving” the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, it has been associated with selective breeding, genetic screening, and other methods intended to encourage the reproduction of individuals with desirable traits and discourage or prevent the reproduction of those with undesirable traits.

The impact of abortion on the Black community.

A 2022 report from the Center for Urban Renewal and Education titled “The Impact of Abortion on the Black Community” said, “Disproportionately, the leading consumer of abortion services is the African- American female. According to the United States Census Bureau and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Abortion Surveillance Report, black women made up 15 percent of the childbearing population in 2018, yet obtained 33.6 percent of reported abortions. Black women have the highest abortion ratio in the country, with 335 abortions per 1,000 live births. Percentages at these levels illustrate that about 20 million black babies have been aborted since 1973. According to CDC, states that report abortion by ethnicity show black women disproportionately lead in the numbers.”

The report goes on to say, “The prevalence of abortion facilities within and near minority communities serves as a major contributor to the rate at which black women obtain abortions. Accordingly, black women are significantly more likely to have an abortion than white women. A 2012 study released by Protecting Black Life, an outreach of Life Issues Institute, used 2010 Census data to conclude that 79% of Planned Parenthood’s surgical abortion facilities are strategically located within walking distance of African-American and/or Hispanic communities. In 2017, Life Issues Institute analyzed Planned Parenthood’s placement of 25 new abortion mega centers and concluded that all of the facilities were within walking distance of minority neighborhoods. The Institute further stated that 80 percent target black communities.”

Michigan also seeing an Influx of out-of-state abortion patients.

A notable driver of the increase in abortions in Michigan is the influx of patients from neighboring states. Of the 31,241 abortions reported in 2023, nearly 9% (2,750) were sought by out-of-state residents, primarily from Ohio and Indiana.

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This trend began accelerating in 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which prompted several states to impose stricter abortion laws. As Michigan maintained and even strengthened its abortion access through state constitutional protections and the Reproductive Health Act, it became a sanctuary for those seeking reproductive services unavailable in their home states.

Digging into the numbers.

Taking a deeper dive into the abortion statistics in Michigan reveals the following:

  • 9 in 10 women were pregnant 12 weeks or less at the time of their abortion
  • 55% of the abortions were done by a pill
  • The largest age demographic of women obtaining abortions were 30-years-old and older
  • 27.6% of the women seeking abortions had a history of getting two or more abortions in the past
  • 81.5% of abortions were done at a freestanding or hospital site clinic
  • 97.8% of the abortions were self-pay and not through insurance
  • 247 women had complications from the abortion including hemorrhage, infection, retained products (tissue) and a failed abortion.

This is the FINAL data report.

The 2023 abortion report out of Michigan is not just significant for its numbers; it also represents the last detailed abortion report Michigan will produce as we reported previously.

The Reproductive Health Act, effective from February this year, removed the requirement for abortion clinics to report comprehensive data to the state. This change means future reports will not include detailed information such as patient demographics, gestational ages, and types of procedures performed. This decision aligns Michigan with a small group of states that do not collect such data, which has raised concerns among both advocates and opponents of abortion.

Impact on public health and safety.

Supporters of detailed data reporting argue that it provides crucial insights into the safety and quality of abortion services. For instance, tracking complications can identify clinics with higher rates of issues, thereby protecting patient safety. In contrast, the new law’s proponents argue that the detailed reporting was unnecessary and stigmatizing, claiming that the change brings abortion reporting in line with other medical procedures.

Michigan as an abortion haven.

Michigan’s role as a haven for out-of-state abortion seekers is a significant aspect of its current abortion landscape. The number of out-of-state residents seeking abortions in Michigan spiked after the fall of Roe v. Wade. While some states, such as Ohio, have since reopened access to abortion, Michigan continues to serve as an abortion tourist destination for those in restrictive states.

Michigan Democratic Governor Whitmer is protecting those patients too. In July 2022, she issued Executive Order 2022-4. This order states that Michigan will not extradite pregnant individuals who travel from other states to seek reproductive health care within Michigan. Additionally, it ensures that providers of legal abortion services in Michigan are protected from extradition to face prosecution in other states for offering reproductive health care.

Disappearing data and Its consequences.

The cessation of detailed abortion data collection has sparked debate about the future of reproductive health monitoring in Michigan. Organizations like the Guttmacher Institute and the CDC will continue to collect national data, but their reports rely on voluntary submissions and estimates, lacking the granularity previously provided by state-level data.

This shift may obscure trends and issues related to abortion access and safety in Michigan. Without comprehensive data, it will be challenging to track the true impact of the state’s role as an abortion sanctuary, the safety of procedures, and the race and demographic shifts in those seeking abortions.

Right to Life of Michigan responds.

Not long ago, Right to Life of Michigan President Amber Roseboom put out a statement about the recent court decisions concerning abortions in Michigan and the increased number of them in the state. She said, “Women who ultimately choose abortion in our state are at greater risk of harm today than they were even a year ago as abortion-obsessed Democrats systematically strip long-standing safeguards like abortion clinic health and safety regulations.”

She said about the latest abortion statistics, “The latest state abortion report compiled by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is both significant in its revelations and in that it is the last abortion report our state is required to issue. The abortion report reveals an increase in abortions coupled with a dramatic spike in abortion complications and should be of concern to anyone who truly cares about women’s health.”

As Michigan continues to navigate its complex abortion landscape, the increase in the number of abortions in the state as well as the stark racial disparities revealed by the 2023 data cannot be ignored. These numbers reflect not only the availability and accessibility of abortion services but also broader social and economic disparities.These statistics call for a critical examination of the factors driving these decisions and the urgent need for comprehensive support systems that address the root causes of such high abortion rates among Black women as well as others seeking to kill their unborn children.