Are there really 3,700 abortions each day in the U.S.?
If you walked along Sheridan Road today, you probably noticed hundreds of tiny American flags lining the sidewalk, with signs declaring that there are 3,700 abortions each day. Today is the 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as the signs also note. In today’s Daily, two students from Northwestern Students for Life, the group that put up the flags and signs, make the case that fetuses deserve protection. So are there really that many abortions in the United States?
Just about. Nationally, there are about 1.3 million abortions each year, which works out to 3,562 abortions each day, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. That number was based on this report. The New York Times cites a similar figure.
That’s down from a high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990.
The annual, creepily-titled “Abortion Surveillance” study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports fewer abortions in recent years — 848,163 in 2003. But three states declined to provide their numbers to the CDC: New Hampshire, West Virginia and California. In California alone, there was an estimated 236,000 abortions in 2000, which would help would explain why the CDC’s numbers are so low in comparison.
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I realy think that abortion is wrong. If your mother didnt kill you when you were a baby then youn should not take the time to kill one yourself. It is really not the babys fault for coming to this world. You should at least give it up for abortion.
Estrella
March 19, 2008 at 10:19 am
I wouldn’t normally point out a typo, but yours is very, very glaring, Estrella.
Steven
March 19, 2008 at 3:27 pm
How can someone take the time and go to the doctor to kill a child of there own when they can simply take an give it up for adoption and it have a new and good life that people can except them into. i think that it is so wrong to have an abortion.
Caitlin
April 28, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Caitlin: an hour and a half is a hell of a lot shorter than 9 months.
S
April 28, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Kristeen, I like – nay, love – sex and and if that makes me a slut, so be it. Regardless, I’ve never had an abortion. Why? I was taught comprehensive reproductive health education and know how to use contraception properly. When I can have my children on my OWN terms, rather than someone else’s, I promise that I will be a wonderful mother. Thanks for your concern!
Samantha (formerly known as S)
June 10, 2008 at 8:37 am
an hour and a half is also a lot shorter than 18 years of financial and emotional commitment.
and kristeen, as for the adoption argument – if every aborted pregnancy was carried to term, there would be another 1.5 million unwanted children in the US. given that the current foster care system is horribly overburdened as it is, do you REALLY think it’s realistic to expect that all of these kids will find loving homes? how many children out of those 1.5 million will you adopt?
Emily
June 10, 2008 at 11:02 am
Emily,
Did you ever stop to think about those kids that get aborted each day? Did you ever stop to think that even though there are many unwanted children, that those unborn children should have a chance to live? To at least have a CHANCE, even though that chance is a small margin? I think they should. It was the mother’s fault, the mother’s choice to let it happen, and then you want to kill a baby just so the mother is comfortable? Just so she is happy? I think that she should suffer through that pregnancy, so that the baby doesn’t have to suffer murder!
Lauren
June 28, 2008 at 6:39 pm
The abortion issue is listed under the heading of “politics” when we all know that it is a moral issue stemming from a lack of the fear of God, or the realization of His greatness. God will never take away our right to choose, but we will be held responsible by Him for the chooses we make.
George Affeldt
July 18, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Answer these following ?’s.
Would you consider abortion in the following 4 situations?
1. There’s a preacher and wife who are very, very, poor. They already have 14 kids. Now she finds out she’s pregnant with the 15th. They’re living in tremendous poverty. Considering their poverty and the excessive world population, would you consider recommending she get an abortion?
2. The father is sick with sniffles, the mother has TB. They have 4 children. 1st is blind, 2nd is deaf, 3rd is deaf, 4th has TB. She finds she’s pregnant again. Given the extreme situation, would you consider recommending abortion?
3. A white man raped a 13 year old black girl and she got pregnant. If you were her parents, would you consider recommending abortion?
4. A teenage girl is pregnant. She’s not married. Her fiancé is not the father of the baby, and he’s very upset. Would you consider recommending abortion?
In the first case, you have just killed John Wesley one of the great evangelists in the 19th century.
In the second case, you have killed Beethoven.
In the third case, you have killed Ethel Waters, the great black gospel singer.
If you said yes to the fourth case, you have just committed the murder of Jesus Christ!!!
Oh and by the way Emily more children are adopted out of the country cause the people here are on waiting lists for over 10 years cause there ain’t enough children to be adopted in the U.S.
Oh and for thoses who say that a baby is not considered a baby until there born you’re wrong it even says in the bible when mary went to see her cousin when they were both pregnant John the baptist who was mary’s cousins baby jumped in her womb! Oh and it is considered murder to kill an unborn child…
“There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him:
haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood, <See?
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.”
[Proverbs 6:16-19]
There you have it!
Chantel
August 14, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Chantal–that was amazing. Thank you so much for writing that, it honestly left me speechless!!
I am 100% pro-life and would never consider abortion for myself or my future daughter(s) any day. If I am unable to care for the child at the time, I will definitely place my child for adoption.
Kaitlin
September 12, 2008 at 12:03 am
I just figured it out…
since the start of the Iraq Battle in the war on terrorism…
7,202,364 babies have died…due to abortion.
Using the figure above of 3562/day
Where is the outrage against abortionists that is being heard against the battle to free Iraq?
Kevin
October 2, 2008 at 7:16 am
All of you keep talking about abortions… and how adoption is so hard.. 9 months this ….18 years that… how about STOP HAVING UNPROTECTED SEX!!!!!!!! so 15 minutes in the sack is ok thats great… so .. you can just KILL A BABY!??? What is wrong with you people… ??
HOLY CRAP! did any of you finish high school?? did you take the little bus?? stop having unprotected sex!!!!… be responsible, is this day in age, where we have so many ways to stop a woman from getting pregnant, we still keep on geting into unwanted pregnancies?? Its called responisibility! If you are responsible engough to open your legs or pull out your junk you should be responsible enough to protect yourself and protect the life you may create! … and as for the preacher… ITS CALLED PULL THE F&%K OUT!!!!!!!!
I dont even believe in god, yet I am a republican.. becasue I beleive in self reliance and self responsibility! Get a grip! Learn to take care of yourself and be mroe responsible! close your legs, its sex… not rocket science.. pull out or better yet.. .. here it comes.. its genious… slap a F&@KING condom on.. theyre like .89 friggen cents!!! friggen stupid morons! STOP KILLING BABIES! O wait.. you dont think they are babies?? HAHAHAHa.. look here… tell me thats not a baby! … dammit!
http://www.youtube.com/v/fgfqqcxTqMI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs
MIKE NY
October 9, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I didnt read chantel’s comments all the way throguh.. I made a remark in my above statement about the “preacher one”… I read it now.. my sincery apologies… great story! thank you Chantel.. next time I will read things in their entirty before referencing them…. see this is how we learn.. we see people have sex.. and make baby.. and we know people who use protection and have sex.. make no baby… this is learning.. YAY!
MIKE NY
October 9, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I think it’s not right to have a abortion. It is wrong because it’s just like killing a unborn baby!!!!!
tiffany
October 21, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Did anyone ever realise abortion is human sacrifice, any nation ever practicing that was wiped out by the hand of God, exterminated.
God says he knew us before we were in the womb and that he knit us together, if that doesn’t sound like a baby has a soul your blind and ignorant. Remember when you tear apart a unborn baby your tearing apart a human God designed in the likeness of himself.
Open your eyes foolish nation, I thought America was convicted on this, obviously not with the choice of election.
Tammy
November 8, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I’m 17 years old! I’ve been against abortion since I’ve ever know what it is and reading some of these comments gave me more of a reason to argue with people that want i really like the way Mike put his and Chantel that was amazing and anyone that thinks its a womens choice please think again look in to it before any of you think about murdering a little baby its not their fault you got knocked up!
Brianna
November 12, 2008 at 9:15 pm
im against abortion & while reading these post it made me think of something. one argument i hear is we keep abortion legal so that woman dont go into ‘back alleys’ to get abortion because that risks the womans life.. WHY is her life worth more than the baby she created?
tasha
November 25, 2008 at 1:01 am
Does anyone believe in waiting until you are married to have sex anymore? Have we as a society completely thrown those values out the window? Consider this, if you waited until you were married to have sex, you would’nt have any diseases nor would your partner and if you did concieve a child, it would be out of love, and most likey would be welcomed into the family. It takes all of the problems we see stemming from rampid sex out of the equation. Don’t you think it was set up that way for a reason? Chastity, we should revisit that and learn some self control. Don’t you think?
Julie L.
December 3, 2008 at 12:18 am
The purpose in sex is to unite two people in love and create new life. That is why it is wrong to have sex before marriage. I do not believe in abortion because that is killing an innocent human being. I’m 15 and if I would ever get pregnant before I’m married or when I’m still in school, I would never abort my baby. I would get very humiliated from being pregnant but I dont care.. I would never kill God’s child and much less, mine. And if it would ever come to the point where I was gonna die because of the baby in me, I would not kill the baby, I would rather die for it.
Carly
February 11, 2009 at 9:58 am
since when do so many high schoolers read NBN?
Drelllz
February 11, 2009 at 11:56 am
Actually, Im writing a paper on abortion so i was seeing how many babies are aborted each year in the US and it took me to this website. Is there a problem with that?
Carly
February 12, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Abortion is not only selfish, it’s wrong on so many levels. It’s not a matter of choice, it’s a matter of life and death. If you’re going to have sex, whatever that’s your business. Just have the decency to use condoms–they’re free for pete’s sake.
Read this. I have yet to hear a single irrefutable pro-choice argument. What, rape? Statistically, out of the thousands of abortions performed each day and millions performed every year, 2% of those are in cases of rape. Feminists, this is a policy battle that has cost the lives of your children and 1/3 of MY generations. Step up to the plate and explain yourselves. This IS NOT a matter of a religion. Anyone that has 10% of the morally endowed to human-beings would not deny life to an unborn, perfectly healthy child. Your child. My only hope is that those who have committed abortions wake up one night, in cold sweat, and realize that despite the fact that their parents gave them a chance at life, they deprived that same opportunity to their children.
http://www.nrlc.org/News_and_Views/Feb09/nv020909.html
On January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade legalized abortion during all 9 months of pregnancy.
In 2000 alone, 1.3 million pregnancies were terminated by abortions.
Source: The Alan Guttmacher Institute
Within 4 weeks of conception, an embryo’s heart beats with its own blood.
Source: Keith L. Moore, The Developing Human, 4th ed.. (Philadelphia,: W.B. Saunders Co., 1988), p. 3, 29.
Within 6 weeks of conception, the brain waves of an embryo can be recorded.
Source: Hannibal Hamlin, M.D., “Life or Death by EEG,” Journal of the American Medical Association (October 12, 1964), p. 113.
Within 7 weeks of conception, an embryo has a complete set of fingers and toes.
Source: Sharon Begley with John Carey, “How Human Life Begins,” Newsweek, January 1, 1982, p. 46.
Within 8 weeks of conception, a fetus is able to hear.
Source: Hannibal Hamlin, M.D., “Life or Death by EEG,” Journal of the American Medical Association (October 12, 1964), p. 113.
Within 10 weeks of conception, a fetus can grasp objects placed in his hand.
Source: Sharon Begley with John Carey, “How Human Life Begins,” Newsweek, January 1, 1982, p. 46.
Most abortions occur between 7 to 10 weeks after conception* for elective, non-medical reasons.**
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
** Source: Aida Torres and J.D. Forrest, “Why Do Women Have Abortions?” Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 20, No.4 (July/August 1988). P. 170
- From NU Students for Life
John Lee
February 12, 2009 at 5:36 pm
abortion is wrong, you are totally right, I don’t care what anyone says. abortion is the killing of an innocent life. I am pro-life. I have a child of my own, and he is going to be two in september, and I am 17. he is my world. I don’t know what I would do without him, I wouldn’t of cared how old I was when I had him, no thought of abortion went through my head, and I hope that everone out there that has had or is going to get an abortion thinks about it everyday because it is the wrong thing to do. you shouldn’t have opened your legs if you didn’t want to have the the posibility of responsiblity.
brittni
March 18, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Think for a moment:
If you did NOT want to have an abortion, do you think the federal government should have the right to force you to have one?
I think most people’s response would be, of course not!
Let’s keep the federal government off of womens’ bodies.
Whether you are against abortion or for abortion- that is YOUR choice. It is your body, YOU make that choice. Don’t let the government interfere with your right to choose!
That’s why I support Roe v. Wade.
HC
March 19, 2009 at 1:38 am
The grammar and spelling here is atrocious and makes me question the intelligence behind many of these arguments.
Duran
March 19, 2009 at 3:12 am
Should a girl who made the choice to have sex for fun have the choice kill the consequence of that choice? Everything thing that we do, wether Good or bad, has a consequence. We must man up to what we do and not take an easy exit. All who abort a baby live with the guilt of killing that baby for the rest of their life and all woman I have talked to who had one wish they could take it back. They think about that baby on holidays and times at the park. It’s one thing to loose a baby when you want it. That’s hard but you didn’t do it and there is no shame on you but it’s another thing to choose to kill. When a heart is beating and you stop it then you kill what the heart came from (human baby). Heart beats 4 to 5 weeks into pregnancy. All those babies were alive and had a heart beat. We stop 3700 hearts everyday. How can we think that a baby inside a mom, even full-term, remains ok to kill even though if it was separated from the mom it would be fine to live on its own? I think abortion at anytime is killing. The baby, when it is first being formed, is as alive as our own blood. We don’t think it is ok to put poison in our blood do we? NO! Why? Because if our blood, which has life in it, begins to die then we die. And we are not ok with that. You should all watch the silent scream on You tube and see what a baby does when an abortion happens. It will open your eyes even more to the brutality of where our nation is at in this moral issue at this time. We are murderers everyday, all day, and have become numb. All of you who know that this is wrong you have a responsibility to be a voice for the voiceless. If you don’t help then who will. Don’t think you are too young or that you don’t know enough to influence all the people around you. Those babies deserve all of us working hard for them. Don’t let yourself get numb. Don’t do that please. Start change in this world. William Wilberforce abolished slavery. One man. We can do something about this too. It might take time but time well spent it will be. Don’t just watch and think it’s wrong, do something to make it right. You people who believe in God and pray, be an answer to your prayers. God told us to be salt and light in this dark land. He has to use someone so why not you. He’ll give you the strength and wisdom. This doesn’t mean that you wont want to give up and that it wont get hard but all people who changed history went through crap for it. I believe that I only have one life to live to leave a mark on history and eternity either for good or bad. I also believe in heaven so suffering on this earth for 70 years to bring justice to injustices doesn’t seem like a big deal when you look at it through that grid of thinking. There is a heaven waiting but we live in a fallen world and those who know God know the One who came to redeem all the crap that’s in the world but we are part of that plan of redemption. He is partnering with us so don’t wait and sit back while the world that He loves gets worse. I guess that’s all for now. Didn’t mean to get preachy. Just trying to inspire you all to work with me. Thanks for reading
Angela
March 20, 2009 at 2:32 am
This is sick. Whats wrong with people these days????
Steve
March 24, 2009 at 10:45 pm
I dont know. Some people have major problems.
Carly
April 7, 2009 at 9:49 am
Hi. My name is Alyssa, as you can see. I am a teen who knows people who have been prego. and they were my age. i am 15. Some people may think i am too young. but i know what yall are talking about. Abortion is wrong because killing inncoent babies is almost killing your other half. you might as well keep them since they have been there for 9 months (not tryinhg to be rude.) babies are god’s beautiful creatures and God loves us and wants us to live out the life he died for us with. God has given so many miracles to us and miracles such as guiding people through abortion problems. please consider not doing aborition. so many people have done it and have killed inncoent children. please please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God loves us. and he has died for us on the cross. he has suffered all the pain that is yet to come. he suffered all the problems we have right now and in the future on the cross and now he wants us to live as his children. and that includes the children that are persucted for nothing. thanks.
Alyssa
April 7, 2009 at 9:53 am
And yes, Carly. people havve problems these days. and need God’s help.
Alyssa
April 7, 2009 at 9:55 am
Excuse my language.
Carly
April 7, 2009 at 9:58 am
Carly, there is no need for cursing. We should be all equal and should not have to curse at the people who have made mistakes. Carly, let’s calm down on the cursing. But God forgives, just as he forgives anyone with anything they have done wrong.
I love you too, Grouch.
Alyssa
April 7, 2009 at 10:00 am
Alyssa, dont act like you’re perfect in front of everybody. Silly!
But yeah yall, excuse my language. I didnt mean it! I would delete it but it wont let me. I was doing it as a joke to my friend here, ALYSSA:)
BUT YES! CHOOSE PRO LIFE!!!
thanks:)
Carly
April 7, 2009 at 10:02 am
Carly, I am trying to be professional here. i want people to actually listen to me for once regard my age.
Carly, you have no right to be yelling at me or the people.
love ya gir! :)
Alyssa
April 7, 2009 at 10:04 am
hahahaha, dont let her get to yall.
Carly
April 7, 2009 at 10:05 am
no seriously carly. this is not a joking matter,
please bless her. she needs it,
she has got some problemos.
Alyssa
April 7, 2009 at 10:06 am
alyssa, im sitting right next to you in computer at school!
dont start with me!
Carly
April 7, 2009 at 10:24 am
ladies and gentlemen she has no idea what she is talking about, please excuse her.
Alyssa
April 7, 2009 at 10:25 am
i think that abortion is VERY wrong….my sister just had a baby last year and the baby is SOOOO cute…..how could you do that to a LIVING person just because they are not fully developed doesnt mean that it’s not living…i am doing an essay on this and i hope people will learn to STOP CARING FOR THEMSELVES AND CARE FOR OTHER PEOPLE….if you want to talk to me more email me at cheygirl45@hotmail.com
Cheyenne
April 15, 2009 at 11:23 am
You guys are so right ,abortion is murder. I understand it’s really important in dire consenquences ,but come on ,let the baby live.I don’t mean to sound horrible or barbaric but doctors who do abortions shold have a hand cut off and the girls should have to pay a fine.
Stella
May 19, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Avevo un’amica che ha avuto tre aborti in quattro anni. Ha avuto il suo primo aborto quando aveva quindici anni. Non lo so quanti aborti ha avuto adesso. Ma dovrebbero essere moltissimi. Moltissimi, moltissimi.
Sydney
May 19, 2009 at 10:06 pm
For alll of you who go to church…..believe in God ….believe that Jesus Christ is our savior…..then stop and think for a minute….
What would Jesus do???????
Would God really say to us its okay its your decision….Our creator who breathed life into us all……would God really side with the thinking that abortion is your choice and go ahead and kill that innocent life inside you that you.
GOD would say,
I commanded you not to kill….For I said Thou shall not kill….Your minds and hearts are flooded with the devils doings and ways ….NOT my way..I am your God and there are no other Gods before me….I gave you the ten commandments to follow….I did not give you authority over me to make your own….
At conception I give you a soul to feed and nourish for 9 months and to love and cherish forever….when you abort this baby that I give to you ….you are damning your life forever…come to me and I will give you the knowledge the way the truth….do not be fooled by the its alll about ME world….for that is the devil trying to take you away from me..Its is the devil that wants to damn your salvation..I give you free will….you alll have a choice…..would you really rather be goat than a sheep…..Know I love you all and want you all to be sheeps…..
My Love for you is neverending come to me alll of you who are burdened and I will give you rest….I will open your eyes and your heart so we may all dwell in my house for all eternity…..
Stay with me …..Preach my word ….Stand up for me your GOD forever and ever….
AMEN
Camille Kazmierczak
September 6, 2009 at 8:07 am
I just want to say thank you to all of you who are standing up for LIFE! You all blessed me so much.
Each one of those children (and I do mean children, not “blobs of tissue”)was made in God’s image, formed by his hands. How can our country kill 3,700 each day without batting an eye. Thirty seven thousand. One death is devastating. We all mourn the Holocaust, 911, Iran. I don’t mean to put down any one of these events, because they all were horrible, and I pray that these things will never happen again. But there were 11 million killed in the Holocaust, 2,900 in 911, but look at how many we have lost from abortion. Over 49 MILLION. Forty nine million little, innocent children killed, just because their parents were to busy to care. And we are supposed to be living in the land of the free, the home of the brave. Where is the justice in that? To you who support abortion, I don’t hate you as a person, in fact I pray for you, that you would come to understand the error, and get a relationship with Christ, but I can say that I do possitivly HATE what you are doing. Think of how many people we would have know, if only that teenage girl had made a different choice 15-20 years ago. By the way, I’m only 14. Yes, we kids have our opinions. All you have just read was my own veiws, not my parents, teachers,pastors. If I am old enough to HAVE an abortion, I think I should get some say in it. Thanks Again, and God Bless You.
ChildOfTheKing
October 12, 2009 at 6:16 pm