Abortion and maternal health: an American perspective.

It was decided to legalize abortion in the U.S.A. in 1973. Since then the national abortion ratio has increased from 180 per 1000 to 272 per 1000; the fertility rate has decreased from 73.4 to 66.7. In 65% of the induced abortions the women were under 26 years of age, and in 74% they were unmarried; the number of out-of-state abortions decreased from 43.8% to 10.8%. The mortality rate related to induced abortion has clearly been improved by the legalization of abortion; the best method seems to be the suction and D & C procedures, which are associated with a 1.6 per 100,000 death risk, while childbirth is associated with an 8.2 per 100,000 mortality rate. The long-term effect of legal abortion on the subsequent reproductive function is unknown, but at present there is no evidence of any detrimental effect.