2008-07-02 Women Say Economy Was Factor In Getting Abortions

2008-07-02 Associated Press WCCO \abortion\Minnesota http://wcco.com/health/abortions.minnesota.economy.2.762008.html Women Say Economy Was Factor In Getting Abortions Women Say Economy Was Factor In Getting Abortions  Many women who got abortions last year say the worsening economy was one of the reasons for their decision. There were 13,843 abortions performed in Minnesota in 2007. Of the women who listed a reason for their abortions, 40 percent cited economic concerns -- that's the largest share since the state started collecting detailed abortion information a decade ago, according to the state's annual abortion report. "Certainly, women's concerns about being able to support their families are important," said Sarah Stoesz, executive director of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. The cost of birth control may be another concern in a tightening economy, she said, and could lead to unplanned pregnancies. Women can list more than one reason for an abortion. The most common reason cited was that a woman did not want children at this time (10,190). Other reasons included already being a single parent (1,024) and unfulfilled educational goals (886). Ninety-eight women cited rape or incest.

&ldquo;There were 13,843 abortions performed in Minnesota in 2007. Of the women who listed a reason for their abortions, 40 percent cited economic concerns – the largest share since the state started collecting detailed abortion information a decade ago.&rdquo;   