Back in 2011, two researchers released a study that purported that 3 in 10 women commit abortion in their lifetime. The researchers also noted that their number could be an overestimation based on several factors. But the anti-Life lobby ran with the stat, and quickly pounced on (and inflated) the number, proclaiming loudly that “1 in 3” women would undergo at least one abortion.
This handy “1 in 3” statistic has led to numerous campaigns predicated on the fabrication that “1 in 3” women abort their children. The object of these endeavors is to normalize abortion among women of reproductive age, and to remove the stigma associated with killing one’s child. (Unsurprisingly, the businesses that stand to profit from the normalization and de-stigmatization of abortion tend to be the biggest proponents– or even instigators– of these campaigns.)
In reality, the US statistic was never 1 in 3, and is in fact less than 3 in 10! The most accurate estimate comes in at just under 28%, but even that number may be high given the fact that the abortion rate is plummeting every year, thanks to increased Pro-Life sentiment among young people and the nation at-large, as well as legislation that reflects those views at the state level.
A small number of abortion proponents have apparently relented and are beginning to cite the accurate statistic, reporting that “nearly 3 in 10” women will undergo abortions. That number is still much too high. And, although the number of women undergoing abortion is smaller than reported, the number of children aborted is not directly proportionate to the number of women who are aborting them. That’s because nearly half of all abortions are repeat abortions committed by the same mother on another one of her children. What this tells us is that abortion is not “normal,” but the decision becomes a go-to for the small percentage of women who choose abortion at least once.
More information can be found at Secular Pro-Life, which has worked to bust this pervasive myth with their “Not 1 in 3” campaign.
