How far into pregnancy do most abortions happen?

In 2021, just under half (44.8%) of reported abortions occurred within the first six weeks of pregnancy.^[1] Another 36.0% happened between seven and nine weeks, and 12.7% within 10 and 13 weeks. Put another way, 93.5% of reported abortions were performed before two and a half months of pregnancy.^[2]

Farther into pregnancy, abortions are less common. Of the remaining 6.5% of reported abortions, 2.7% occurred between 14 and 15 weeks, 1.5% at 16 to 17 weeks, 1.5% at 18 to 20 weeks, and 0.9% at 21 weeks or more.^[3]

How is pregnancy length measured?

Pregnancies are commonly measured by health care providers in trimesters, or three-month increments.

The first trimester is week 1 to week 12, the second trimester is week 13 to week 28, and the third trimester is week 29 to week 40. Infants born at 41 weeks are considered late term, and infants born at 42 weeks or later are considered post-term.

How far into pregnancy do most abortions occur in each state?

According to the most recent data, all states except Missouri reported that most abortions occurred within the first 9 weeks of gestation. In 19 states, most abortions occurred at six weeks or less; in another 21, most abortions occurred between seven and nine weeks into pregnancy.

In 2021, Missouri was the only state where most reported abortions (23.3%) happened at 21 weeks or later, or around five months. Missouri banned elective abortions in 2022.

What is a “late-term abortion”?

There is no medical definition for a “late-term abortion.” The phrase has been used in non-medical settings, such as  Congress, and the legislation proposed there, including the Late Term Abortion Act of 2020.

What is a “born-alive abortion”?

A “born-alive abortion” is also not a medical term. It’s used in the context of proposed bills such as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act of 2023, referring to situations where a fetus survives an attempted abortion.^[4]

The proposed bill requires healthcare practitioners to provide the “same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age” and ensure that the baby is admitted to a hospital.

The Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, passed in 2002, established that, within US administrative bureaus and agencies, the terms “person,” “human being,” “child,” and “individual” include all infants born alive as a result of labor, cesarean section, or induced abortion.

Why is data missing from some states?

This data comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and includes data from 41 reporting areas. Data is not available from California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York State (except New York City), Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington, DC. Those reporting areas did not report at all, did not report by gestational age, or did not meet reporting standards. Reporting is voluntary.

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