WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas has recorded its lowest number of abortions in 30 years, a new state report shows.
A preliminary report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, says 6,782 abortions were reported to the state in 2017. That’s the fewest in the state since 1987, when there were 6,409, The Wichita Eagle reported.
The report released Tuesday shows 2017 data gathered through a state law requiring physicians and hospitals to report abortions to the department.
Eleven percent of the patients were teenagers, including three girls younger than 14. About 31 percent of the women were between the ages of 20 and 24. Four percent of the women were age 40 or older.
Nearly 70 percent of the patients never had a previous abortion, while nearly 60 percent of the women were mothers with at least one living child.
Most of the pregnancies were less than nine weeks gestation. The most common method of abortion was the medication Mifepristone, which was used by 58 percent of patients.
Ten of the abortions were at or after 22 weeks and were performed outside of Kansas.
The figures show 3,372 women were Kansas residents and 3,377 were from other states, including Missouri. An additional 33 Kansas women went to other states for the procedure, including 10 who had abortions after 22 weeks.
The report says the number of Kansas women who had abortions in other states could change as other states submit information.
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Information from: The Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, http://www.kansas.com
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