Abortions in Florida declined sharply in 2024 compared to previous years, according to state data compiled by the Florida Health Care Agency (AHCA). show.
A total of 60,755 fetuses were aborted in Florida last year. According to AHCA's 2024 “by county,” there were 3,754 people whose mothers were from out of state. report. 28% fewer abortions in 2024 From 2023when 84,052 fetuses were killed in abortions. The number of out-of-state abortions also decreased by 51% in 2024 from 7,736 in 2023.
Physicians who perform abortions at abortion clinics and other medical settings: Required State law requires monthly reports to be submitted to AHCA. Therefore, the AHCA report does not include abortions performed outside the formal health care system, meaning the total number of abortions performed in Florida could be much higher.
Since the Supreme Court's reversal, abortion drug networks operating in states with shield laws and internationally have become exponentially more active. Roe vs. Wade According to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, medication abortions will account for 63% of all abortions in the United States in 2023, up from 53% in 2020.
The sharp drop in the number of abortions recorded in 2024 is likely due to the state's six-week abortion limit that went into effect on May 1. Florida's 6-week curfew IIncludes There are exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking until the 15th week of pregnancy. To protect the mother's life. or a fatal fetal abnormality in a pregnancy that has not entered the third trimester.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Republican) signed The six-week heartbeat bill is expected to be passed in April 2023, but could not go into effect until the state Supreme Court considers Florida's previous 15-week abortion limit. The 15 week limit is dobbs decision. And, in lieu of the state's previous ruling, it was allowed to remain in place during the litigation.dobbs A law that allows abortion up to the third trimester of pregnancy.
Florida appeared to become a “destination state for abortions” while the 15-week limit was in place, but that's because all surrounding states in the South had near-complete abortion limits or 6-week limits. This is because it passed. According to AHCA data, thousands more women will come from out of state for abortions in Florida in 2023 and 2022 compared to the previous year, and the number of overall abortions and second-trimester abortions will also increase. It has been confirmed that this has happened. In 2022, 6,708 abortions Performed on out-of-state patients 4,873 people in 2021 and In 2020, there were 3,988 people.
Pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute Public data It estimates that by 2023, one in three abortions in the South and one in 12 in the United States will occur in Florida. Guttmacher also said more women come from out of state to get abortions in Florida, at more than 9,000.
ACHA data includes information on the length of pregnancy and the reason why a woman decided to have an abortion. In 2024, There were 57,655 first-trimester abortions and 3,097 second-trimester abortions. According to state data, three babies were aborted during the third trimester, one due to a serious genetic defect and two due to fatal fetal abnormalities.
The recorded reason for the majority of first trimester (42,613) and abortions (2,014) in Florida is listed as “elective.” The second most common reason was “social or economic reasons,'' with 12,679 babies aborted in the first trimester and 594 in the second trimester.
Nearly 1,300 abortions were performed because of the mother's emotional or psychological health. 825 were for health reasons that were not life-threatening to the mother. 303 were due to genetic defects, malformations, or anomalies in the fetus. According to the data, 121 deaths were due to unwellness that put the mother's life at risk.
Approximately 202 abortions were performed due to fatal fetal abnormalities, 16 in the first trimester and 184 in the second trimester.
According to the state report, seven abortions were due to incest, two were due to human trafficking and 100 were due to rape, with 85% of the abortions occurring in the first trimester and 15% in the second trimester.
The AHCA also reports on infants born alive from abortions, although the state report does not say whether the infants survived or ultimately died.
4 babies born in 2024 born alive Abortions decreased from 14 in 2023 and 16 in 2022. In 2021, the state reported 4 babies born alive after abortion, 7 babies born alive in 2020and 3 in 2019.
Pro-abortion activists say Florida's six-week curfew will be in place in 2024. Amendment No. 4 Change the state constitution to enshrine the right to abortion, with some exceptions. If passed, the amendment would lift the state's current six-week limit and make it once again an abortion destination for surrounding states.
Florida was one of 10 states to put an abortion bill on the ballot in November 2024. But since the Supreme Court reversed, Florida became the first state to reject the pro-abortion amendment. egg. Overall, three of the 10 states that allowed abortion on the November ballot rejected the amendment, including Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
In Florida, constitutional amendments need 60% support to pass. Amendment 4 fell one step short of passing, with 57% in favor and 43% against. Many other states require only a simple majority to amend the constitution, but that lower threshold has allowed more conservative states like Missouri to pass abortion legislation.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her at @thekat_Hamilton.
