Abortions in Pennsylvanian hit lowest level in 20 years

The number of abortions performed in Pennsylvania during 1995 fell to the lowest level in the 20 years statistics have been kept, dropping more than 6 percent from their 1994 level. The number of abortions in Philadelphia County -- where the majority of the state's abortions were performed -- decreased from 15,319 in 1994 to 14,723 in 1995. Officials from groups on both sides of the controversial issue said Pennsylvania's three-year old abortion law, which requires females under the age of 18 to receive abortion counseling and written parental consent before having the operation, may have led to the decrease. They differed on exactly how the law made an impact. A Penn Woman's Center official who requested anonymity said it's unlikely that fewer Pennsylvania women are having abortions. "I don't think there is a decrease in abortions," said a spokesperson from the Women's Center who requested anonymity. "I just think women are getting around the Pennsylvania law by going to New Jersey or other states [which lack Pennsylvania's mandatory counseling or parental notification clauses]." She added that Pennsylvania is "one of the top 12 most restrictive states when it comes to abortion." But Mary Beliveau, who coordinates legislative lobbying for the Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, said the law has discouraged women from having abortions because it has "educated" them about the procedure. She explained that during the counseling process, women read and sign a statement describing the abortion procedure and the risks involved in the procedure. The statement also informs them that there is financial and medical assistance available for them if they choose to carry the child to term. "The law has empowered women with access to information the abortion industry fought to deny them about the development of their unborn child, the dangers of abortion to their health and the alternatives available to them," Beliveau said in a written statement. "This empowerment enables women to avoid being pressured into abortion." And closer to campus, Student Health Services personnel are able to guide interested parties through all of the state's legal requirements for an abortion, such as discussing the procedure and taking a full physical. After fulfilling the necessary legal requirements at Student Health, women only have to make one additional visit to the clinic before being eligible to have an abortion. Student Health also offers pregnancy tests for $5, allowing students to receive the results the same day. "We're a bargain, and the tests are highly accurate," said Women's Health Coordinator Deborah Mathis. "We can tell a positive pregnancy two weeks after conception." Mathis added that Student Health has sold an increasing number of pregnancy tests in the past few years, but that the percentage of positive pregnancies -- approximately 10 percent -- has remained the same since she began working at Student Health in 1989. The clinic recently began tracking the decisions of women who received abortion counseling after having a positive pregnancy result. Approximately 55 percent of the women chose to terminate the pregnancy, according to the data, with the remaining 45 percent choosing to carry their pregnancies to term. Student Health also offers the morning after contraceptive RUD-46, which must be used within 72 hours of conception. Before the drug can be administered, however, the patient must take a pregnancy test, read a two-page statement describing the risks and benefits of the procedure, discuss their medical history with a nurse practitioner and sign a consent form. Last year, Student Health personnel saw an increasing number of women choose to use the pill. Mathis said she believes that number may have reached a plateau because most students now know that Student Health offers the procedure. "We have a group of students that know about their bodies, are highly educated and don't get involved in as risky behavior as their counterparts that aren't in the University population do," she said.