COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, but women currently can still have abortions in South Carolina, though the state prohibits them after 20 weeks and imposes other restrictions.
But how many abortions are reported in the state annually and who is having them?
The Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade on Friday, ending nearly 50 years of constitutional protections for abortions. South Carolina is widely expected to enact further restrictions on abortion following the ruling.
A report from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control with data between 2018 and 2020, the most recent statistics available, provides some answers on abortions in the state and the kinds of patients who might soon lose access to the procedure in the state.
According to DHEC, 5,468 abortions were reported in 2020. Of those, women between 25 and 29 years old, at 29.1 %, had the majority of reported abortions. Also, most of the reported abortions in 2020, 55%, were performed between seven and 13 weeks after fertilization, the data shows.
The most common method of abortion in 2020 was medical abortion, of which 3,688 were reported. The next most common procedure used was electrical vacuum aspiration with 1,062 reported.
Below is the total state data on abortions divided among age groups, the types of procedures used and how many were performed between 2018 and 2020.
Abortions by age group
2020
— Under 15: 14 or 0.3%
— 15-16: 58 or 1.1%
— 17-19: 437 or 8%
— 20-24: 1,556 or 28.5%
— 25-29: 1,590 or 29.1%
— 30-34: 1,050 or 19.2%
— 35 and over: 763 or 14%
— Total: 5,468
2019
— Under 15: 10 or 0.2%
— 15-16: 58 or 1.1%
— 17-19: 441 or 8.7%
— 20-24: 1,403 or 27.5%
— 25-29: 1,500 or 29.4%
— 30-34: 961 or 18.8%
— 35 and over: 728 or 14.3%
— Total: 5,101
2018
— Under 15: 14 or 0.3%
— 15-16: 49 or 1.1%
— 17-19: 400 or 8.6%
— 20-24: 1,360 or 29.3%
— 25-29: 1,343 or 28.9%
— 30-34: 814 or 17.5%
— 35 and over: 666 or 14.3%
— Total: 4,646
Number of abortions by weeks pregnant
2020
— 6 weeks or less: 2,434 or 44.5%
— 7-13 weeks: 3,009 or 55%
— 14-19 weeks: 20 or 0.4%
— 20-23 weeks: 5 or 0.1%
— Total: 5,468
2019
— 6 weeks or less: 2,323 or 45.5%
— 7-13 weeks: 2,748 or 53.9%
— 14-19 weeks: 25 or 0.5%
— 20-23 weeks: 5 or 0.1%
— Total: 5,101
2018
— 6 weeks or less: 2,050 or 44.1%
— 7-13 weeks: 2,579 or 55.5%
— 14-19 weeks: 11 or 0.2%
— 20-23 weeks: 6 or 0.1%
— Total: 4,646
Abortions by methods used
2020
— Dilation and curettage: 511
— Manual vacuum aspiration: 177
— Electrical Vacuum aspiration: 1,062
— Dilation and evacuation: 24
— Medical abortion: 3,688
— Induction abortion with prostaglandins: 4
— Induction abortion-other: 1
— Hysterectomy/hysterectomy: 1
2019
— Dilation and curettage: 598
— Manual vacuum aspiration: 192
— Electrical Vacuum aspiration: 1,179
— Dilation and evacuation: 22
— Combined induction abortion and dilation: 4
— Medical abortion: 3,100
— Induction abortion with prostaglandins: 5
— Hysterectomy/hysterectomy: 1
2018
— Dilation and curettage: 566
— Manual vacuum aspiration: 159
— Electrical Vacuum aspiration: 1,323
— Dilation and evacuation: 13
— Combined induction abortion and dilation: 1
— Medical abortion: 2,580
— Induction abortion with prostaglandins: 4
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