Other crucial bits of information in the abortion debate come from ultrasound technology—which has improved markedly since the early 1990s. In fact, many people’s first photo of their son, daughter, niece, or nephew was taken while the child was still
in utero. Additionally, many crisis-pregnancy centers use ultrasound technology—and they report that only a small percentage of women who see an ultrasound of their unborn child go on to obtain abortions. Furthermore, 14 states have enacted abortion legislation that involves ultrasounds. Some states require only that hospitals offer ultrasounds to women seeking abortions, but four (Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Louisiana) require that ultrasounds be performed prior to abortions. There are currently not enough data to evaluate the effectiveness of these laws, but there is a good chance that they are an effective tool for protecting the unborn.
As the pro-life movement has gained ground, Planned Parenthood has faced more scrutiny. The organization is America’s largest provider of abortions, but for a long time it remained relatively uncontroversial except in pro-life circles. That is starting to change. Last spring, 189 members of the House of Representatives voted for Mike Pence’s amendment to make Planned Parenthood ineligible for Title X Family Planning funds. Also last spring, Lila Rose, a UCLA junior, produced undercover videos showing Planned Parenthood employees violating parental-involvement laws and failing to report cases of statutory rape.
All these changes would mean nothing if they did not achieve results, but in fact the number of abortions has declined. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of abortions performed in the United States peaked in 1990 and has declined nearly every year since that time. Among the 47 states reporting abortion data in both 1990 and 2005, the number of abortions had fallen by 22 percent. Many states that passed pro-life legislation have experienced even larger declines.
The thousands of pro-lifers heading to Washington, D.C., for the March for Life this week need not despair. The 2008 elections were certainly a setback, and pro-lifers need to be vigilant about countering the Obama administration’s inevitable efforts to expand legal abortion (at home and abroad). Fighting for the sanctity of life is seldom an easy task. In fact, enacting and enforcing pro-life laws and changing the culture are battles that will likely engage the right-to-life movement for years to come. However, as pro-lifers gather to protest the 36th anniversary of
Roe v.
Wade, we should take heart. Despite the setbacks, we have made real progress. And there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
— Michael J. New is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama and a visiting fellow at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, N.J.
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