Despite such debate and difficulties, thousands of women have legal abortions in the United States every year. In 2016, there were approximately 623,000 legal abortions reported in the U.S., a decrease from previous years. State restrictions on abortion may play a part in the decreasing number, but the use of contraceptives has also played a significant role in preventing abortion. As of 2016, the abortion rate in the U.S. was highest among women aged 20 to 24 years with around 19 legal abortions reported per 1,000 women in this age group.
Unintended pregnancies among adolescent women can often lead to abortion, given the age of the women. As expected, the number of abortions among teens increases with age, and in 2016 there were 18,446 reported abortions among women aged 19 years, compared to 4,450 among those aged 16 years. Sexual education and the use of contraceptives can be healthy and effective methods of avoiding pregnancy. In 2016, the state of California was estimated to have averted 20,110 abortions among teenage girls through the use of publicly funded family planning clinics.
Public opinion in the U.S. remains divided on the issue of abortion. A survey from May 2019 found 46 percent of Americans considered themselves pro-choice and 49 percent considered themselves pro-life. Some feel so strongly about the issue that it has led to violence and the threat of violence against those who provide, perform or have abortions. This is seen in the fact that from 1970 to 2018 there were 258 terrorist attacks on abortion-related institutions or clinics, making abortion-related institutions or clinics the fourth most common target of terror attacks in the U.S. over this period.
