Abstract
Objectives Abortion incidence is correlated with seasonal trends in conceptions and births. This retrospective review looks at monthly abortion incidence to detect a seasonal trend. Study design Data on abortion incidence in 2012 were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Vital Statistics. A regression analysis was performed to detect differences in abortion annualized rates by month. Results A total of 3810 abortions analyzed showed a trend in abortion incidence peaking in February and March with 444 and 378 abortions per month, respectively, compared to a mean of 299 in other months (p<.001). This trend persisted for second-trimester abortions with 64 and 56 abortions per month in February and March, respectively, compared to a mean of 30 in other months (p<.001). Conclusion The peak in first-trimester abortions correlate with the expected peaks of December conceptions. However, the same trend in second-trimester abortions suggests that women are delaying care.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 181-185 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Contraception |
| Volume | 95 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2017 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Abortion
- Abortion access
- Abortion funding
- Abortion induced
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Reproductive Medicine
- Obstetrics and Gynecology