I've said it before, but I say it again
they were more than just numbers!
By Patricia Pitkus Bainbridge

After a lengthy delay, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has finally released the "numbers" for reported abortions -or as they call them, "induced pregnancy terminations"- for 2005.

In addition, the IDPH figures for 2004 (which were reported in the February 2006 issue of Life Matters) have been amended. Apparently, a few abortionists ignored the mandatory reporting requirement until they were "reminded" by IDPH.

We shouldn't be surprised. If a "physician" is willing to kill defenseless unborn children for money, why would we expect him to follow regulations from the state. More importantly, how can IDPH be certain abortionists are truthful in reporting how many abortions they commit? Since many women pay cash for their abortions and with carefully guarded records and minimal clinic regulations, numbers can easily be fabricated. There simply is no way to know for certain the exact number of abortions committed.

2004 amended and 2005 reported

In 2004 there were a reported 43,537 abortions (amended from the originally reported 41,577) committed in the land of Lincoln and in 2005 the number had declined by 128 to 43,409.

That means that in Illinois in 2005-at minimum- 119 unborn babies were destroyed by procured abortion each and every day.

Rule review

The IDPH has rules for collecting and reporting the number of abortions. First, rather than report data on the number of abortions committed at particular abortion facilities, the IDPH reports figures based on the residence of the mother of the aborted child. Therefore, if a woman lives in Winnebago County but travels to Chicago for her abortion, the abortion is counted in Winnebago's numbers.

There is no way to know, for example, how many abortions were committed at the Rockford mill. Because of this type of data collection, some are confused and think that the number of abortions reported for a specific county indicate that those abortions were committed in that particular county.

As I have reported in past years, Illinois also has the unexplainable "51 rule" where abortions from a county are not reported if there are not at least 51. If 51 women from a particular county procured abortions in 2004, but "only" 50 from that county procured abortions in 2005, the figures for that county would be listed as "unknown."

In 2004 there were 70 (amended from 71) counties listed in the "less than or equal to 50" category. In 2005 there were 71. Once again, we have no idea the number of women from 71 counties who may have procured abortions in 2005. It also indicates that the number of reported statewide abortions could remain the same or be increased by a maximum of 3,550 (71 counties times 50).

Eleven counties in the Diocese

Because of the changes, a review of amended numbers for the eleven counties in the Diocese is in order. The first number is the amended number followed by the number originally reported in February 2006:

Boone - 91 (90) (up from 78 in 2003)
Carroll - unknown* (unknown in 2003)
DeKalb - 167 (164) (down from 171 in 2003)
JoDaviess - unknown* (unknown in 2003)
Kane - 661 (650) (up from 612 in 2003)
Lee - unknown* (unknown in 2003)
McHenry - 462 (458) (up from 451 in 2003)
Ogle - 52 (52) (down from 74 in 2003)
Stephenson - 52 (52) (down from 65 in 2003)
Whiteside - unknown* (52 in 2003)
Winnebago - 584 (584) (down from 631 in 2003)

In 2004 three counties in our diocese reported increases in the number of women procuring abortion (Boone, Kane, McHenry); four reported declines (DeKalb, Ogle, Stephenson, Winnebago); and four were "unknown" (Carroll, JoDaviess, Lee, Whiteside).

Reports from 2005

In 2005 three counties in the diocese reported increases in mothers procuring abortion (Kane, McHenry, and Ogle); four reported decreases (Boone, DeKalb, Stephenson, and Winnebago); and four remain "unknown" (Carroll, JoDaviess, Lee, and Whiteside). These last four could be as low as zero or as high as 50.

Boone - 82 (down from 91 in 2004)
Carroll - unknown* (unknown in 2004)
DeKalb - 148 (down from 167 in 2004)
JoDaviess - unknown* (unknown in 2004)
Kane - 733 (up from 661 in 2004)
Lee - unknown* (unknown in 2004)
McHenry - 486 (up from 462 in 2004)
Ogle - 57 (up from 52 in 2004)
Stephenson - unknown* (down from 52 in 2004)
Whiteside - unknown* (unknown in 2004)
Winnebago - 528 (down from 584 in 2004)
*could be as many as 50

Silence from the abortion advocates

Not surprisingly, I have yet to see any comment from Planned Parenthood or other abortion committing or abortion advocacy groups regarding the stats from 2005 or the amended figures from 2004.

When the initial figures came out for 2004 indicating (erroneously) the number of abortions was at a 30 year low, Planned Parenthood rushed to claim credit for the reduction.

As reported in the February 2006 edition of Life Matters:

Commenting on the 2004 Illinois abortion statistics, Pam Sutherland, president of the Illinois Planned Parenthood Council, remarks: "We have better and better forms of birth control . . . We've really seen a drop since women have become aware of emergency contraception." Once again, Sutherland, a representative of the single largest committer of abortions in this country, is attempting to convey the false impression that so-called emergency contraception is reducing the number of abortions, when in reality, it often acts to cause a very early abortion. We have no way of knowing just how many early abortions are caused by emergency "contraception."

Sutherland must know by now that studies in the United States, Sweden, and England have clearly demonstrated the availability of socalled "emergency contraception" has had no measurable impact on the number of procured abortions.

She must have wisely decided she would look asinine commenting on the amended figures. Now that we are told by the IDPH that the number of procured abortions actually increased by 1,960 in 2004, that would imply the "better and better forms of birth control" Planned Parenthood peddles might-based on their "logic"-actually be responsible for the increase in abortions.

The Guttmacher Institute (the research arm of Sutherland's "parent" organization, Planned Parenthood Federation of America) reports 54% of girls/women seeking abortion were contracepting in the month they became pregnant. According to Guttmacher, "Among those women, 76% of pill users and 49% of condom users reported using their method inconsistently, while 13% of pill users and 14% of condom users reported correct use."

Never forget

While abortion data can be helpful in understanding trends and other cultural indicators, we must never forget that each reported abortion is a death notice for an unborn child. Abortion takes the life of each defenseless little girl or boy. These small human beings were more than just numbers of "induced pregnancy terminations"- each and every one was made in the image of God.

LIFE MATTERS is published monthly by the Respect Life Office of the Diocese of Rockford. It is sent to all priests, seminarians, religious sisters prayer team members, and parish respect life coordinators. Individual subscriptions may be obtained for a donation of $15.00 per year. This publication may be copied so long as it is done in full. It may be quoted so long as proper citation is provided with the quotation. Copyright 2007 Respect Life Office-Diocese of Rockford