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Seventeen women had abortions in Indiana since a state ban officially went into effect Aug. 21 — with the majority falling under an exception for a lethal fetal anomaly.
The Indiana Department of Health posted the third quarter terminated pregnancy report Friday afternoon, finding 764 abortions occurred between July 1 through Sept. 30.
But only 17 of those happened since Aug. 21, when the Indiana Supreme Court decision upholding the new law was certified. Previously, abortion clinics stopped providing the procedure on Aug. 1.
Lawmakers returned to the Statehouse in the summer of 2022 to pass a near-total ban following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. It outlaws all abortions except in the case of a fatal fetal anomaly and cases of serious health risk to the mother. One part of the law says these exceptions are up to 20 weeks but another part says they can be used anytime. Rape survivors can get an abortion up to 10 weeks postfertilization.
Abortions can now only be done in hospitals.
Nine of the 17 abortions since Aug. 21 cited a lethal fetal anomaly; seven were due to a serious health risk or life of the woman, and one was due to rape or incest.
To use one of the exemptions, the attending physician must certify in writing to the hospital that in the doctor’s reasonable medical judgment, performing the abortion is necessary to prevent any serious health risk to the pregnant woman or to save the pregnant woman’s life; or the fetus has been diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly. All facts and reasons supporting the certification must be set forth by the physician in writing and attached to the certificate, the law says.
The 764 abortions over the three-month period compares to 2,967 over the same time the year before. The majority of the abortions — around 72% — were nonsurgical, using prescription medications.
There were 698 abortions in July, when it was still legal. Then in August there were 52 and 14 in September.
About 97% of the abortions were fetuses up to 14 weeks of gestational age.
The majority of the abortions were done in clinics before they stopped providing the service. Only 6% — or 45 — were performed in a hospital.
There were 18 at the Riley Health Maternity Tower; 11 at the Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital; and 15 at Indiana University Health University Hospital. All of those are in Indianapolis.
One abortion was performed at Schneck Medical Center in Jackson County.
The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, not-for-profit news organization that covers state government, policy and elections.
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