The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) dropped a bombshell in its 2023 yearly report on abortions. Striking zero in the abortions column stood out like a beacon, proving that this procedure isn’t an essential need.
When Roe v. Wade was sent packing in June 2022, abortions were prohibited in all cases in Arkansas, except when the life of the mother was at stake. And lo and behold, the recent ADH numbers emphasized that even with this leniency, the state saw no abortions last year. Prior to the Dobbs decision, Arkansas was a hotbed for approximately 3,200 abortions per year. That, folks, is straight from the National Catholic Register.
This zero-figure wasn’t just for one specific category. The report covered the gamut, from age and required consent, to ethnicity and race, and even drilled down into the reasons for abortions among single and married women. Across the board, not a single abortion was recorded for 2023.
But let’s not jump the gun too quickly. These figures don’t take into account chemical abortions administered via mail-order pills. Neither do they cover women who are Arkansas residents but opted to have abortions out-of-state. And, of course, it’s always possible some slip through the crack, undocumented.
This news was heartily welcomed by Family Council, a stalwart Arkansas group steadfast in promoting traditional family values. In their press release, they gleefully hailed the results as proof of Arkansas’s successful efforts in restricting abortion, except in life-threatening cases. According to them, this protective shield is doing wonders for women and unborn children, a cause for celebration indeed.
But, in the midst of this celebration, the Family Council also sounded a cautionary note. In their eyes, a storm is brewing in the form of “The Arkansas Abortion Amendment”. This proposal aims to allow ‘abortion on demand’ through all nine months in many cases, a complete U-turn on the current stance. Moreover, this amendment could open the floodgates for taxpayer-funded abortions in Arkansas, a direct conflict with the existing Amendment 68.
The reported ‘zero abortions’ seems too perfect to be entirely accurate, and people even claim they’ve assisted in arranging abortions in the state. But even so, the dwindling numbers since Roe’s overturn are a promising start.
In summary, there are positive strides in Arkansas in curbing the abortion numbers. Whether the report is entirely accurate isn’t the point. The standout takeaway here is the significant decrease in abortions since the overturn of Roe V. Wade. This trend conveys an urgent message – that protection of unborn children and women’s health is feasible and that incremental efforts can make a substantial difference.
