Report: Steep Drop In Abortions In Illinois
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The number of abortions performed in Illinois fell to a 37-year low in 2010.
As WBBM Newsradio's Regine Schlesinger reports, fewer than 42,000 abortions were performed in Illinois in 2010, the lowest since the U.S. Supreme Court legalized the procedure nationwide in its landmark Roe v. Wade ruling.
In total, there were 41,859 abortions in Illinois in 2010, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. That was down from 46,077 in 2009.
In Cook County, 23,840 abortions were performed in Cook County in 2010, compared with 25,196 in 2009, the Sun-Times reported.
Planned Parenthood president Carole Brite tells the newspaper she is not sure about the reason for the drop, but does say hers and other pro-choice groups have been promoting contraception over abortions.
An Anti-abortion activist attributes the drop to abortion opponents having growing influence over women's attitudes, the Sun-Times reported.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Regine Schlesinger reports
