Family planning perspectives
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In 1982 and 1983, as in previous years, the majority of abortions in the United States were obtained by young women (62 percent), white women (70 percent) and unmarried women (81 percent). Half of all abortions were performed eight or fewer weeks after the last menstrual period, and 91 percent, at 12 weeks or earlier. The proportion of abortions that were repeat procedures continued to rise, to 37 percent in 1982 and 39 percent in 1983. ⋯ Teenage nonwhites and whites have about the same abortion ratios. After rising during the 1970s, the adolescent pregnancy rate peaked around 1980-1981 and fell slightly in 1982-1983. The relative differentials between the pregnancy, birth and abortion rates of nonwhite and white teenagers narrowed somewhat between 1978 and 1981, but then widened slightly between 1981 and 1983.