Objectives: Abortion incidence is correlated with seasonal trends in conceptions and births. This retrospective review looks at monthly abortion incidence to detect a seasonal trend.
Study design: Data on abortion incidence in 2012 were obtained from the Kentucky Department of Vital Statistics. A regression analysis was performed to detect differences in abortion annualized rates by month.
Results: A total of 3810 abortions analyzed showed a trend in abortion incidence peaking in February and March with 444 and 378 abortions per month, respectively, compared to a mean of 299 in other months (p<.001). This trend persisted for second-trimester abortions with 64 and 56 abortions per month in February and March, respectively, compared to a mean of 30 in other months (p<.001).
Conclusion: The peak in first-trimester abortions correlate with the expected peaks of December conceptions. However, the same trend in second-trimester abortions suggests that women are delaying care.
Keywords: Abortion; Abortion access; Abortion funding; Abortion induced.
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