Since passing restrictive new laws on abortion in the past four years, clinics that perform the procedure around Ohio have been on the decline, reported the Associated Press. The records also show that procedures relating to abortion have dropped.
Only seven of 16 clinics in Ohio have remained in operation; the rest have either closed down or have provided fewer procedures. One clinic, meanwhile, is still open even as it battles litigation proceedings in court.
The AP's review consists of interviews and going over licensing and records of business. The findings put Ohio as the second state to have had a significant change in abortions from 2011 to 2014. The rate of procedures fell from 25,473 in 2012 to 23,216 in 2013.
Texas still has highest rates of decline, as 17 of its 40 registered clinics have stopped operation. Virginia, meanwhile, follows as a close third, having recently closed down 20 abortion clinics, including the busiest facility in the state.
Lobbyists against abortion regard the findings as a victor, with Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis noting that an "expanded access to health care" as well as the proliferation of pregnancy counseling crisis centers are also huge factors to this development.
"It's a combination of a lot of things. Our society's changing. More and more women are choosing life," said Gonidakis, according to the Associated Press.
Pro-abortion advocates, however, said that the many restrictions in the new law have left women who want to get an abortion with fewer choices. Some women are opting to leave the state just to get it done elsewhere, thus denying them the right to a safe and legal procedure.
"These laws have all been about creating these false hurdles for clinics to have to jump through in order to provide safe, legal abortion care to their patients," said Kellie Copeland of the NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio group, the AP reported.
Some of the rules include banning abortion once the fetus is deemed viable outside the womb; requiring the woman to undergo an ultrasound to hear the fetal heartbeat before getting the procedure; and a restriction on hospital transfer agreement, which is required for legal clinics to operate.
Despite these points raised by pro-abortion groups, a move to add more restrictions is currently being initiated by anti-abortion advocates.
