Nevada’s 2019 abortion statistics were provided to the Charlotte Lozier Institute by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services upon request. This most recent report shows that total abortions declined from the previous year, although chemical abortions went up.
Statistics and Changes in Nevada Abortions, 2018-2019
The change in total and chemical abortions and Planned Parenthood’s Nevada abortion market share reflect abortions performed on resident women. The change in the abortion rate reflects all abortions performed in the state.
Abortion Totals and Trends
In 2019, there were 8,414 abortions reported in Nevada, a decrease of five percent from 2018. There were 7,960 abortions performed in Nevada on state residents, down four percent from 2018 (Fig. 1). Thirty-eight percent of the abortions performed on Nevada residents (3,003 abortions) were chemical, with resident chemical abortions increasing by 19 percent from the previous year. The Charlotte Lozier Institute (CLI) estimates that Nevada’s 2019 abortion rate was 13.9 abortions per 1,000 women of childbearing age, lower than the prior year and close to the national average (Fig. 2). Of the 48 reporting areas that shared 2018 and 2019 abortion statistics with the Centers for Disease Control, 23 reported that abortions decreased in 2019.
State Report Summary
Ninety-five percent of the abortions reported in Nevada in 2019 were performed on state residents. Most of the information provided to CLI by the Department of Health and Human Services is only for abortions performed on Nevada residents; abortions on nonresident women are not included.
A majority of the abortions were obtained by women in their twenties, with 26 percent on women ages 20 to 24 and 27 percent on women ages 25 to 29. Thirty percent were performed on women in their thirties, and four percent were on women in their forties, while eight percent of the abortions were performed on girls ages 19 and younger. The youngest girl to get an abortion was 13, and the oldest woman was 49.
Eight percent of Nevada resident abortions were on women with less than a high school education, and 41 percent were on women with a high school diploma or GED. Twenty-one percent were performed on women who had attended some college but who had no degree. Fifteen percent of Nevada abortions were on women with a college degree, and another 15 percent were on women whose level of education was not reported.
Thirty percent of the abortions were reported to have been performed on married women, a higher percentage than in many other states, although marital status was unknown for 37 percent of the abortions. Thirty-three percent of the abortions were performed on unmarried women. Forty-three percent of the abortions were on women with no children, while 23 percent were on women with one child and 34 percent on women with two or more children.
In 2019, 58 percent of the abortions performed on Nevada residents were suction curettage procedures. Thirty-eight percent were chemical, and three percent were conducted via dilation and evacuation. There were two sharp curettage abortions, one intrauterine instillation abortion, and one hysterotomy or hysterectomy abortion. An additional 0.6 percent were performed using unreported means.
Twenty abortions (0.3 percent) were reported at zero weeks of gestation. This is not physically possible, since gestational age in pregnancy is measured from the first day of the woman’s last menstrual period, with fertilization occurring at approximately the second week of gestation. The report does not indicate why abortions were reported at zero weeks of gestation. Forty-five abortions (0.6 percent) were reported between one and four weeks. Thirty-seven percent occurred between five and six weeks of gestation, and 32 percent were performed between seven and eight weeks. Fifteen percent were performed between nine and 10 weeks of gestation, while six percent occurred between 11 and 12 weeks and five percent were reported from 13 to 15 weeks of gestation. Two percent of the abortions were performed between 16 and 19 weeks, and one percent occurred at 20 weeks of gestation and later. The latest reported abortion was performed at 29 weeks of gestation. Gestational age was not reported for 0.9 percent of the abortions.
Nevada reported abortions by county of residence, and in 2019 Clark County had the highest volume of abortions performed on resident women, accounting for 87 percent of the abortions performed on Nevada residents.
Abortion Centers in Nevada
Thirteen percent of Nevada resident abortions were performed by Planned Parenthood (seven percent by Planned Parenthood’s West Charleston center and six percent by the East Flamingo center). Eighty-seven percent of the abortions were performed by independent abortion centers. Thirty-two percent of the abortions were performed by Birth Control Care Center, and 31 percent were reported by A-Z Women’s Center. West End Women’s Medical Group performed 12 percent, and nine percent occurred at Women to Women Gynecology. Desert Inn Medical Center reported two percent of the abortions, while 15 abortions occurred at unknown locations. Planned Parenthood’s two Nevada abortion centers perform only chemical abortions, so it is likely that all the surgical abortions occurred at independent abortion centers.
State Ranking
In 2016, a CLI study evaluating abortion reporting across the 50 states ranked Nevada’s reporting at 38th best. Nevada has since made additional abortion data available upon request. To improve its reporting, Nevada could regularly compile its reports and make them available online, as most other states do. Nevada could also collect and report data on complications caused by abortion.
- Abortion totals were obtained from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services upon request.
- Rates were calculated by CLI using the following formula: (total number of abortions performed in Nevada ÷ number of resident women ages 15-44) x 1,000. Rates may differ slightly from previous CLI articles due to revised population estimates and abortion totals. Population estimates were obtained from the CDC WONDER database.
Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
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