GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The decision to overturn Roe V. Wade is continuing to cause confusion around the nation including in Michigan.
Right now, abortions remain legal in Michigan because of a court order temporarily blocking enforcement of the state's 1931 abortion ban.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer is now asking the Michigan Supreme court to hear her lawsuit which is currently still in the court of appeals, asking to overturn the 1931 law, but as of now the state's highest court has not decided if they will hear the case.
As we await a decision, we're taking a closer look at what the data shows about abortions in Michigan.
The latest Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from 2019 shows Michigan ranks 8th in the nation when it comes to number of abortions, and it's the fifth highest when it comes to the rate -- nearly 15 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.
We also gathered data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' 2021 Annual Abortion Report.
Taking a look at West Michigan, Kent County, Muskegon County and Kalamazoo County have the highest abortion rates per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.
There were 30,074 abortions in Michigan in 2021, the highest since 1996 when there 30,208.
2021 had a one percent increase in abortions compared to 2020.
In 2021, 85% of women in Michigan were not married, 48% had a previous abortion, 68% had a previous term pregnancy, and in 90% of cases, the abortion was done within the first trimester.
In 2021, the highest percentage of women getting abortions, 34% were at least 30 years old, and 7% were under 20 years old.
Compare this to 1985 when 16% of women 30+ years old got abortions and 31% of women under 20 got abortions, which means fewer young women in Michigan are getting abortions.
In Kent County, there were 10.2 abortions for every 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.
Compare that to the state average of 15.1.
In Muskegon County, there were 13.4 abortions for every 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 and in Ottawa County, there were 4.7 abortions.
The data also shows women in every county in Michigan got abortions in 2021 and there are clinics that perform abortions open in 13 counties including Kent County.
Overall, according to the CDC, the number of abortions has decreased in the country since 1980 by more than half.
Since 1982, the number in Michigan has decreased by 31 percent.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.