According to New York City’s health department statistics, the abortion rate for the city is 41 percent which is double the national average. The archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, called for a reduction in this number. A meeting was called among Jewish and Christian leaders in Manhattan in direct reaction to these high abortion rates.
In a recent press conference Dolan said, “We gotta do more than shiver over these chilling statistics. I invite all to come together to make abortion rare.”
In data that was released last month, 87,273 pregnancies were terminated in 2009. The highest abortion rate was among black women by far, followed by Hispanics, white women and Asians. The national abortion rate happens to be 19 percent.
Joan Malin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City, released a statement saying that unplanned pregnancies are affected by the following: birth control, access to information, sex education, and intimate partner violence.
It may come as a surprise but the 2009 abortion rates are lower than they were a decade ago. According to the New York Times, in 2000 there were 94,466 abortions in the city. According to ABC News, in 1998 the abortion rate was 46 percent.
Dolan said the following, “For the first time in my happy 21 months as a New Yorker, I am embarrassed to be a member of a cherished community I now -- usually with a lot of pride -- call home.”
The press conference during which Dolan made his comments was organized by the Chiaroscuro Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose president, Sean Fieler, is a supporter of religious and conservatives initiatives. According to the New York Times, Fieler, an investment banker, personally funds the group.
Source: AOL News.