2014 finds abortion clinic numbers still plunging

The recent closure of a California abortion clinic was the fifth to shut down this year, continuing a decline in which nearly three of every four abortion-providing locations has closed since 1991, according to Operation Rescue.

The group, which itself bought one abortion clinic to put it out of business, has been monitoring the decline of America's abortion businesses for years.

In a year-end report for 2013, it said 87 businesses discontinued offering surgical abortions, including 81 that were permanently shuttered, during the year.

In the report,"Death Throws of the Death Industry," Operation Rescue's Cheryl Sullenger explained the closures left the number of surgical abortion clinics in the U.S. at that time at 582, a drop of 12 percent in just 2013 along and a 73 percent plunge from the high in 1991 of 2,176.

The organization said the most recent clinic to be shut was the Family Planning Associates in Montclair, Calif.

It closed due to a lost lease.

"The building is up for sale and there are currently no plans to reopen the clinic at another location," the organization reported.

"Furnishings stacked behind the clinic near a large Dumpster, which was loaded with medical and office equipment, more furniture, brochures, and even money bags from a local bank, indicate that the business is finished," the report said.

Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said that when abortion clinics "are tossing out the money bags, you know they have shut down for good."

FPA was run for more than 20 years in a building that once was a funeral home.

"It looks like this abortion facility has thrown in the towel and is referring women to other abortion clinics in the FPA chain," Newman said. "Because there will no longer be an abortion business in this community, we know many women will simply opt to keep their babies. It's a proven fact that when abortion clinics close, lives are saved."

In the report for 2013, Sullenger said abortion-pill-only clinic numbers remained steady at 176, with only six closures.

But Newman said the drastic decline in locations where abortions are available "shows that the pro-life movement is gaining ground and that the abortion industry is collapsing – mostly due to its own negligence and greed, which has been exposed by their unwillingness and inability to comply with even the most rudimentary safety standards."

Among the reasons for the closures are a surge in pro-life sentiment, a drop in the demand for abortion, new state laws that establish cleanliness and safety standards for abortionists, and increased enforcement of existing laws.

Other factors were greater reporting of abortionists abusing the law and the fact that many abortionists are retiring and are not being replaced.

"The state with the most closures [during 2013] was Texas at 11, most of which shut down after Texas passed an abortion law earlier this year that required abortionists to maintain local hospital privileges. New clinic safety rules accounted for closures in Pennsylvania and Maryland as well," the report said.

Among the notable cases was the Nova Healthcare Center in Fairfax, Va., which was "closed because of failure to pay back rent that caused Nova's landlord to terminate their lease amid revelations from pro-life groups that women were being injured and mistreated there."

Another was Associates in OB/GYN Care in Baltimore, which was "closed by the state after repeated dangerous deficiencies, including the death of patient Maria Santiago in February."

Then there was the New Women All Women business in Birmingham, Ala., which was ordered closed "by a judge after pro-life groups documented and reported it for operating illegally in violation of a closure order last year."

Felony convictions for insurance fraud also got in the way of another abortionist's operation plans.

The taxpayer-funded Planned Parenthood is left as the behemoth in the business, with its branches accounting for 30 percent of all active surgical abortion clinics.

Operation Rescue has created the AbortionDocs.org website, which lists every American surgical and medication abortion clinic, and the documents that often show the clinics are engaged in dangerous practices.

"We have invested untold man-hours to ensure that AbortionDocs.org is constantly updated with the latest information about the status of abortion clinics, whether they are facing disciplinary action, or have been temporarily or permanently closed," said Newman. "It represents the most accurate information on abortion clinics in existence."

He confirmed that the numbers show that the pro-life movement is growing, and as people realize exactly what an abortion is, they oppose it.