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Nearly 10,000 abortions reported in Florida in May after six-week law began

Erich Martin
/
WFSU

The numbers provided by the state likely include procedures from April due to an expected lag in reporting.

Nearly 10,000 abortions were reported in Florida in May, when a law took effect that was expected to dramatically decrease the number of procedures performed.

However, those numbers likely include some abortions from April because of the way data are reported to the state.

New data on the state Agency for Health Care Administration website show 32,081 abortions reported in 2023 as of June 3. That was up from 22,409 at the end of April , meaning 9,672 were reported in May.

The law that took effect May 1 prevents abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

The way data are reported includes a lag. Abortion providers are required to report data to the state 30 days after the end of each month, according to AHCA.

That means the newly released data would continue to include abortions performed in April before the six-week limit took effect.

Voters in November will decide whether to approve a ballot proposal that would enshrine abortion rights in the Florida Constitution. On April 1, the Florida Supreme Court approved placing the proposal on the ballot.

The proposal will appear as Amendment 4 on the ballot and says, in part, that no “law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider.”

As of June 3, here are the Florida counties with the most abortions in 2023, according to AHCA. The numbers reflect county residents, not necessarily where abortions took place.

  • Miami-Dade County: 6,740
  • Broward County: 4,108
  • Hillsborough County: 2,759
  • Out-of-state residents: 2,693
  • Palm Beach County: 2,043
  • Orange County: 2,031
  • Duval County: 1,485
  • Pinellas County: 1,222
  • Polk County: 911
  • Lee County: 786
  • Brevard County: 493
  • Pasco County: 485
  • Osceola County: 470
  • Volusia County: 462
  • Seminole County: 438
  • Leon County: 421
  • St. Lucie County: 385
  • Manatee County: 376
  • Alachua County: 357
  • Lake County: 337
  • Marion County: 335
  • Collier County: 309
  • Sarasota County: 272
  • Clay County: 184
  • Indian River County: 160
  • St. Johns County: 148
  • Hernando County: 140
  • Bay County: 133
  • Escambia County: 126
  • Martin County: 115

Copyright 2024 Health News Florida