“The abortion rate for women aged 15 to 44 was 20 per 1,000 in 2008 with approximately 1.2 million abortions performed, 2% of women Americans in this age group had an abortion that year” (Guttmacher Institution). According to the Guttmacher Institution, “No racial group makes up a larger share in abortions: 36% are non-Hispanic white, 30% non-Hispanic black, 25% Hispanic, and 9% other races.” “In the United States, only one in ten abortions occur after the second trimester, and more than nine in ten occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy” (Guttmacher Institution). “Criminalizing abortion does not eliminate the procedure, but forces women to seek unqualified providers in an unsafe environment” (Guttmacher Institution). According to NBC News, “Women in other countries are still more likely to have an abortion where it is banned as in countries where it is legal; they also found that abortion rates are virtually the same in rich and poor countries.” “About 70 thousand women die every year due to unsafe abortions; with the addition of 5 million suffering permanent or temporary damage” (NBC News). “Although abortions worldwide dropped from 46 million in 1995 to 42 million in 2003, there has been no change in the rate of unsafe abortions—nearly half of abortions are performed illegally in unsafe conditions” (NBC