descriptive essay on living in a silent world

Living in a Silent World Essay 400-500 Words

Living in a Silent World: Embracing the Beauty and Challenges

In a world filled with constant noise and clamor, the idea of living in a silent world might seem both intriguing and daunting. Imagine a life where the symphony of sounds, from birdsong to laughter, is absent, replaced by a profound stillness that envelops every moment. While the concept of a silent world may evoke feelings of solitude and isolation, it is important to recognize that such a lifestyle carries its own unique beauty and challenges.

Living in a silent world offers a heightened sense of awareness and mindfulness. Without the distractions of auditory stimuli, individuals in this world are often forced to engage more deeply with their other senses. Visual cues become more pronounced, allowing one to appreciate the intricate details of the world around them. The rustling of leaves, the play of light and shadow, and the subtleties of facial expressions take on a newfound significance. This heightened awareness encourages a deeper connection with nature and a more profound understanding of human interaction, relying on nonverbal communication to convey emotions and intentions.

However, existing in a silent world also presents numerous challenges. Communication, a cornerstone of human interaction, transforms into a complex dance of gestures, facial expressions, and written words. The absence of verbal communication requires individuals to cultivate exceptional patience, empathy, and adaptability. Technological advancements have been instrumental in bridging this gap, offering tools such as sign language and text-based communication that enable meaningful interactions. Yet, the potential for misunderstandings and misinterpretations remains, underscoring the need for patience and open-mindedness in embracing diverse forms of expression.

The absence of sound can also profoundly affect emotional well-being. Sound, often taken for granted, plays an integral role in shaping our emotional experiences. The gentle hum of a conversation, the laughter of loved ones, and the soothing rhythms of music all contribute to a rich emotional tapestry. Living in silence might amplify feelings of solitude and lead to a heightened sensitivity to the emotions and energies of those around us. This acute awareness could foster a deeper sense of empathy, as individuals strive to connect with others on a more profound level.

While a silent world may lack the auditory dimensions that define our traditional understanding of life, it is essential to recognize that silence is far from empty. It is a canvas upon which the nuances of existence are painted with clarity and depth. The absence of sound invites introspection, encouraging individuals to embark on journeys of self-discovery and self-expression. In this quiet realm, one’s inner voice becomes more prominent, leading to a greater understanding of personal desires, dreams, and fears.

In conclusion, living in a silent world is a concept that prompts us to reevaluate our relationship with sound, communication, and the world around us. It challenges us to perceive beauty in the subtleties, to forge connections through unconventional means, and to embrace the depth of our own thoughts and emotions. While such a life comes with its share of difficulties, its potential for fostering mindfulness, empathy, and personal growth is immeasurable. In a world that often drowns in noise, the idea of living in a silent world serves as a poignant reminder to cherish the moments of quietude that enrich our lives.

Living in a Silent World Quotes

• “In the silence of nature, I find the essence of existence.” – Meeta Ahluwalia
• “The quieter you become, the more you can hear.” – Ram Dass
• “In the silence of solitude, we find the quiet strength of our souls.” – Unknown
• “Sometimes, the most profound communication occurs in the absence of words.” – Unknown
• “Silence is a source of great strength.” – Lao Tzu
• “The universe is not silent; it is responsive to the inquiries of the soul.” – Amit Ray
• “Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.” – Francis Bacon
• “Silence isn’t empty; it’s full of answers.” – Unknown
• “Embrace the beauty of silence, for it holds the power to heal and transform.” – Unknown
• “Living in a silent world, I hear the whispers of my heart more clearly.” – Unknown

Remember that these quotes capture the essence of living in a silent world and the profound insights that can be gained from embracing silence. They can be interpreted in various ways depending on the context and personal experiences of individuals.

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How is It To Live in a Silent World? by Michael

Michaelof Mobile's entry into Varsity Tutor's February 2016 scholarship contest

How is It To Live in a Silent World? by Michael - February 2016 Scholarship Essay

Sophia Gallaudet would be my partner at dinner. Her world as a child was silent, though her thoughts and expressions were vivid and intense. Her accomplishments in a world so closed off were just the opposite- open to others, unselfish and always wanting to break through barriers. Sophia was born deaf in a time when listening to radios and hearing an opera were just not possible for a person with a hearing impairment.

Sophia Gallaudet and my mother share something in common- a profound hearing loss and a drive to let nothing stand in their way. My mother has suffered from profound hearing loss almost her entire life and did not obtain hearing aids until she was thirty-seven years old. For most of my youth I have humbly been her ears during conversations, answered for her at drive through windows and helped her have phone conversations when people have spoken too quietly. I have been her advocate and her helper whenever she has needed me.

I would like to ask Sophia about her son who also helped her through difficult times and inspired her to accomplish great things in her life. Just like I am a hearing child with a deaf parent, Sophia Gallaudet’s son, Edward, was one of eight children who all had the ability to hear. After her husband passed away, he encouraged Sophia to work at his Columbia School for the Deaf and Blind in Washington, D.C, where she eventually became head matron. This school went on to be our country’s first college for the deaf and blind. I, too, have encouraged my mother to continue her plight as an educator and advocate for hard of hearing children. She has been a teacher in the public school system for almost twenty years and has requested to have these children placed in her classroom.

Sophia would feel a sense of comradery with my own mother, as I am sure that I would feel with her son who worked side by side with her all those years. She would be impressed that my mother was awarded the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship to study abroad and represent our nation in Germany and that she won the Oticon Focus on People Award for her advocacy for deaf children in schools. I would ask her how she felt in a silent world when so many others could speak and hear. Mostly, I would like to know her feelings toward her own son who encouraged her to push on just as I have for my own mother. To step back in time and have dinner with Sophia Gallaudet would answer these questions that I have wondered for so long.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Silence — Get More Out of Life with Silence

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Words: 628 |

Published: Nov 16, 2018

Words: 628 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

• Krishna, G. (2015). The Art of Silence: Meditation Techniques and Practices. HarperCollins India.
• Horan, K. (2017). The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise. Ignatius Press.
• Shainberg, L. (2003). The Wisdom of Silence: Learning to Talk Less and Say More. Inner Traditions.
• Kabat-Zinn, J. (2015). Coming to Our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World Through Mindfulness. Hachette Books.
• Foster, R. J. (2008). Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey into Meditative Prayer. IVP Books.
• Baird, L. S. (2019). The Practice of Silence: Meditation and Personal Transformation. Routledge.
• Osho. (1999). The Book of Secrets: 112 Meditations to Discover the Mystery Within. St. Martin's Griffin.
• Eckhart, T. (2003). Stillness Speaks. New World Library.
• Hanh, T. N. (2017). Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise. HarperOne.
• Kundu, S. (2019). In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise. Shambhala.

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Living in a silent world is not an option….

Imagine living in a world where you cannot hear anything: your mother’s loving voice, your siblings’ laughter, normal environmental sounds and music, someone standing behind you and calling your name.

Imagine living in a world where you cannot hear anything: your mother’s loving voice, your siblings’ laughter, normal environmental sounds and music, someone standing behind you and calling your name. Living in silence places newborns, infants, and children at an enormous disadvantage. Newborns and young children who cannot hear have difficulty communicating, and may experience learning problems because the way infants and young children learn is often based on what they hear. Language acquisition and reading skills are intricately linked to hearing.

These are ideas and facts that nurse practitioners (NPs) and all pediatric healthcare providers must consider when establishing office practice policies for the assessment of newborns and infants who may have a congenital hearing loss, and children and adolescents who may have an acquired hearing loss. As a pediatric NP, I have only cared for newborns who are discharged from hospitals that have implemented the national recommendations to perform initial hearing screenings on all newborns before discharge. The results of the hearing screening are included on the newborn discharge summary sheet. Often, the hospitals have made the initial referral for a follow-up hearing screening if the newborn failed the hearing screening.

Until I read the article by Mary Beth Nierengarten, Early hearing detection and intervention , I thought the practice of screening for hearing loss in all newborns was an established national policy. Her article reports that only 41 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam mandate early screening for hearing loss.  It seems to me that NPs and all healthcare providers in the 9 states that do not mandate early hearing screenings should strongly advocate for this regulation. Why would anyone want to place newborns and infants at risk for known short- and long-term consequences of an undiagnosed hearing loss?

Ms Nierengarten provides a review of the assessment of newborns and children for hearing loss, referral practices, and guidelines for rescreening of children with suspected hearing loss using the medical home model and the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) 1-3-6 Timeline. Nurse practitioners should review this information for inclusion in their primary care practices. I highly recommend reading this and the other articles on hearing in this edition of Contemporary Pediatrics. The recommendations are an easy, cost-effective way to provide quality healthcare to children to ensure that they are not living in unnecessary silence. 

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Hearing impairment: Living Limitless in a Silent World

Have you ever tried to envision living in a world without sound? — Unable to hear the morning birdsong or the voice of your loved ones. In reality, many individuals exist in such a silent realm, navigating through life without the gift of sound.

According to the World Health Organization, currently, only 17% of individuals with hearing impairment use hearing aids. Most are reluctant due to fear of being stigmatized and the frequent occurrence of device noise, causing inconvenience to users. For those with hearing loss, communication challenges hinder career choices. Many find themselves limited to one-way communication, leading them to reluctantly engage in lower-tier employment opportunities.

In a silent world where phrases like 'hard of hearing,' 'communication difficulties,' 'ten deaf to nine mute,' 'disability,' 'obstacle,' 'impossible' echo, those in the soundless realm have faced numerous restrictions imposed by reality. Society has affixed too many labels onto individuals with hearing impairment, hindering their rightful access to a broader spectrum of life possibilities.

People with hearing disabilities may face challenges in their communication and participation in society. However, with the use of appropriate technologies and strategies, many people with hearing disabilities can lead full lives and actively participate in their environment.

It is important to highlight the importance of inclusion and accessibility for people with hearing disabilities. This involves providing resources that allow people with hearing disabilities to access information and communicate effectively.

What is defined as a hearing disability?

Typically, sound waves travel through the outer ear until they reach the eardrum or tympanic membrane, initiating its vibrations and setting the chain of ossicles (hammer, incus, and stapes) in motion. These minute bones transfer energy to the inner ear, where the fluids within start to move, prompting the hair cells (of the snail) to convert these vibrations into electrical impulses. These impulses are then transmitted through auditory nerve fibers to the brain.

A hearing disability is identified as quantitative alterations in the accurate perception of hearing, stemming from disruptions in the aforementioned system. Living with hearing loss can impact both your social interactions and professional life. The repercussions may extend to your career, limiting job opportunities due to the challenges posed by hearing impairment. Communication becomes a hurdle with colleagues and clients, leading to a loss of self-confidence and eventual isolation from friends and loved ones. Difficulty keeping up with conversations and the reluctance to repeatedly ask questions can contribute to embarrassment. Ultimately, these factors may lead to feelings of depression and frustration.

Transform Your Hearing Loss into a Hearing Victory

Over 50 million Americans currently experience hearing loss, and this number is anticipated to double by 2030. It's crucial to take proactive steps to address your hearing health. Hearing aids could be the key solution you seek to gain clearer hearing, potentially reconnecting you to the people and moments that hold significant value in your life.

While using your hearing aid(s), do you or your loved one...

Struggle to hear clearly on the telephone?

Face challenges understanding conversations, especially in noisy environments?

Often find yourself asking others to repeat what they've said?

Contribute to overall improvement in various areas.

If you encounter these challenges regularly, undergoing a hearing test is a proactive step. Scheduling a complimentary consultation with a specialist and seeking appropriate assistance can prevent further deterioration of your hearing impairment. The use of hearing aids can restore the quality of life you once enjoyed.

ELEHEAR  aims to assist individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss in leading dignified lives and promoting social inclusion between the hearing-impaired and the wider community.

Besides hearing aids, we also need to fight for it. For individuals with hearing impairments in your circle, we need to support :

We accompany and assist families throughout their caregiving journey for loved ones with disabilities.

We need comprehensive information to families, addressing all aspects related to disability and resolving any questions they may have.

We handle the administrative procedures and processes necessary for addressing issues related to their children's disabilities

And there are more: Enhance cognitive abilities.

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Preserve cognitive abilities.

Enhance the patient's cognitive performance.

Improve functional capabilities.

Embarking on the path to improved hearing is a journey well worth taking. Don't delay – now is the moment to reconnect with what holds the utmost importance.

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“Silence is not the absence of something but the presence of everything.” ~Gordon Hempton

Years ago, when I first started my emotional healing journey, I was longing to reconnect with who I truly was and free my mind of all the paralyzing thoughts and feelings that were wrecking my well-being and happiness.

After months of finding new ways to improve my life, I finally felt happy. I was healthy and fulfilled and knew exactly what I wanted out of life.

I decluttered my personal space from unwanted things and people, completely changed my morning routine, and finally started living in the moment. Life was good and complete.

Until I would hit a roadblock.

Unplanned circumstances, stressful situations, and loud noises in crowded places would trigger emotions of resentment and annoyance.

The pressure of constant automatic speaking, my voice echoing in my head rethinking what I said and dwelling on what didn’t sound the way I wanted it to, kept me restless and agitated. I was also highly sensitive to negativity and judgment from others, and that influenced how I dealt with a particular moment.

That’s when it hit me: Even after all the progress, when I thought that I had finally started living the way I wanted, I still felt anxious and easily irritated by my daily life. While I thought that I knew myself well, I had yet to learn where the frustration was coming from and what was causing me to feel stressed.

Naturally, as an introvert, I longed for quiet time, away from the world, in silence.

As a child, I would spend hours writing and reading in my secret hideouts, in complete solitude. It was in my nature, who I truly was. But as I grew up, things changed. The noise of everyday life was too loud, and I needed to find a way to create calm in my daily environment.

Still, no matter how hard I tried to bring silence back into my life, I saw it as a defeat.

I was fighting the urge to accept it. I was taught not to recognize the value of silence, and I believed that quiet meant wrong.

This is true for so many of us. Instead of understanding and accepting ourselves the way we are , we go through life thinking that something is wrong with us because we don’t fit into the society’s norm of what is “socially acceptable.”

Later on, after analyzing myself further, it became clear to me that what was causing uneasiness had nothing to do with external influences, but rather with how I filtered information and what I allowed to come through to me.

I found myself programming my responses based on other people’s level of comfort, because I didn’t want to upset anyone. And instead of focusing on my needs, I worried about what others would think.

I bogged my brain down with endless problems, worries, and self-sabotaging thoughts that ultimately made me feel anxious and stressed.

In situations where I needed to stand up for myself, I would instead back down and do nothing, thinking that if I failed to comply, I would be criticized and rejected. This was especially true in a toxic relationship with a person whose influence was detrimental to my well-being.

And though I forced myself to stop withdrawing from the world that wanted me to talk constantly, I longed for silence that would help me heal.

That’s when I realized that the silence I craved more than anything was the silence I had already experienced as a child. So, I returned to practices that brought me back to the energizing, much needed moments of stillness.

Writing in my journal helped quiet down my thoughts and feelings of irritation. I found meditation helpful in preparing for a busy day ahead. I learned that staying away from the noise that was exhausting, both physically and mentally, helped me hear myself better.

Even though it took months to master the incredible power of silence , this restorative practice allowed me to always be in control of the noise around me, having the power to never let it get through to me.

The invigorating silence became a regular part of my life. It helped me understand who I’ve always been and free my mind of meaningless thoughts, opinions, and beliefs.

By silencing my speech, I experienced a sense of enhanced awareness and steadiness, which changed my perspective on things that had previously caused me unnecessary stress.

During this time, I recognized that I’d often spoken out of fear, because I constantly felt the need to explain myself. And although I’ve always been protective of my time, I never knew how to guard it fully, so I would let others steal away the moments I needed just for myself. This would make me feel anxious because I found it hard to say no to the things I didn’t want to do, and I’d then inevitably feel resentment toward myself.

Practicing silence taught me that silence isn’t uncomfortable, and that pausing for a few seconds before saying yes gives me a chance to connect with what I want and need.

It helped me realize that people only understand from their level of perception, so I stopped justifying my actions and choices. I stopped telling people more than they needed to know and kept my privacy sacred. I realized that when I stopped talking I was able to hear what my heart was telling me.

And it wasn’t just my voice I silenced; I also learned to silence my judgment. When I stopped judging people and situations, I surrendered my ego. I realized that no matter how much I tried to have things my way, I was bound for disappointment, so I learned to let go of the outcome.

This profound experience helped me to develop patience and understanding for people’s reactions and situations I encountered. I learned to control the way in which I responded to challenges and negativity around me.

At the time, I traveled often for work and remember experiencing countless delays at the airport due to bad weather conditions. I witnessed raging passengers lashing out on ground personnel in the most outrageous manner. I, too, would let unnecessary stress build up instead of accepting that this kind of situation was out of my control and recognizing that I could choose to stay calm and look for alternative responses.

Staying silent and observant broadened my perspective and helped me monitor my thoughts in order to understand situations better. This practice has brought an immense peace to my everyday life, helping me embrace patience and stay mindful toward myself and others.

While I understand that there will always be people I don’t agree with, I know that being judgmental is hurtful and unnecessary, and it takes away the positive energy that could be turned into something meaningful.

It certainly doesn’t feel good to be judged , so who gives me the right to judge others?

This realization helped me decide to stop gossiping. Each time I’d find myself in such a situation, I would tactfully change the course of conversation by bringing the person who initiated the gossip in the spotlight. People love to talk about themselves, and this has given me an opportunity to learn more about them and focus not only on the words they say but on their whole being and behavior.

When I stopped talking about the people I disliked, I moved on to the areas of my life that needed love and attention. I started focusing on my health, happiness, and personal growth. I chose to exchange the emotions of anger and resentment for feelings of love and acceptance.

Silencing my need to be judgmental also helped me to let go of the negative thoughts without getting emotionally attached. So, every time I’d encounter such a thought I would put it in writing. I’d let myself become aware of it, but wouldn’t let it overcome me and ruin the moment I was in. It helped me silence my emotions of fear and anger by staying observant and understanding why and when they reappeared.

We waste so much time on nonsense we don’t need to hear. We talk when we don’t have to because we are afraid of being misunderstood.

Let peace and quiet become your priority. Acknowledge the noise around you, but don’t try to fight it. When you accept that there will always be noise in your life, you’ll understand how easy it is to control it. Because there is always a way to turn it off.

You can switch off the blithering noise of your car radio, put your phone on silent, and turn off the notifications. You can stop reading the news and limit the time you spend on social media. You can stop listening to what you don’t want to hear.

And when you find it hard to escape the noise around you, start writing. When your brain is overloaded with information and longing for rest, help it by jotting down your thoughts, emotions, and ideas and unload some burdens, leaving room for it to relax and rejuvenate.

When you find silence, you find inner peace.

“Silence isn’t empty, it’s full of answers .” Can you hear it?

About T. R. Sebastien

As an avid world traveler, T. R. Sebastien has found a sense of freedom and self-appreciation while wandering. Through her writing, she helps women discover who they truly are and fall in love with their extraordinary traits. Check out her new book, Find Your True Self – The Healing Journal: Your Journey to Understanding, Loving and Accepting Yourself .

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Living in a Silent World

Lou Ann Walker's article highlights the need to provide deaf and hearing-impaired people with the same opportunities as the non-hearing-impaired have.

A few months ago, I installed, in my office, a TTY machine (a teletype telephone device with a coupler for the receiver that translates the bleeps into typed-out messages). Since then, I have received numerous telephone calls from people in my district (and out of my district, too) who wish to speak to an elected representative directly about problems, concerns or potential legislation.

In my opinion, every government office and every elected official should have at least one TTY machine. PAUL FEINER Westchester County Legislator White Plains

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What the data says about abortion in the U.S.

Pew Research Center has conducted many surveys about abortion over the years, providing a lens into Americans’ views on whether the procedure should be legal, among a host of other questions.

In a  Center survey  conducted nearly a year after the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision that  ended the constitutional right to abortion , 62% of U.S. adults said the practice should be legal in all or most cases, while 36% said it should be illegal in all or most cases. Another survey conducted a few months before the decision showed that relatively few Americans take an absolutist view on the issue .

Find answers to common questions about abortion in America, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, which have tracked these patterns for several decades:

How many abortions are there in the U.S. each year?

How has the number of abortions in the u.s. changed over time, what is the abortion rate among women in the u.s. how has it changed over time, what are the most common types of abortion, how many abortion providers are there in the u.s., and how has that number changed, what percentage of abortions are for women who live in a different state from the abortion provider, what are the demographics of women who have had abortions, when during pregnancy do most abortions occur, how often are there medical complications from abortion.

This compilation of data on abortion in the United States draws mainly from two sources: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which have regularly compiled national abortion data for approximately half a century, and which collect their data in different ways.

The CDC data that is highlighted in this post comes from the agency’s “abortion surveillance” reports, which have been published annually since 1974 (and which have included data from 1969). Its figures from 1973 through 1996 include data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and New York City – 52 “reporting areas” in all. Since 1997, the CDC’s totals have lacked data from some states (most notably California) for the years that those states did not report data to the agency. The four reporting areas that did not submit data to the CDC in 2021 – California, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey – accounted for approximately 25% of all legal induced abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to Guttmacher’s data. Most states, though,  do  have data in the reports, and the figures for the vast majority of them came from each state’s central health agency, while for some states, the figures came from hospitals and other medical facilities.

Discussion of CDC abortion data involving women’s state of residence, marital status, race, ethnicity, age, abortion history and the number of previous live births excludes the low share of abortions where that information was not supplied. Read the methodology for the CDC’s latest abortion surveillance report , which includes data from 2021, for more details. Previous reports can be found at  stacks.cdc.gov  by entering “abortion surveillance” into the search box.

For the numbers of deaths caused by induced abortions in 1963 and 1965, this analysis looks at reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. In computing those figures, we excluded abortions listed in the report under the categories “spontaneous or unspecified” or as “other.” (“Spontaneous abortion” is another way of referring to miscarriages.)

Guttmacher data in this post comes from national surveys of abortion providers that Guttmacher has conducted 19 times since 1973. Guttmacher compiles its figures after contacting every known provider of abortions – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, and it provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond to its inquiries. (In 2020, the last year for which it has released data on the number of abortions in the U.S., it used estimates for 12% of abortions.) For most of the 2000s, Guttmacher has conducted these national surveys every three years, each time getting abortion data for the prior two years. For each interim year, Guttmacher has calculated estimates based on trends from its own figures and from other data.

The latest full summary of Guttmacher data came in the institute’s report titled “Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2020.” It includes figures for 2020 and 2019 and estimates for 2018. The report includes a methods section.

In addition, this post uses data from StatPearls, an online health care resource, on complications from abortion.

An exact answer is hard to come by. The CDC and the Guttmacher Institute have each tried to measure this for around half a century, but they use different methods and publish different figures.

The last year for which the CDC reported a yearly national total for abortions is 2021. It found there were 625,978 abortions in the District of Columbia and the 46 states with available data that year, up from 597,355 in those states and D.C. in 2020. The corresponding figure for 2019 was 607,720.

The last year for which Guttmacher reported a yearly national total was 2020. It said there were 930,160 abortions that year in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, compared with 916,460 in 2019.

• How the CDC gets its data: It compiles figures that are voluntarily reported by states’ central health agencies, including separate figures for New York City and the District of Columbia. Its latest totals do not include figures from California, Maryland, New Hampshire or New Jersey, which did not report data to the CDC. ( Read the methodology from the latest CDC report .)
• How Guttmacher gets its data: It compiles its figures after contacting every known abortion provider – clinics, hospitals and physicians’ offices – in the country. It uses questionnaires and health department data, then provides estimates for abortion providers that don’t respond. Guttmacher’s figures are higher than the CDC’s in part because they include data (and in some instances, estimates) from all 50 states. ( Read the institute’s latest full report and methodology .)

While the Guttmacher Institute supports abortion rights, its empirical data on abortions in the U.S. has been widely cited by  groups  and  publications  across the political spectrum, including by a  number of those  that  disagree with its positions .

These estimates from Guttmacher and the CDC are results of multiyear efforts to collect data on abortion across the U.S. Last year, Guttmacher also began publishing less precise estimates every few months , based on a much smaller sample of providers.

The figures reported by these organizations include only legal induced abortions conducted by clinics, hospitals or physicians’ offices, or those that make use of abortion pills dispensed from certified facilities such as clinics or physicians’ offices. They do not account for the use of abortion pills that were obtained  outside of clinical settings .

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The annual number of U.S. abortions rose for years after Roe v. Wade legalized the procedure in 1973, reaching its highest levels around the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. Since then, abortions have generally decreased at what a CDC analysis called  “a slow yet steady pace.”

Guttmacher says the number of abortions occurring in the U.S. in 2020 was 40% lower than it was in 1991. According to the CDC, the number was 36% lower in 2021 than in 1991, looking just at the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported both of those years.

(The corresponding line graph shows the long-term trend in the number of legal abortions reported by both organizations. To allow for consistent comparisons over time, the CDC figures in the chart have been adjusted to ensure that the same states are counted from one year to the next. Using that approach, the CDC figure for 2021 is 622,108 legal abortions.)

There have been occasional breaks in this long-term pattern of decline – during the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, and then again in the late 2010s. The CDC reported modest 1% and 2% increases in abortions in 2018 and 2019, and then, after a 2% decrease in 2020, a 5% increase in 2021. Guttmacher reported an 8% increase over the three-year period from 2017 to 2020.

As noted above, these figures do not include abortions that use pills obtained outside of clinical settings.

Guttmacher says that in 2020 there were 14.4 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Its data shows that the rate of abortions among women has generally been declining in the U.S. since 1981, when it reported there were 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women in that age range.

The CDC says that in 2021, there were 11.6 abortions in the U.S. per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. (That figure excludes data from California, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.) Like Guttmacher’s data, the CDC’s figures also suggest a general decline in the abortion rate over time. In 1980, when the CDC reported on all 50 states and D.C., it said there were 25 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44.

That said, both Guttmacher and the CDC say there were slight increases in the rate of abortions during the late 2010s and early 2020s. Guttmacher says the abortion rate per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 rose from 13.5 in 2017 to 14.4 in 2020. The CDC says it rose from 11.2 per 1,000 in 2017 to 11.4 in 2019, before falling back to 11.1 in 2020 and then rising again to 11.6 in 2021. (The CDC’s figures for those years exclude data from California, D.C., Maryland, New Hampshire and New Jersey.)

The CDC broadly divides abortions into two categories: surgical abortions and medication abortions, which involve pills. Since the Food and Drug Administration first approved abortion pills in 2000, their use has increased over time as a share of abortions nationally, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher.

The majority of abortions in the U.S. now involve pills, according to both the CDC and Guttmacher. The CDC says 56% of U.S. abortions in 2021 involved pills, up from 53% in 2020 and 44% in 2019. Its figures for 2021 include the District of Columbia and 44 states that provided this data; its figures for 2020 include D.C. and 44 states (though not all of the same states as in 2021), and its figures for 2019 include D.C. and 45 states.

Guttmacher, which measures this every three years, says 53% of U.S. abortions involved pills in 2020, up from 39% in 2017.

Two pills commonly used together for medication abortions are mifepristone, which, taken first, blocks hormones that support a pregnancy, and misoprostol, which then causes the uterus to empty. According to the FDA, medication abortions are safe  until 10 weeks into pregnancy.

Surgical abortions conducted  during the first trimester  of pregnancy typically use a suction process, while the relatively few surgical abortions that occur  during the second trimester  of a pregnancy typically use a process called dilation and evacuation, according to the UCLA School of Medicine.

In 2020, there were 1,603 facilities in the U.S. that provided abortions,  according to Guttmacher . This included 807 clinics, 530 hospitals and 266 physicians’ offices.

While clinics make up half of the facilities that provide abortions, they are the sites where the vast majority (96%) of abortions are administered, either through procedures or the distribution of pills, according to Guttmacher’s 2020 data. (This includes 54% of abortions that are administered at specialized abortion clinics and 43% at nonspecialized clinics.) Hospitals made up 33% of the facilities that provided abortions in 2020 but accounted for only 3% of abortions that year, while just 1% of abortions were conducted by physicians’ offices.

Looking just at clinics – that is, the total number of specialized abortion clinics and nonspecialized clinics in the U.S. – Guttmacher found the total virtually unchanged between 2017 (808 clinics) and 2020 (807 clinics). However, there were regional differences. In the Midwest, the number of clinics that provide abortions increased by 11% during those years, and in the West by 6%. The number of clinics  decreased  during those years by 9% in the Northeast and 3% in the South.

The total number of abortion providers has declined dramatically since the 1980s. In 1982, according to Guttmacher, there were 2,908 facilities providing abortions in the U.S., including 789 clinics, 1,405 hospitals and 714 physicians’ offices.

The CDC does not track the number of abortion providers.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that provided abortion and residency information to the CDC in 2021, 10.9% of all abortions were performed on women known to live outside the state where the abortion occurred – slightly higher than the percentage in 2020 (9.7%). That year, D.C. and 46 states (though not the same ones as in 2021) reported abortion and residency data. (The total number of abortions used in these calculations included figures for women with both known and unknown residential status.)

The share of reported abortions performed on women outside their state of residence was much higher before the 1973 Roe decision that stopped states from banning abortion. In 1972, 41% of all abortions in D.C. and the 20 states that provided this information to the CDC that year were performed on women outside their state of residence. In 1973, the corresponding figure was 21% in the District of Columbia and the 41 states that provided this information, and in 1974 it was 11% in D.C. and the 43 states that provided data.

In the District of Columbia and the 46 states that reported age data to  the CDC in 2021, the majority of women who had abortions (57%) were in their 20s, while about three-in-ten (31%) were in their 30s. Teens ages 13 to 19 accounted for 8% of those who had abortions, while women ages 40 to 44 accounted for about 4%.

The vast majority of women who had abortions in 2021 were unmarried (87%), while married women accounted for 13%, according to  the CDC , which had data on this from 37 states.

In the District of Columbia, New York City (but not the rest of New York) and the 31 states that reported racial and ethnic data on abortion to  the CDC , 42% of all women who had abortions in 2021 were non-Hispanic Black, while 30% were non-Hispanic White, 22% were Hispanic and 6% were of other races.

Looking at abortion rates among those ages 15 to 44, there were 28.6 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic Black women in 2021; 12.3 abortions per 1,000 Hispanic women; 6.4 abortions per 1,000 non-Hispanic White women; and 9.2 abortions per 1,000 women of other races, the  CDC reported  from those same 31 states, D.C. and New York City.

For 57% of U.S. women who had induced abortions in 2021, it was the first time they had ever had one,  according to the CDC.  For nearly a quarter (24%), it was their second abortion. For 11% of women who had an abortion that year, it was their third, and for 8% it was their fourth or more. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

Nearly four-in-ten women who had abortions in 2021 (39%) had no previous live births at the time they had an abortion,  according to the CDC . Almost a quarter (24%) of women who had abortions in 2021 had one previous live birth, 20% had two previous live births, 10% had three, and 7% had four or more previous live births. These CDC figures include data from 41 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

The vast majority of abortions occur during the first trimester of a pregnancy. In 2021, 93% of abortions occurred during the first trimester – that is, at or before 13 weeks of gestation,  according to the CDC . An additional 6% occurred between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, and about 1% were performed at 21 weeks or more of gestation. These CDC figures include data from 40 states and New York City, but not the rest of New York.

About 2% of all abortions in the U.S. involve some type of complication for the woman , according to an article in StatPearls, an online health care resource. “Most complications are considered minor such as pain, bleeding, infection and post-anesthesia complications,” according to the article.

The CDC calculates  case-fatality rates for women from induced abortions – that is, how many women die from abortion-related complications, for every 100,000 legal abortions that occur in the U.S .  The rate was lowest during the most recent period examined by the agency (2013 to 2020), when there were 0.45 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. The case-fatality rate reported by the CDC was highest during the first period examined by the agency (1973 to 1977), when it was 2.09 deaths to women per 100,000 legal induced abortions. During the five-year periods in between, the figure ranged from 0.52 (from 1993 to 1997) to 0.78 (from 1978 to 1982).

The CDC calculates death rates by five-year and seven-year periods because of year-to-year fluctuation in the numbers and due to the relatively low number of women who die from legal induced abortions.

In 2020, the last year for which the CDC has information , six women in the U.S. died due to complications from induced abortions. Four women died in this way in 2019, two in 2018, and three in 2017. (These deaths all followed legal abortions.) Since 1990, the annual number of deaths among women due to legal induced abortion has ranged from two to 12.

The annual number of reported deaths from induced abortions (legal and illegal) tended to be higher in the 1980s, when it ranged from nine to 16, and from 1972 to 1979, when it ranged from 13 to 63. One driver of the decline was the drop in deaths from illegal abortions. There were 39 deaths from illegal abortions in 1972, the last full year before Roe v. Wade. The total fell to 19 in 1973 and to single digits or zero every year after that. (The number of deaths from legal abortions has also declined since then, though with some slight variation over time.)

The number of deaths from induced abortions was considerably higher in the 1960s than afterward. For instance, there were 119 deaths from induced abortions in  1963  and 99 in  1965 , according to reports by the then-U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, a precursor to the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC is a division of Health and Human Services.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published May 27, 2022, and first updated June 24, 2022.

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