The number of abortion facilities nationwide has decreased by nearly one-quarter over the last five years, with 60 facilities shuttered in 2014 alone.
A total of 551 clinics remain open nationwide, the smallest figure in more than two decades, according to a survey released Monday by the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue.
Abortion facility closures have increased since the Republican wave of 2010, when the GOP took over the House and made gains in state legislatures around the country.
Since then, a staggering 200 new abortion rules have passed through state legislatures. The disappearance of the clinics comes as the rate of abortions nationwide continues its decades-long decline.
The number of abortion clinics closed this year is less than the record 93 clinics closed in 2013, which saw a wave of laws in states such as Texas close clinics.
Texas has been a symbol in the state-level abortion debate since the passage of its harsh abortion law in 2013, which drew national attention with the help of a marathon filibuster from then-state Sen. Wendy Davis.
Much of the law was put on hold by the Supreme Court in October, though a lengthy legal battle is still ahead.
As a country we need to unite to protect a women’s right to chose. It is imperative that women seeking abortion care have safe, quality services available. Many women find them selves having to travel to other states to find a provider.
It is acceptable for many providers in every state to offer vasectomies to men. Women should have the same reproductive rights that men do.