Over the last four decades, the U.S. has become the worldwide leader in abortion. Nationwide, nearly 50 million legal abortions were performed from 1973 to 2008. While the exact number of abortions performed in Alabama prior to their legalization in 1973 is unknown, more than 505,000 abortions have been performed since the Roe v. Wade decision. This total is double that of Birmingham’s current municipal population of 229,800.