Induced Termination of Pregnancy (ITOP) Reporting Highlights

The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) began routine abortion surveillance in 2000 to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions, also known as induced termination of pregnancy (ITOP). Abortion surveillance provides the data necessary to examine the trend in total numbers, as well as the demographic characteristics of women who obtain legal induced abortions and to increase the awareness of an additional aspect in the spectrum of pregnancy outcomes. These data are necessary to improve the health and wellbeing of both women and infants.

In Oklahoma, "abortion" is defined as the purposeful termination of a human pregnancy, by any person with an intention other than to produce a live birth or to remove a dead unborn child (63 O.S. Section 1-730). Abortion may legally be performed if the unborn child is less than 24 weeks which at which point the law defines unborn child as viable (63 O.S. Section 1-738).

Reporting of abortions is required by Oklahoma statute (63 O.S. Section 1-738). These reports are legal records maintained by the Oklahoma State Department of Health and are designed to collect information for statistical and research purposes only. For convenience and in accordance with Oklahoma statute (63 O.S. Section 1-738) the following document has been provided which contains all Oklahoma Statues and regulations directly related to abortion at the following link: Abortion Statutes (PDF, 853 KB).

On November 1, 2010 law was added and went into effect March 1, 2012 that requires any physician performing abortions to fully complete and submit, electronically, an “Individual Abortion Form” to the State Department of Health by the last business day of the calendar month following the month in which the physician performs an abortion, for each abortion the physician performs. This law also provided the information that shall be collected on the form. Additionally, law went into effect that requires any physician practicing in Oklahoma who encounters an illness or injury that a reasonably knowledgeable physician would judge is related to an induced abortion shall complete and submit, electronically or by regular mail, a “Complications of Induced Abortion Report” to the Department as soon as is practicable after the encounter with the induced-abortion-related illness or injury, but in no case more than sixty (60) days after such an encounter.

Non-Compliance

The law states “Individual Abortion Forms or Complications of Induced Abortion Reports that are not submitted by the end of a grace period of thirty (30) days following the due date shall be subject to a late fee of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each additional thirty-day period the forms or reports are overdue.  Any physician required to report in accordance with the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act who has not completed and electronically submitted a form or report, or has submitted only an incomplete form or report, more than one (1) year following the due date shall be precluded from renewing his or her license until such fines are paid in full and outstanding forms or reports are submitted, and may, in an action brought by the State Department of Health, be directed by a court of competent jurisdiction to electronically submit completed forms or reports within a period stated by court order or be subject to sanctions for civil contempt.

Anyone who knowingly or recklessly fails to submit an Individual Abortion Form or Complications of Induced Abortion Report, or submits false information under the Statistical Abortion Reporting Act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Links to ITOP Reporting Forms and Registration Information

Sample ITOP reporting forms can be found at the hyperlinks below, are included in these educational materials, and are available at the OSDH ITOP site: http://www.ok.gov/health/Data_and_Statistics/Center_For_Health_Statistics/Health_Care_Information/Induced_Termination_of_Pregnancy/index.html

The following sample documents outline all of the information collected on the official forms which shall be completed and filed electronically. For access to the official forms, please read the information below regarding registration.    

• Individual Abortion Form - effective Nov. 1, 2013 (PDF, 440 KB)
•  Complication of Induced Abortion Report (PDF, 82 KB)

Registration

If you are a provider who performs abortions as defined by Oklahoma statute or needing to complete and file an “Individual Abortion Form” and/or a “Complication of Induced Abortion Report” as required by Oklahoma statute please register by clicking this link:  Registration Form.

Other Forms

• Physician Medical Emergency Affidavit (PDF, 440 KB)
• Parental Consent Form (PDF, 82 KB)
• Consent of a Minor & Parental Consent Statement (PDF, 551 KB)

ITOP Reports

The Abortion Surveillance in Oklahoma 2002-2012 (PDF, 442 KB) report contains data about legally induced terminations of pregnancy in Oklahoma during 2002-2012.

Detailed statistics are available on OK2SHARE by year from 2002 to present, by county, select demographics, type of procedure and gestational age. In addition, certain reports are available by year and county.

Contact Information

If you have questions please contact:

Health Care Information
1000 NE 10th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73117
Phone: (405) 271.6225
Fax: (405) 271.9061