A study on legal abortion in the U.S. during 1973 and the 1st quarter of 1974 revealed the following facts: 1) the number of abortions reported has risen every year since states began relaxing their abortion laws 2) the legal abortion plateau has not yet been reached 3) changes in the distribution of legal abortions following the Supreme Court decisions of 1973 varied according to whether a state previously had a liberal or conservative abortion policy 4) 90% of the increase in abortions between the 1st quarter of 1973 and the 1st quarter of 1974 took place in nonhospital abortion clinics and 5) public hospitals have been slowest of all medical facilities to respond to the 1973 Supreme Court decision. The methodology and data analysis of the study are discussed. Specific reference is made to variations among the different sections of the country changes in the pattern of abortion delivery the extent to which the Supreme Court decisions are being implemented and the way in which different types of health institutions are responding to the new situation relative to abortion.