| CNN | - |
(CNN)
-- Abortion rates in the United States are at their lowest in 40 years,
according to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute.
Abortion rates lowest in 40 years
updated 12:47 PM EST, Mon February 3, 2014
More abortions are being performed in the first nine weeks of pregnancy using medications like RU-486, according to the report.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Abortion rates are at their lowest since 1973 when it was legalized
- Between 2008 and 2011, the abortion rate fell 13%
- Several variables affect abortion rates, including the economy and access to contraception
- "3,000 unborn children are still killed every day," National Right to Life says
In 2011, the U.S. abortion rate was 16.9 abortions per every 1,000 women aged 15 to 44, the lowest it's been since abortion was legalized in 1973.
Between 2008 and 2011, the abortion rate fell 13%, resuming the downward trend that had stalled between 2005 and 2008.
"The decline in abortions
coincided with a steep national drop in overall pregnancy and birth
rates," Rachel Jones, lead author of the study, said in a statement.
"Contraceptive use improved during this period. ... Moreover, the recent
recession led many women and couples to want to avoid or delay
pregnancy and childbearing."
The study, "Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2011," is available online and will be published in the March issue of the journal Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
As Jones said, several
variables affect abortion rates, including the economy, access to
contraception and the availability of abortion services.
The pregnancy rate is the
lowest it has been in 12 years. It's possible that since there were
fewer overall pregnancies, there were also fewer unintended pregnancies
during this time period. Both could be attributed to an uptick in more
effective contraception use, the study authors say.
Previous studies have shown that offering free contraception to women may prevent abortions.
Longer-term methods, such as intrauterine devices, are as much as 20
times more effective at preventing unintended pregnancies than methods
that require constant action, such as the birth control pill or vaginal
ring.
"Access to a range of
birth control methods is playing an important role in reducing
unintended pregnancy and decreasing the need for abortion," Cecile
Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in
a statement. "This report comes just as some politicians and
corporations are trying to make it harder for women to get birth control
by chipping away at the historic benefit in the Affordable Care Act
that requires insurance plans to cover birth control without a copay."
Women's access to
certain types of abortion providers also matters, the study authors say.
In 2011, abortion clinics represented just 19% of facilities offering
abortion services. Yet clinics performed approximately 63% of the
procedures. The researchers concluded that "the number of clinics in
particular may be a more important indicator of access than the total
number of providers."
The total number of
abortion providers declined 4% between 2008 and 2011, according to the
study. The number of clinics declined 1% nationwide, with much higher
rates of decline in Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Oklahoma and Vermont, which
each lost one clinic. Although one clinic closure may seem
insignificant, it may have contributed to the larger-than-average
decline in the abortion rates in Kansas and Oklahoma, the study authors
say.
An estimated 239,400
early medication abortions were performed in 2011, 20% more than in
2008. The vast majority -- 98% -- were done using Mifepristone, more
commonly known as RU-486. Mifepristone was approved in 2000 in the
United States. It is used to block the hormone progesterone in women who
are up to nine weeks pregnant.
"Heavy promotion of
RU-486 and chemical abortions has really had an impact," Randall K.
O'Bannon, director of education and research with the National Right to
Life Committee, told CNN in 2011. "(Women) would consider abortion when
they might not consider it before."
National Right to Life recently released its own report on "The State of Abortion in the United States,"
which states that more than "3,000 unborn children are still killed
every day." The anti-abortion organization says the recent drop in the
abortion rate can be attributed to legislative efforts at the state and
federal levels.
"Abortion remains widely
available. But after years of being told that abortion was 'the best
choice' or 'their only choice,' women are learning that there are
alternatives to abortion that affirm their lives and the lives of their
children," President Carol Tobias said in a statement. "The bottom line
is simple: the right-to-life movement is succeeding because even after
41 years and more than 56 million abortions, the conscience of our
nation knows that killing unborn children is wrong."
Between 2008 and 2010,
44 laws related to abortion were implemented in 18 states, according to
the report. Most did not likely have an effect on the abortion rate, the
study authors say, but a few may have. For example, a new law in
Missouri that requires a woman to attend an in-person counseling session
24 hours before an abortion may have attributed to the state's 17%
decline.
An additional 62 laws
related to abortion were passed in 2011. Most did not go into effect
until October, the study authors say, so it's unlikely they had an
effect on the report's numbers. However, they may contribute to a change
in abortion rates in the future.
"Over the past three
years, we have seen an unparalleled attack on abortion rights at the
state level, and these new restrictions are making it harder for women
to access services and for providers to keep clinic doors open,"
Elizabeth Nash, state issues manager at Guttmacher, said in a press
release.
"As we monitor trends in
abortion going forward, it is critical that we also monitor whether
these state restrictions are preventing women who need abortion services
from accessing them."
The Guttmacher Institute
study does have its limitations. The study authors were unable to get
in touch with every abortion provider, and some providing early
medication abortions may have been missed.
"As welcome as news of this decline is, more information is needed," said Chuck Donovan, president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute.
"The Guttmacher data is based on completely voluntary reporting by
abortion providers. Until we have consistent reporting requirements,
inclusive of states with high abortion rates and gathered by publicly
accountable bodies, we cannot begin to paint a complete picture of U.S
abortion trends."
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