Abortions Decline Nationwide As Multiple Factors Are Cited
An Associated Press survey says abortions nationwide are down about 12 percent since 2010. Some attribute the decline to greater access to effective contraception, while others point to shifting societal values.
The Associated Press:
AP Exclusive: Abortions Declining In Nearly All States
Abortions have declined in states where new laws make it harder to have them — but they've also waned in states where abortion rights are protected, an Associated Press survey finds. Nearly everywhere, in red states and blue, abortions are down since 2010. Explanations vary. Abortion-rights advocates attribute it to expanded access to effective contraceptives and a drop in unintended pregnancies. Some foes of abortion say there has been a shift in societal attitudes, with more women choosing to carry their pregnancies to term. ... Nationwide, the AP survey showed a decrease in abortions of about 12 percent since 2010. One major factor has been a decline in the teen pregnancy rate, which in 2010 reached its lowest level in decades. There's been no official update since then, but the teen birth rate has continued to drop, which experts say signals a similar trend for teen pregnancies. (Crary, 6/7)
The Associated Press:
State-By-State Trends In Annual Number Of Abortions
The Associated Press has collected the latest annual numbers of abortions from health departments in all 45 states that compile such data on a comprehensive basis. This table shows the results, comparing the most recent numbers — mostly from 2013 or 2014 — to 2010, the year before legislative efforts intensified of efforts in many states to enact new restrictions affecting access to abortion. (6/7)
The Chicago Tribune:
Abortion Numbers Fall In Illinois, Mirroring National Trend
The annual number of abortions in Illinois is continuing to fall, reflecting a national trend and reaching the lowest point in a decades-long decline. The latest figures show that there were 40,750 surgical abortions performed in Illinois in 2013, which is 2.6 percent fewer than the 41,859 performed in 2010, Illinois Department of Public Health data show. The numbers do not include abortions induced by prescription-only pills containing the drug mifepristone, also known as RU-486. (6/7)
