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 The rate declined to 16.9 abortions per 1,000 women between the
ages of 15 and 44 in 2011, the latest year studied, which was well
below the 1981 peak of 29.3 per 1,000 and the lowest since 1973 when
the rate was 16.3 per 1,000, the study from Guttmacher Institute
showed.
"With abortion rates falling in almost all states, our study did not
find evidence that the national decline in abortions during this
period was the result of new state abortion restrictions. We also
found no evidence that the decline was linked to a drop in the
number of abortion providers during this period," says Rachel Jones,
lead author of the study.
The decline in abortions coincided with a drop in overall pregnancy
and birth rates, and contraceptive use and methods improved during
the period, Jones said. The recent recession also led many women and
couples to want to avoid or delay pregnancy and childbearing.
The study also found that the total number of abortion providers
declined by only 4 percent between 2008 and 2011, and the number of
clinics, which provide the large majority of abortion services,
declined by just 1 percent.
While the overall abortion rate declined, the proportion of
abortions that were early medication procedures continued to
increase, according to the study.
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An estimated 239,400 early medication abortions were performed in
2011, representing 23 percent of all nonhospital abortions, an
increase from 17 percent in 2008. The study estimated that 59
percent of all known abortion providers offer this service.
(Reporting By Angela Moon; editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
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