Abortions drop to record lows, pro-life laws credited, says think tank
The number of abortion cases in the United States dropped to record lows for the first time in more than forty years, according to a study conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute, a research group known to back abortion.
The report titled "Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2014" said that in 2014, an estimated 926,200 abortions took place in the United States, 12 percent fewer compared to 2011 statistics. "The 2014 abortion rate was 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44, representing a 14 percent decline over this period," the study added. The numbers were also seen to be the lowest since 1975, as it failed to hit the one million mark.
The report attributed the drop partly to pro-life laws enacted in different parts of the country over the last five years, which have discouraged mothers from undergoing the procedure. These laws have made it more difficult for women to gain access to abortion, especially in highly restrictive states. "Abortion restrictions and clinic closures mean that patients may need to travel greater distances to access services," said Rachel Jones, one of the two authors of the study.
Jones also noted that 75 percent of the patients are mostly poor, with nearly two-thirds of which are already parents. These factors translate to inability to take leave from work and travel to the clinics that would require them to spend more for transportation, among others.
Furthermore, the group also stressed that improved contraceptive use facilitated for the decline of unintended pregnancy rate, citing a study published on The New England Journal of Medicine website. The report also highlighted that 95 percent of abortions in the United States were performed in clinics, and that the number of clinics offering abortion decreased by six percent in 2014 compared to 2011.
Meanwhile, Megan Donovan, senior policy manager for Guttmacher, explained in a news release that restrictions to access to abortion "may force women to delay the procedure or carry unwanted pregnancies to term." She further proposed that attention be shifted to increasing access to different types of contraceptive methods as well as abortion services. "Empowering women to prevent unintended pregnancies and plan their families is both a human rights priority and smart public health policy," she added.
