FYI – U.S. Abortions Hit 40 Year Low; Lowest Rate Since 1973

Abortion Record Low Decline FYI U.S. Abortions Hit 40 Year Low; Lowest Rate Since 1973

Teen pregnancies in general are at an all time low, and teen pregnancies specifically among black teens are down by 51%. Yes! Today, we’ve also learned that abortions have hit their lowest rate since 1973, when it was first legalized. This according to pro-rights group, Guttmacher Institute in New York. The abortion rate is down by 13% with 16.9 pregnancies out of 1,000 ending in termination. At its peak under the Reagan administration, which also saw hard economic times, 29.3 pregnancies ended in termination.

Education and more widely available birth control are the keys here, and shows like Teen Mom on MTV, I believe, play a huge part culturally. Access to abortions have declined as well, with 4% of providers closing during 2008-2011, most of which are in states with already low abortions rates. But even still, approximately 1.1.million pregnancies end in abortion today. I know through better education and health resources, we can reduce that number even further. We don’t have to force women to stop having abortions through politics and religion, but we can educate all women into making better choices as far as family planning to end the need for abortions, except when medically necessary.

[Chart via Mother Jones]