The Guttmacher Institute has published its latest report on the number of abortions in the United States. This fell to its lowest level in 2014. The authors explained that, “For the first time since 1975, the number of abortions in the United States has fallen below one million, namely to 958,700 in 2013 and 926,000 in 2014”. This represents a fall of 14% since 2011.
This decrease “could be partly explained by increasing restrictions on accessing this procedure in numerous states” and by “the substantial decline in the number of clinics practising abortions”. Other studies have shown that “the number of unwanted pregnancies has fallen considerably (…), suggesting that there is less need for abortions”. Finally, the argument of “easier access to contraception”has also been raised.
One study of the international data provided by this Institute and the World Health Organisation showed that, between 1990 and 2014, “the total number of abortions performed per 1,000 women of child-bearing age fell from 46 to 27 in developed countries”. In developing countries, this figure fell from 39 to 37 per 1000.
AFP (17/01/2017)