Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States
2019
This report from the Guttmacher Institute shares 2017 data on abortions and services in the U.S. The researchers found a 7 percent decline in the usage of abortion services between 2014 and 2017. The abortion rate for 2017 was also the lowest since the legalization of abortion in the U.S. in 1973—13.5 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15-44. The researchers proposed a few explanations for the declines in abortion: There has been a decline in the fertility rate in the U.S., and there have also been improvements in contraceptives. According to the report, the number of women aged 15-44 using long-acting reversible contraceptive methods increased by 23 percent.
The report also noted that drugs similar to those used in the U.S. for medication-induced abortions (mifepristone and misoprostol) are more readily available over the internet. One internet provider, Aid Access, prescribed the regimen 2,500 times—implying that the actual abortion rate in the U.S. could be higher than what is reported. However, the researchers did note that laws restricting abortions likely had little to do with the reported declines in abortion. A policy review also accompanies the report.
Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States
Source:
Jones R et al. Abortion Incidence and Service Availability in the United States, 2017. Guttmacher Institute 2019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1363/2019.30760.