Abortion rate lowest since Roe

THE ANNUAL number of U.S. abortions dropped below 1 million for the first time since Roe vs. Wade, with state-level abortion restrictions a likely cause, a new study reports.

The figures released Tuesday from the Guttmacher Institute indicated there were 926,200 abortions in 2014 — down 12.5% from its last previous survey in 2011.

The reported dropoff was fairly consistent across the county, with 44 states reporting fewer abortions over the three-year span.

The rate of 14.6 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 was the lowest since the Supreme Court’s ruling made legalized abortion the law of the land in 1973.

Rachel Jones, the lead author of the study, noted that 75% of abortion patients are facing financial troubles and are already raising other children.

“It can be very difficult for them to arrange for time off from work, transportation and child care,” said Jones. “Some of the abortion rate decline is likely attributable to women who were prevented from accessing needed services.”

The authors said the increased availability of long-acting reversible contraceptives, including IUDs and implants, was another factor in the drop.