Why US Abortion Rates Start To Decline Despite Increased Access To Women's Health Care

The abortion rate in the United States is said to have decreased although there was an increase in terms of access to women's health care. Various protests took place last year that were organized by women and other pro-abortion activists, claiming a woman should be free to make choices regarding her life although Texas passed a number of new bills regulating abortion centers, which were subsequently blocked by the Supreme Court.

The decrease in the number of women getting an abortion was reported by the Guttmacher Institute. According to Catholic Online, Americans United for Life acting president Clarke Forsythe said such report should not be celebrated yet because the decrease is just a grain of salt in the abortion industry.

The latest finding is the lowest since 1973. Even though pro-life leaders and activists are happy with the steady decrease, they questioned the accuracy as some abortions are not reported.

The Guttmacher Institute, which provides research and analysis to advance sexual and reproductive health rights, released the report on Jan. 17, noting the rate of abortions for every 1,000 women belonging in the 15-44 age bracket, fell by 14 percent from 2011 to 2014. The number of pregnancies ending in abortion, except miscarriages, also had an 11 percent decrease in 2011.

The overall abortion rate has been declining from 2008 through 2011, with a 13 percent drop. But the peak of the percentage of abortions was dated back in 1980 through 1981, wherein 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women were recorded.

Guttmacher Institute believed the major factor affecting the decline of women resorting to abortion is the use of contraceptives, The Register-Herald reported. Dr. Rachel Jones, the principal research scientist at the Guttmacher Insitute, said couples are using contraception more effectively in the recent years and most of the contraceptive devices used are intra-uterine device and long-acting reversible contraceptives.

Another reason for the decline in abortion rate is the fact that fewer women are getting pregnant. Other minor causes for the decline are the restrictions on abortion, the regulation of abortion clinics and the 20-week abortion bans, which were recently passed.

Are you pro-life or pro-choice? What are your thoughts about abortion's declining rate in the U.S.? Sound off below!