Contraception and Fewer Unintended Pregnancies Likely Drove 2011–2014 Abortion Decline
January 17, 2017
News Release

But the Changing Political Landscape Imperils Access to Essential Reproductive Health Care

In 2014, the U.S. abortion rate reached the lowest level ever recorded. A new analysis in the Guttmacher Policy Review argues that improved contraceptive use resulting in fewer unintended pregnancies likely played a larger role than new state abortion restrictions in the decline between 2011 and 2014. Although the available data suggest that both factors contributed to lower abortion rates, most of the decline in the number of abortions (62%) occurred in the 28 states (and DC) that did not have major new abortion restrictions in effect.

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Source, Guttmacher Institute: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/contraception-and-fewer-unintended-pregnancies-likely-drove-2011-2014-abortion