New Study: Abortion Rates Stalling After Long Decline

A new study by the Guttmacher Institute has found that abortion rates in the U.S. have plateaued in the past few years after a decade of decline. Research showed that abortion rates remained virtually unchanged from 2005 to 2008 in a study surveying over 2,300 abortion-providing sites in the country.

"[The data] suggest that we're not doing enough to help women avoid unintended pregnancy," said Rachel K. Jones, a senior research associate at the Guttmacher Institute. Jones further speculated that rough economic times, increasing rates of unintended pregnancy, and lack of improvement in women's contraceptive use were contributing factors to the stall in abortion rates as well. The women getting abortions may have lost access to health care or couldn't afford birth control. Jones also suggested that the women may not have been able to provide for a family due to the economy and lower wages.

In a time when women's health care is still facing threats by anti-choice politicians and extremists, comprehensive sex ed, affordable birth control, and access to safe abortions are more important than ever.

"The first step we can take as a nation is to increase access to affordable contraception," said Planned Parenthood Federation of America in a statement to CNN. "The most effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy, and reduce the need for abortion, is to improve access to affordable birth control."

Technorati tags: Planned Parenthood, Abortion, Women's Health