Number of Abortions in US Drops to Decade Low

The number of abortions being performed in the US appears to have dropped sharply over the last decade. The CDC released figures showing that 638,169 abortions were logged in reporting areas in 2015, down from 852,385 in 2006, reports Reuters. That translates into a drop of 15.9 abortions per 1,000 women in 2006 to 11.8 per 1,000 women in 2015. The numbers have dropped each year in that 10-year span. One caveat: California, Maryland, and New Hampshire did not participate in the CDC stats, notes the Washington Post. Still, while the numbers are not 100% complete, they are believed to accurately capture the nationwide trend. Better access to birth control and various states' efforts to restrict abortions were seen as two big reasons for the decline.

Some of the stats:

• Age: Most of the women getting abortions were in their 20s, reports CNN, with 31.1% aged 20-24 and 27.6% aged 25-29.
• Race: White women had the lowest rate, 6.8 abortions per 1,000 women, while black women had the highest, at 25.1 per 1,000.
• Location: Rates in the reporting states ranged from 2.8 per 1,000 in South Dakota to 23.1 per 1,000 in New York.
• When: 91% of the abortions happened at 13 weeks or less of gestation.

(The issue factored in the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.)