A Guttmacher Institute study says that the U.S. rate of abortions is at its lowest level since 1973.
Let’s talk a little bit about anti-abortion politicians who want to limit access to contraceptives. If your actual political goal was to lower the rate of abortions, you should advocate on behalf of the ACA (which made contraceptives a lot more affordable) or a more-universal replacement (which would drive the rate even lower), and Planned Parenthood (a major contraceptive supplier, especially to low-income women, who are most likely to need abortions). The abortion rate has been going down in part because of the ACA (sources in comments).
But Republican politicians are against all of those things.
I believe that Republican politicians know that their policies – which are the main reason most anti-abortion voters vote for them – actually *increase* the rate of abortion, thereby worsening the very problem that gets them re-elected. It’s a long con, which creates a feedback loop that keeps them in power, not a sincere effort to prevent abortions.
SOURCES:
- American Medical Association’s newsletter: “…a report from the Guttmacher Institute revealed that ‘the rate of abortions in the United States has fallen to its lowest level since the 1973 Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade.’ …study authors Rachel Jones and Jenna Jerman ‘said the latest phase of the decline was likely the result of two main factors: the increased availability of affordable, long-lasting contraceptives that have reduced unintended pregnancies, and the surge of abortion restrictions in many states that have forced some clinics to close and hindered many women’s access to the procedure.'”
- AP: “Guttmacher’s state-by-state breakdown showed big declines in abortions in some liberal states, such as California, that protect abortion rights, and also in some conservative states, such as Texas, that have passed laws to restrict abortions. …progress in reducing unintended pregnancies could be derailed by efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, a major supplier of contraceptives, and to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which greatly expanded health-insurance coverage of contraceptives.”
- WaPo: “Abortion falls to lowest level since Roe v. Wade”
- USA Today: “U.S. abortion rate drops to lowest level since Roe v. Wade”
[Note from the future: NYMHM grew out of these public posts from Joanne Merriam’s Facebook account. We retain them here in archives to provide a record going back to the beginning of Trump’s presidency.]