Report: Global Abortion Rate Drops as Contraception Rate Rises

By Dan Gilgoff, God & Country

A new report by the pro-abortion rights Guttmacher Institute finds that the international abortion rate has dropped significantly in recent years as access to contraception has improved.

My fellow U.S. Newser Deborah Kotz has the goods:

Global abortion rates are down—from an estimated 45.5 million in 1995 to 41.6 million in 2003, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research center that supports abortion rights. A key reason for that drop, the report said, was that the proportion of married women using contraception worldwide increased from 54 percent in 1990 to 63 percent in 2003 as pregnancy prevention methods became more available and socially acceptable.

I'm eager to see how religious conservatives are reacting to this. Please send tips my way.

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