The total number of abortions, the rate of abortions per 1,000 women, and the ratio of abortions to live births all reached historic lows in 2011, according to a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports.
Analysis of data in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s surveillance program of abortions in the United States showed a total of 730,322 abortions in 2011, the most recent year for which complete data are available. This represents a 5% decrease from the total in 2010, said Karen Pazol, Ph.D., of the division of reproductive health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC, Atlanta, and her associates (MMWR 2014;63(SS11):1-41).
The overall rate of abortions was 13.9 per 1,000 women of childbearing age (15-44 years). When broken down by age, abortion rates dropped by 21% among women aged 20-24 years and by 16% among women aged 25-29 years, the two age groups that account for the majority of the procedures.
The abortion rate also declined among adolescents aged 15-19 years by 34%, the largest reduction in any age group. This suggests that adolescent pregnancies continue to decline in the United States, the investigators said.
In contrast, the abortion rate increased by 8% among women aged 40 years and older, indicating that unintended pregnancy continues to be a problem throughout women’s reproductive years.
The percentage of abortions performed at 8 or fewer weeks’ gestation increased 6%, to 64.5% of all procedures, in 2011. The use of early medical abortion has risen 200% since the Food and Drug Administration approved mifespristone in 2002.
There is still a “small but persistent” percentage of women (8.6%) who obtain abortions after 13 weeks’ gestation. “A better understanding is needed of the factors that cause delays in obtaining abortions,” Dr. Pazol and her associates said.
The ratio of abortions to live births in 2011 declined 4% from the ratio in the preceding year, to 219 abortions per 1,000 live births.
Dr. Pazol and her associates reported having no financial disclosures.