Abortion Rates Hit Record Low In Utah

Statistics show that Utah has experienced a record low abortion rate fall since the state began keeping birth termination records in 1973 after the landmark case Roe v. Wade.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that while the number of women in their childbearing years in Utah has doubled since that time, the number of women who terminated their pregnancies last year was only 2,893-this is below the national average of the typical stage, as statistics show that four in 10 of unwanted pregnancies in America are aborted.

"From our perspective, fewer abortions are a great thing," said Laurie Baksh, with the Utah Department of Health's Maternal and Infant Health Program, via the news organization. "It would be interesting to know a little bit more about why that trend is happening." 

Some health officials have attributed the drop to a number of things, including the Great Recession, better contraceptives and more restrictive abortion laws.

Furthermore, the Guttmacher Institute has reported that abortion rates among women of childbearing age have fallen to around 28 per 1,000 in 2008 compared to 35 in 1995.

Oftentimes, many abortions occur in underdeveloped countries where procedures are not regulated and can be unsafe for the mother.

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