I am happy to share some positive news regarding abortion.  Below is a summary by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of an Associated Press report earlier this summer. It is not clear whether this is happening from restrictive laws or better birth control.  Either way, a reduction of abortions is data that everyone should be pleased to discover.

Abortions are Declining Nationwide

The Gist: Nearly everywhere in America the rate of abortions has declined since 2010, says the Associated Press.

The Facts:

• The Associated Press obtained the most recent abortion numbers from the health departments of all 45 states that compile such data on a comprehensive basis. (States not compiling such data are California, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Wyoming.)
• Although the U.S. population has increased by 9 million, the survey found a nationwide decrease in abortions of about 12 percent since 2010.
• The biggest decrease in abortion, percentage-wise, was in Hawaii, where abortions fell from 3,064 in 2010 to 2,147 in 2014.
• In two states, Michigan and Louisiana, abortions actually increased by significant amounts, due largely to an influx of women from more neighboring states with more restrictive laws.
• Since 2011, state have enacted a total of 267 abortion restrictions. Yet in five of the six states with the biggest declines — Hawaii (30 percent), New Mexico (24 percent), Nevada (22 percent), Rhode Island (22 percent), Connecticut (21 percent) — have passed no recent laws to restrict abortion clinics or providers.