Abortion rates: Marriages vs Cohabitation
Life News summarized some shocking data from a recent study: Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006, calling for changes beyond legislatures, building a “culture of life” and a call to move where abortion is unthinkable, and where the social structures actively encourage protecting life.
At the center of the fight is the family and most importantly, the institution of marriage.
David Schmidt of Live Action put together the chart below based on the study. As anyone can see, committed marriages between a man and a woman are by far the best for protecting life. In contrast, less stable relationships, when an unintended pregnancy occurs, the man and the woman are more likely to want to “get rid of the problem,” “just in case” the relationship breaks down in the future.
Now comes a recent study reaffirming this fact in a powerful way.
FACTS: Nearly half (49%) of pregnancies were unintended in 2006, up slightly from 2001 (48%). The unintended pregnancy rate increased to 52 per 1000 women aged 15-44 years in 2006 from 50 in 2001. Disparities in unintended pregnancy rates among subgroups persisted and in some cases increased, and women who were 18-24 years old, poor or cohabiting had rates two to three times the national rate. The unintended pregnancy rate declined notably for teens 15-17 years old. The proportion of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion decreased from 47% in 2001 to 43% in 2006, and the unintended birth rate increased from 23 to 25 per 1000 women 15-44 years old.
CONCLUSION FROM THE STUDY: Since 2001, the United States has not made progress in reducing unintended pregnancy. Rates increased for nearly all groups and remain high overall. Efforts to help women and couples plan their pregnancies, such as increasing access to effective contraceptives, should focus on groups at greatest risk for unintended pregnancy, particularly poor and cohabiting women.
Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006
pro-life poster
