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U.S. abortion rates dropped to record low between 2006 and 2015

MAn protesting in front of the U.S. capitol saying stop abortion vote republican
A protester demonstrates for Republicans and against legalized abortion outside the U.S. Capitol. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images.

Abortion rates among U.S. women in all age groups dropped sharply to a decade low from 2006 to 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday.

By the numbers: Rates among teens between 15 and 19 years old decreased 54%, per Reuters. In 2015, the abortion rate was 11.8 abortions per 1,000 women 15–44 years old, down 26% from 2006. The report also showed that nearly 90% of abortions performed in 2015 were within a woman’s first 13 weeks of pregnancy.

No analysis was given by the CDC as to why abortion rates are declining, per Reuters, but many states in the U.S. have recently tried to restrict access to abortion procedures.

What to watch: The Republican-controlled Ohio House of Representatives passed one of the most restrictive abortion bills in the country on Friday, the New York Times reports. The bill penalizes doctors for performing the procedure when a heartbeat can be detected from a fetus.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)