A recent report released by the Guttmacher Institute, a pro-choice research group that examines abortion trends, found that pregnancy terminations among Americans dropped to the lowest level in three decades in 2011. According to its estimate, 1.1 million abortions were performed in 2011, a decrease from the 1.21 million performed in 2008. A decline in pregnancy rates accompanied the decline. While the study did not explicitly analyze these trends, the researchers said the decrease in abortions could reflect younger women’s use of long-term contraceptives.

Opponents of the report dismissed its findings due to omissions they felt would have altered the data. Restrictive abortion laws have been on the upswing since 2011, but the report does not consider these factors on account of their relative newness. While these restrictions might ultimately play a role in reducing abortion rates, they may not substantially impact the results of future studies. As low abortion rates in states with liberal-leaning abortion policies demonstrate, restrictive laws do not yield fewer abortions. The report found that states with progressive abortion laws and easily accessible sex education, such as New Jersey, had the lowest recorded instances of abortion.

In light of these correlations, states — particularly those that have recently implemented stringent abortion laws — should consider redirecting their energy toward the effort to reduce pregnancy terminations. Rather than fighting to pass restrictive legislation, some of which has been deemed unconstitutional, states would be better served by advocating for contraceptive use and promoting sex education. A University of Georgia study shows that abstinence-only programs typically do not lead to abstinent behavior. Furthermore, researchers found that when states only teach abstinence, they were less successful at preventing teenage pregnancies than those that taught contraceptive use alongside abstinence.

Considering 25 percent of teenage pregnancies were aborted in 2009 and that girls aged 15 to 19 account for 19 percent of abortions, increasing access to sex education could reduce the already declining abortion rate. Only 22 states mandate sex education, and just four more require the information “be appropriate for the students’ age.” Nineteen states call for education that emphasizes the importance of intercourse only within the context of marriage. Although both red and blue states seek to reduce the abortion rate, these studies demonstrate that certain methods reap better results. While discussing these issues may be uncomfortable for some, public health must precede personal qualms. Candid sex education and accessible reproductive care can help prevent abortions. States must work to prevent unwanted pregnancies pre-emptively, not when abortion feels like a woman’s only option.

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