Pregnancy rates continued their long and steady decline in the first decade of the 21st century, with corresponding decreases in the rate of abortion, according to CDC data released on pregnancy outcomes through 2010.

According to Los Angeles Times, the total number of induced abortions was 1.1 million in 2010, the most recent year. That's down from a high of 1.6 million in 1990. Also, abortion rate also decreased in 2010, with 17.7 of the procedures performed per 1,000 women of childbearing age, that figure was as high as 29.4 abortions per 1,000 women in 1980.

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"Ob-gyns see, first considerate, the tremendous impact that access to contraception has an effect on a woman's overall health and well-being. It only proves contraception and access to it remains an important component to women's health care." said byMark S. DeFrancesco, MD, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).

The rate of teen pregnancies also dropped largely, with about 67% decrease for teens ages 14 and under, and the number of pregnancies for teens ages 15-19 cut in almost a half compared to 1990. Now, the number of pregnancies declined even with the highest pregnancy rates both in women ages 25-29 (157.1 per 1,000 women) and women ages 20-24 (144.6), and continue to decreased 12% and 27%, respectively, from 1990.

According to Med Page Today, the authors report also noted that more recent data shows birth rates continuing to drop from 2011 to 2013, and the number of abortions continuing to decline from 2010 to 2011. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists will continue to advocate for more improve widespread and consistent use of contraception to help reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies.

The study was based on records from the National Vital Statistics Systemand the Abortion Surveillance System, hat are both run by the CDC. It also includes the data from the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit that tracks that issues related reproductive health and advocates for abortion rights.

TagsPregnancy and Abortion, rate down, good news, Contraceptives