The Associated Press (AP) is reporting on a new survey of 45 state health departments which found that the nation’s abortion rate is is in decline. This is due, in part, to the passage of a record number of laws aimed at raising the health standards at American abortion clinics and requiring waiting periods and sonograms before abortions can be performed.

“While some of the new laws have been blocked by lawsuits, most have taken effect, contributing to closure of about 70 abortion clinics in a dozen states since 2010,” the AP reports.

“States with the most closures, according to state officials and advocacy groups, include Texas with 27, Michigan and Arizona with about 12, and Ohio with at least four. Two clinics closed in Virginia, including one that was the state's busiest.”

Louisiana and Michigan were the only states surveyed which saw an increase in the abortion rate. This is due to women coming from nearby states where restrictions and clinic closures have sharply limited access to abortion.

However, the survey also found that abortions are in decline even in states which have unfettered access to abortion.

The answer to why the numbers are declining depends on who you ask. Pro-abortion groups say it’s because more women have access to affordable contraception.

“Better access to birth control and sex education are the biggest factors in reducing unintended pregnancies,” said Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “More restrictive abortion laws do not reduce the need for abortions.”

Unfortunately, the industry’s own statistics belie this belief and have found that more than half (51%) of all women who have abortions were using some kind of contraception at the time of conception.

Americans United for Life president, Charmaine Yoest, suggests that the decrease in abortions reflects a change in the societal attitude toward abortion and among pregnant women.

“There's an entire generation of women who saw a sonogram as their first baby picture,” she told the AP. “There's an increased awareness of the humanity of the baby before it is born.”

Still, it’s interesting to note that five of the six states with the biggest declines - Hawaii at 30 percent, New Mexico at 24 percent, Nevada and Rhode Island at 22 percent, Connecticut at 21 percent - have passed no recent laws to restrict abortion clinics or providers. This suggests a broader trend among the populace to turn away from abortion and find healthier ways to manage their family needs.

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