US abortion rates rise among poor women but fall overall

Abortion rates declined 8% in the United States from 2000 to 2008 except among poor women—shows a study by the Guttmacher Institute, which advocates for sexual and reproductive health worldwide and conducts research.

Among women whose family incomes were below 100% of the federal poverty level—about $22 350 (£13 600; €15 500) for a family of four—the abortion rate increased 18% from 44.4 abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 in 2000, to 52.2 in 2008.

The study, published in Obstetrics and Gynecology, uses data from the Institute’s 2008 …