Study: Teen abortion, pregnancy rates reach historic lows

The nation’s teen abortion rate has dropped to its lowest level since the procedure became legal, according to an analysis by Guttmacher Institute.

{mosads}Teen pregnancy also reached its lowest point in more than 30 years in 2011, according to the most recent data available in a report released Monday.

The decline in pregnancy rates is “likely” driven by increases in contraceptive use, according to Guttmacher’s report.

“There is evidence that contraceptive practices have improved among older teens,” the report said, though it did not provide details.

The teen pregnancy rate was 52.4 per 1,000 women in 2011 — less than half of its peak rate in 1990. That rate fell by nearly one-quarter between 2008 and 2011 alone.

The analysis used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Guttmacher Institute’s Abortion Provider Census.