Utah’s Abortion Rate Is at Its Lowest Ever

Utah’s abortion rate has dropped to its lowest ever since the state began keeping records in 1975.

The number of women in Utah who had an abortion in 2013 was 2,893, that is 4.6 women in every 1,000, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Utah’s abortion statistics have been in decline from a high of 11.1 per 1,000 in 1980.

Several reasons could be behind the downward trend. There are more restrictive abortion laws in the state — including one that imposes a waiting period of 72 hours.

But Laurie Baksh from Utah’s Department of Health cites economics as a possible reason for lower abortions, saying people are thinking about the financial realities of raising a child.

[Salt Lake Tribune]