The rising abortion rate: 3 theories

When the recession took hold, the U.S. abortion rate ticked higher for the first time in 20 years. Why?

The "abortion pill," shown here in a subway ad from 2001, may have contributed to the slight increase in abortions nationwide.
(Image credit: Getty)

For the first time in two decades, the U.S. abortion rate didn't fall in 2008. It actually rose slightly, according to the Guttmacher Institute's latest survey of abortion providers. And the total number of abortions performed also ticked up slightly, to 1.212 million in 2008 from 1.206 million in 2005, the year of Guttmacher's last survey. Abortions had been steadily declining, so why have the numbers leveled off now? Here, three theories:

Blame the recession

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