Abortion surveillance--United States, 2009

Area of Science:

• Public Health Surveillance
• Reproductive Health Statistics

Background:

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has monitored legal induced abortions in the U.S. since 1969.
• Abortion surveillance is crucial for understanding reproductive health trends and informing public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions in the United States for 2009.
• To analyze trends in abortion rates and ratios from 2000 to 2009.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 48 reporting areas for 2009, with 45 areas providing consistent data from 2000-2009 for trend analysis.
• Calculated abortion rates per 1,000 women (aged 15-44) and abortion ratios per 1,000 live births.
• Demographic analysis focused on age groups and gestational ages at the time of abortion.

Main Results:

• A total of 784,507 abortions were reported for 2009; the rate was 15.1 per 1,000 women and the ratio was 227 per 1,000 live births.
• The total number and rate of abortions decreased by 5% from 2008 to 2009, the largest single-year decrease in the analysis period.
• From 2000-2009, abortion numbers, rates, and ratios decreased to their lowest levels; most abortions occurred at ≤8 weeks' gestation, with a shift towards earlier procedures and increased use of early medical abortion.

Conclusions:

• The downward trend in abortions continued, with the largest single-year decrease observed from 2008 to 2009.
• Unintended pregnancy is a primary driver of abortions; increasing access to effective contraception can further reduce abortion rates.
• Data from this surveillance system are vital for public health program planning and policy development aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies.