Free Birth Control Cuts Abortion Rate by 62 Percent

Birth control as a political, economic and religious issue. "In a study published today (Oct. 4, 2012) in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers provided free methods of reversible, reliable contraception to more than 9,000 teens and women in the St. Louis area. They found that the program reduced the abortion rate among these women by 62 percent to 78 percent."

"The impact of providing no-cost birth control was far greater than we expected in terms of unintended pregnancies" ...  "We think improving access to birth control, particularly IUDs [intrauterine devices] and [hormone] implants, coupled with education on the most effective methods, has the potential to significantly decrease the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions in this country."

~ Jeff Peipert, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Washington University School of Medicine, lead author.