Abortion rates fall to historic low in wealthy countries, little changed elsewhere
By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – Abortion rates have dropped dramatically in the past 25 years to historic lows in wealthy countries, but dipped only slightly in poorer developing nations, according to a global study published on Wednesday. The study – by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Guttmacher Institute – also found that imposing restrictive laws does little to lower abortion rates, but is more likely to force people into having unsafe terminations. The overall findings highlight a lack in poorer countries of access to modern contraception methods – such as the pill, implants and coils – to reduce unwanted pregnancies, the researchers said.