March 4, 2016

Unwanted pregnancies at record low

Vox - Since the 1980s, the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute has tracked how many women unintentionally became pregnant. And up until 2008, the number hovered between 49 and 59 unintended pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 18 to 44.

The 2011 data shows a marked change. There were 45 unintended pregnancies per 1,000 women, which is the lowest number the group has ever recorded.

Women are picking better, more effective birth control. Since 2007, researchers have seen a sharp rise in long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as intrauterine devices and implants. These forms of birth control last for years once inserted and prevent pregnancy for more than 99 percent of users. That helps explain why they're a big part of the story behind America's plummeting unintended pregnancy rate. IUD use has nearly tripled since 2007. That's a huge part of the story.

LARCs like IUDs and implants are amazingly, fantastically good at preventing pregnancy — better than any other available birth control. The fact that usage of these contraceptives has nearly tripled since 2007 is a huge part of why unintended pregnancies are dropping

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