Over half of pregnancies in the United States are accidents and one in

five pregnancies will end in abortion. What is one way that this could be

prevented? Contraception is the most obvious answer. It would be asking a

lot of world population to practice abstinence, so contraception is the next

best thing. Nothing using contraception methods does not mean that you will

have an abortion, but studies have shown that there is a link between the

two. For those people who want to wait to have children, or cannot afford

more children, contraceptives could prevent them from being in a situation

that would force them to choose an abortion. It is best to prevent it rather

than to terminate it completely. Studies have been done concerning

adolescent involvement, effectivity of contraception methods, education of

abortion and contraception practices, availability of contraception methods,

government involvement, and post abortion education. All of these studies

highlight the idea that there is a connection between contraception practices

and number of abortions.

The connection between abortion and contraception is strongly

correlated to the adolescent age group. This is girls from ages 15 to 20.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, 3 out of 10 girls in this

age group will find out that they are pregnant each year1. Following finding

out they are pregnant, 40% of them will end in abortion2. Teenage

1 Oaklander, Mandy. Teenage Girls Given Choice of Free Contraceptives Get Far Fewer Abortions.
Time.com, October 3, 2014.

2 Whitehead, Kenneth. Do Sex Education and Access to Contraception Cut Down on Abortion?
Catholic Education Resource Center. 2008
pregnancies are at unprecedented levels. More often than not, when these

girls find out they are pregnant, it is a life changer. This is not something

they were planning on. Raising a baby is significant for anyone at any age.

These girls have 70 or so years left to live, and their plans did not include

raising a child. Their plans for the future will be changed forever. To find out

how to prevent these pregnancies and abortions from happening, a cause

must be determined. One factor is that the stigma of sex itself is becoming

more accepted. Sex is seen as more casual and is not as important as it was

seen in the past. It is for this reason that the need for contraception is

extremely high for adolescents. Adolescents who decide that abortion is the

best option for them are at high risk for another pregnancy and abortion in

the next two years. Out of those adolescents that choose to have an

abortion, the Adolescent Health Experience After Abortion or Delivery group

has found that around 30% of them will end up having to come back for

another abortion3. The problem with rapid, repeat pregnancy among

adolescents is getting out of hand and something needs to be done to figure

out how to slow these numbers down. Clearly they did not have the right

information or resources to stop the first one, so what is saying that they will

magically find them to prevent another? An article in Time magazine

reported a study that gave girls, who were sexually active, the option to

choose a contraception method of their choice for free. All of the girls chosen

3 Hindin, Michelle J., Maria I. Rodriguez, Lianne Gonsalves, and Lale Say. Adolescent Health Experience
after Abortion or Delivery (AHEAD) Trial: Formative Protocol for Intervention Development to Prevent
Rapid, Repeat Pregnancy. Reproductive Health Reprod Health 12, no. 1 (2015)
for the study had a high risk of unintended pregnancy. Every single one of

the girls was given information and effectiveness of each of the

contraception methods. After they chose one, they were given counseling

and immediate appointments to start the method of contraception The goal

of this study was to find out how many of these girls were able to prevent

pregnancy and in turn, abortions. As a result, the abortion rate with this

group of girls was 76% lower than the general population of girls their age4.

Trends have shown that trends in abortion rates match the teen pregnancy

rate. Four main obstacles that these people face regarding both

contraception and abortion are that they have a lack of knowledge about

their options, are aware of social norms, are misinformed about their options,

and have a bias towards the options they can choose.

The first thing many people think of when someone says the word

contraception is condoms and birth control pills. These are the two that are

the most accessible and widely used. However, in order for these to be

effective, they must be used right and they require repeated and diligent

use. In Sweden and Spain a study was done to determine the effectiveness

of condoms and the pill concerning abortion rates. Unfortunately, abortion

rates still continued to increase even after condoms and birth control pills

were handed out. If these contraceptives were used perfectly, condoms

would have a 2% failure, while birth control pills would have a 0.3% failure.

4 Oaklander, Mandy. Teenage Girls Given Choice of Free Contraceptives Get Far Fewer Abortions.
Time.com, October 3, 2014
However, realistically condoms have an 18% failure and birth control has a

9% failure5. This is caused by people not using these methods correctly. On

the flip side, long acting reversible contraception methods (LARCs) have a

much lower failure rate and provide solid evidence that they prevent millions

of abortions each year. If 20% of US women getting abortions had immediate

placement of an IUD after they got their first abortion, over 43,000

unintended pregnancies would be prevented annually, resulting in fewer

abortions6. A specific study was done in Iowa from 2007 to 2013 to study the

effects of LARCs. The state gave more money to low income women for

LARCS. Abortion rates fell by 20% during this time period, which means there

were 1,300 fewer abortions each year7. This is also a worldwide issue. In

China, because of their 1 child policy, more women have moved to LARCs

because of the higher rate of effectiveness. By the 5th year of this trend, the

abortion rates were close to 0. (Marston). Spanish women who sought out

abortions in 2007 were asked what type of contraception they were using in

the month before they discovered they were pregnant. 36% reported using

no contraceptive, 40% used condoms, 12% used birth control pills, and less

5 Saletan, William. The Best Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Provide Long-Acting

Contraception. Slate Magazine. September 01, 2015

6 Moore, Ann, Susheela Singh, and Akinrinola Bankole. Do Women and Men Consider Abortion as an
Alternative to Contraception in the United States? An Exploratory Study. Global Public Health 6
(September 2011).

7 Saletan, William. The Best Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Provide Long-Acting

Contraception. Slate Magazine. September 01, 2015
than 1% used a type of LARC8. So why is the use of LARCs not more widely

accepted in the United States? The main issue is that LARCs tend to be very

expensive ($300-$1000+), is not covered by a lot of insurance companies,

and there is a stigma of fear because of the earlier forms of LARCs. If more

women would turn to modern methods of contraception, such as LARCs,

instead of condoms or birth control, the abortion and unintended pregnancy

rate would drop by thousands each year.

One thing that has been failing when it comes to abortion and

contraception is the education of both. This is evident at all levels, but it

starts with the adolescents. These young teens are not getting educated the

way they need to be. As a result, they turn into adults with little education on

these sensitive and problematic topics. The failure rate of contraception with

teenagers is 20%9. This is clear evidence that the education of these

contraception methods are failing. Having effective sexual education

programs will help teens make logical decisions when they decide to become

sexually active. Providing a strong foundation of sexual education and

consistent access to contraception methods is a good strategy to help

reduce the number of total abortions. It is known that teens would be more

than willing to learn more information to be more prepared should they

choose to become sexually active. If there is a minimal flow of information to

8 Saletan, William. The Best Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Provide Long-Acting
Contraception. Slate Magazine. September 01, 2015

9 Saletan, William. The Best Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Provide Long-Acting Contraception. Slate
Magazine. September 01, 2015
these teens about contraception, they will eventually discontinue the use of

these methods. The people that they trust most with this information is their

parents and healthcare providers. This does not mean that more programs

need to be implemented in schools. This means that parents and doctors

need to be more open to talk with teens about these options. Also, other

forms of birth control that have the potential to be more effective are not as

widely used because people are not informed about how they are used, their

effectiveness, and access. Better understanding of practices and support for

evidence based information of LARC would be beneficial for abortion and

abortion care. A study was done to find out why LARC options are failing to

be seen. They found that the lack of counseling for the methods, lack of

follow up appointments, safety, and risks are all main factors that have

prevented LARC methods from becoming more mainstream. This proves that

if people are more informed about the different methods, the chances that

they will be smarter about their contraceptive choices will increase.

One easy way that abortion rates can be cut down is if contraceptives were

made more available to those who need it. People are less likely to do

something if they have to go searching for it. By making contraception

options more available it will reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies

and abortions. This is especially true with teenagers. The availability of

contraception has a direct link to teenage pregnancy, STDs, and abortions in

young women. In order to do this, we need to increase reimbursement and

make the basic hormonal contraceptive methods more readily available.

Some of the worlds lowest abortion rates are in Belgium and the

Netherlands. It is no coincidence that in these countries, contraceptives are

widely available. They have made it easier for women to legally get their

hands on contraceptive methods. This is paying off because the results can

be seen in their abortion rates. Some of the highest rates of abortion are

located in Cuba and Vietnam. It is no surprise that in those two countries,

contraception methods are extremely limited10. It is nearly impossible for this

to be a coincidence. If actions are taken to make a difference, things can be

easily changed. There is a similar case in Asia. In Asia, abortions are legal,

more widely used, and carry less of a stigma than the United States. As a

result, their abortion rates are much higher than places such as the United

States where the stigma is higher11. The Center for Disease control has even

stated that the reason for the decline in abortions in the past year has been

because of the methods of contraception being more effective and there

being increased access to contraception methods. They also found that the

use of LARCs has tripled from 2002 to 2009, which most likely is a direct

correlation with the lower abortion rates12. Given this evidence, people still

refuse to see the connection. Planned Parenthood is the leading provider of

contraceptives. By cutting down on their work and funding, there will be a

10 Abortion Prevention. Christian Century 124, no. 24 (November 27, 2007).

11 Marston, Cicely, and John Cleland. Relationships Between Contraception and Abortion: A Review of
the Evidence. Guttmacher Institute. March 1, 2003.

12 Hamby, Yvonne. Is Better Access to Sex Ed and Contraceptive Methods Behind the Latest
Significant Decline in Abortion Rates. Rewire. December 12, 2012.
direct effect on unintended pregnancies and abortions. Getting rid of Planned

Parenthood would only increase the amount of abortions that are completed

each year. Abortions are clearly not the most pleasant things in the world.

However, contraception methods are an easy fix to this problem. Abortion

terminates pregnancy while contraceptives simply prevent it. Sometimes

people must pick between the better of two evils.

One of the biggest stakeholders to determine how available contraceptives

are to women lies with the government. Megan McArdle, a journalist on

government policy wrote, the only thing standing between America and

fewer abortions is better government birth control policy.13 McArdle makes a

valid point in the fact that if the United States wants to see any improvement

in the status of the abortion rate, they must adjust their birth control policy.

The United States has been too focused on abstinence rather than focusing

on actual preventative measures to pregnancy. Abstinence is the first step to

prevent all the side effects of sex. However, asking people to not have sex is

very unreasonable and outlandish. The next step is to focus on other

contraception methods. The United States put the Prevention First bill in

place, which expanded family planning and put teen pregnancy prevention

programs on hold.14 This was a valid attempt to prevent pregnancy, but it did

not get to the real problem of teens having sexual relations with each other.

13 Saletan, William. The Best Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Provide Long-Acting Contraception.
Slate Magazine. September 01, 2015.

14 Abortion Prevention. Christian Century 124, no. 24 (November 27, 2007).

Congress also put $615 million in Reducing Need for Abortion Initiative,

which expanded family planning, teen pregnancy prevention programs,

improved access to healthcare for women and children, and helped them

with childcare.15 This was a step in the right direction for the government. It

attempted to fix the root of the problem at hand and the outcomes of it. Tim

Ryan, and Ohio senator and self-labeled Catholic stated that, we cant run

from the fact that if we do not provide birth control for women, were going

to have an increasing number of abortions. This is mainstream stuff. 98% of

women in the United States have used birth control.16 If more government

officials like Ryan put their heads together, there might be more progress in

terms of contraceptives and abortions in the United States. When the

government made abortion legal in the United States, democrat James D.

Moran stated that we need to lessen the number of abortions that needed

to be done.17 By this, he means that the root of the problem is to find the

root of the problem, so they can start there. Taking away a womans rights is

not solving the problem. Solving the problem is finding a way that these

women do not even consider terminating their pregnancy.

One easy way to target the problem of abortion is to offer contraception and

education to the women who had just gone through the abortion procedure.

15 Abortion Prevention. Christian Century 124, no. 24 (November 27, 2007).

16 Abortion Prevention. Christian Century 124, no. 24 (November 27, 2007).

17 Whitehead, Kenneth. Do Sex Education and Access to Contraception Cut Down on Abortion?
Catholic Education Resource Center. 2008
These women are the people that are most at risk for repeat abortions. By

leading them towards effective ways of contraception, it will help lower the

risk of abortions in the future. By contacting the health system for abortion

care, it will be a motivation for higher contraceptive use. These women are

going to want to find any way to help lower their chances of another

abortion. If options are put in front of them, they are more likely to take it.

Unfortunately, contraceptives are very underutilized in the area of post

abortion. In a study, over half of the clinics that were surveyed did not offer

post abortion LARC to any of their patients. Sometimes they did offer

condoms or birth control, but they had to put trust in the patient that they

would actually use them. This leads to more abortions in the long run. The

goal should be to educate women at abortion facilities in order to prevent

another unwanted pregnancy. Of the 28% of women who have had abortions

in the past, half of them did not use any type of contraception after their first

procedure. In order to prevent more abortions, that number should be much

higher.

In conclusion, though the many studies and research conducted, there

is a clear connection between contraception behaviors and the abortion rate.

Given the information concerning adolescent involvement, effectivity of

contraception methods, education of abortion and contraception practices,

availability of contraception methods, government involvement, and post

abortion education, the message could not be clearer. In order to prevent the

risk of needing an abortion, one should practice healthy contraception

method practices. Women are typically sexually active at least 30 years of

their lives. Most of these women do not want to be continually having

children. In order for them to live the happy and content life that they long

for, they must be able to practice appropriate contraception practices.

Works Cited
Bista, Kl, N. Pradhan, and R. Manandhar. Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of
Contraception among Women Seeking: Abortion Care Services. Journal of
Institute of Medicine 35, no. 2 (August 2013).
Abortion Prevention. Christian Century 124, no. 24 (November 27, 2007).
Hamby, Yvonne. Is Better Access to Sex Ed and Contraceptive Methods Behind the
Latest Significant Decline in Abortion Rates. Rewire. December 12, 2012.
Hindin, Michelle J., Maria I. Rodriguez, Lianne Gonsalves, and Lale Say. Adolescent
Health Experience after Abortion or Delivery (AHEAD) Trial: Formative Protocol
for Intervention Development to Prevent Rapid, Repeat Pregnancy.
Reproductive Health Reprod Health 12, no. 1 (2015)
Marston, Cicely, and John Cleland. Relationships Between Contraception and
Abortion: A Review of the Evidence. Guttmacher Institute. March 1, 2003.
Moore, Ann, Susheela Singh, and Akinrinola Bankole. Do Women and Men Consider
Abortion as an Alternative to Contraception in the United States? An
Exploratory Study. Global Public Health 6 (September 2011).
Morse, Jessica, Lori Freedman, Joseph Speidel, Kirsten Thompson, Laura Stratton,
and Cynthia Harper. Postabortion Contraception: Qualitative Interviews on
Counseling and Provision of Long Acting Reversible Contraception Methods.
Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health 44, no. 2 (June 2012).
Oaklander, Mandy. Teenage Girls Given Choice of Free Contraceptives Get Far
Fewer Abortions. Time.com, October 3, 2014.
Saletan, William. The Best Way to Reduce Abortions Is to Provide Long-Acting
Contraception. Slate Magazine. September 01, 2015.
Whitehead, Kenneth. Do Sex Education and Access to Contraception Cut Down on
Abortion? Catholic Education Resource Center. 2008