New York still has the highest teenage abortion rate in the nation, according to a new report by the Guttmacher Institute, which looks at pregnancy, births and abortions nationwide in women ages 15-19.
But young women in New York are less likely to become pregnant and give birth than many of their counterparts nationwide. The state ranked 18 for pregnancy rate and 44 for birth rates
The report, based on statistics collected in 2008, the most recent available, shows that in New York, there were 37 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-19, down from 40 in 2005.
Delaware ranked #2 with 32 abortions per 1,000 and New Jersey was #3, with South Dakota, Utah and Nebraska at the bottom of the list.
The top states for both teenage pregnancies and births were Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas.
Both the rate of teen pregnancy and abortion nationwide is for the most part on the decline noted, Laura Lindberg, an author of the report. Between 1988 and 2000, and again between 2000 and 2005, teenage pregnancy rates declined in every state. Between 2005 and 2008, the rate decreased 5 percent or more in 21 states, while increasing by 5 percent or more in 16 states.
