According to the Associated Press, which gained health records from 45 states, America has experienced an average 12% decline in abortions since 2010. Such states include Oregon, Washington and New York, where unrestricted access to abortion continues and where, in each case, declines in abortions have been recorded. In those states which have in recent years introduced tougher policies on terminations, the decrease rate rises to 15%.

By far the biggest decrease was that in Hawaii, which saw a staggering 30% fall in abortions, followed by the state of New Mexico, 24%, Nevada and Rhode Island jointly with 22% and Connecticut at 21%

Flying in the face of the trend were the state of Michigan and Louisiana. In both regions, updated restrictions on abortion have been introduced since 2010, but this appears to have failed in stemming an 18.5% increase in terminations in each state. Pro-life advocates have pointed out, however, that such increases can be accounted for by reference to neighbouring states, such as Ohio and Texas respectively, where the earlier introduction of restricted regimes caused women to travel across state lines to procure abortions.

Both pro-life and pro-abortion advocacy groups have sought to interpret the overall decline, with pro-abortion groups arguing that the figures demonstrate that restrictive laws are not in fact needed to counter abortion, and the answer lies in a wider availability of birth control methods coupled with sex education.

However, the pro-life Americans United for Life (AUL) has countered this by suggesting that attitudes among American women, in part aided by new technologies, is responsible for the figures.