US abortion trends have changed since landmark 1973 ruling

By LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer

The landscape has changed in many ways since the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. Abortion numbers have been falling since a peak of more than 1 million in 1990.  Declining U.S. pregnancy rates have contributed to the trend. Nearly all abortions occur at or before 13 weeks of pregnancy and women in their 20s make up the bulk of patients. Data suggest rates are highest in Black women and lowest in white women. Now, more than half of abortions are done with pills rather than medical procedures.