N.Y. leads nation in teen abortions

New York teens have higher abortion rates than any other state in the nation.  

With 41 teenagers per 1,000 — nearly 27,000 — receiving abortions in 2005,  New York surpassed New Jersey’s top rank from 2000, according to a report released yesterday by the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive rights think tank. New York ranked 11th in teen pregnancy rates.

“New York has had high rates of abortion for a long time,” noted Elizabeth Nash, of Guttmacher.  “The demographic makeup in New York probably plays a role. There are significant populations of African-Americans and Latinos. Both groups tend to have higher rates of pregnancy and abortion.”

Policy is also a factor: New York does not require parental consent and has no 24-hour waiting period.

“There are fewer obstacles,” said Dr. Karen Soren, director of adolescent health services at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.

She was concerned about rising pregnancy rates. Abstinence-only education may play a role, Soren said, but added a “complacency” has set in among teens and young adults now that HIV/AIDS is considered a chronic disease rather than death sentence.