Washington recorded its lowest number of abortions in two decades last year, according to a report to be released today by the state Department of Health.
In 1998, the number of abortions dropped 5.3 percent from the previous year, to 25,613.
That marks the most dramatic one-year decrease in a decade that has seen a trend of declining numbers of abortions.
Some health care professionals have theorized that decreasing access to abortion services and changing attitudes toward abortion can account for a national decline in abortion numbers. Others point to increased use of contraception.
Last year, Washington women had 16 percent fewer abortions than in 1990, when the numbers peaked at 30,613, according to state figures that are available back to 1974.
For every 1,000 babies delivered last year statewide, 322 abortions were performed. For every 1,000 women in Washington of childbearing age, 21 had abortions last year, according to the Health Department.
Washington's abortion rate is slightly higher than the national average, according to the most recent numbers available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
About 20 of every 1,000 American women of childbearing age had abortions in 1996, said Mary Kay Sones, a spokeswoman for the CDC.
For the same year, states reporting the highest abortion rates were: California with 39 per 1,000 women, New York with 37 per 1,000 and Florida with 27 per 1,000.
The lowest rates reported were: Wyoming with two abortions for every 1,000 women, Idaho with four, and South Dakota with six.
According to the state Health Department, teen pregnancy also fell in Washington last year, to 5,107 pregnancies, including abortions and births. For every 1,000 Washington girls ages 15 to 17, almost 43 got pregnant last year.
A year earlier, that rate was nearly 46 per 1000 teens.
``More teens appear to be adopting responsible attitudes about casual sex, in part due to their tremendous fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV,'' said Melinda Harmon, teen pregnancy prevention coordinator for the state health department.
The state Health Department report also found:
-- King County had the highest abortion rate last year, with 27 abortions for every 1,000 women residents of ages 15 to 44. Pierce County followed with a rate of 24 per 1,000 women the same ages.
-- Abortion was less common in Stevens and Lincoln counties, where there were fewer than seven abortions for every 1,000 women of childbearing age.
-- Young women, ages 20 to 24, had the highest rate of abortions last year, with 46 abortions for every 1,000 women. Women in their late 20s, had the second-highest rate, with 31 abortions per 1,000. Women 30 and older had the lowest rates.
-- Girls ages 15 to 19 had a rate of 27 abortions per 1,000.
P-I reporter Angela Galloway can be reached at 360-943-3990 or angelagalloway@seattle-pi.com
