The news of the New York City area’s egregious abortion rates has grabbed national headlines and sobered even abortion proponents. According to liberal Slate on January 7:

Pro-choice and pro-life groups alike are shuddering at the news that 4 out of every 10 pregnancies in NYC ends in abortion. Data released Friday by the city’s Health Dept. reveals that in 2009, there were 87,273 abortions and 126,774 live births. The abortion rate broke down along demographic and geographic lines: 60% for black women, 41% for Hispanics, 22% for Asians and 20% for white women….

Overall, the Big Apple’s abortion rate is more than twice the national average of 19%. Pro-choice groups say the numbers are proof that the city needs more effective sex education and more accessible contraception. Pro-life advocates say sex ed and contraception are already widespread enough. “There’s candy bowls on people’s desks with condoms,” NY Archbishop Timothy Dolan said, calling the numbers “downright chilling.”

A CBS News story contained an interesting line:

[R]eligious leaders also criticized public schools sex education programs that include condom distribution.

The Health Department report points out some obvious places for religious leaders to start.

Teenage pregnancies and abortions are down from previous years, but women aged 20 to 24 had more than 1 out of every 4 induced pregnancy terminations performed in the city last year, which has been about the rate for the last decade.

Where do you think are  “some obvious places for religious leaders to start” lowering the abortion rate?

As an aside, the New York Sun provided excellent coverage of this issue.

[The graphic, via CoverJunkie.com, is the cover of New York magazine, August 8, 1989. Click to enlarge.]

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