NASHVILLE, Tenn.–A new report by the Guttmacher Institute states the number of abortions in the United States has hit the lowest rate since 1975, falling to 14.6 abortions per 1,000 (926,200) women between the ages of 15-44.  Study authors Rachel Jones and Jenna Jerman believe improved contraceptive use and abortion restrictions passed by states could be factors in the decline, though the authors did not specifically examine the cause for the drop.  According to Guttmacher Institute data released in November citing 2014 data, there were 13,880 abortions in Tennessee, an 18% decline from 2011. However, a large portion of abortions in the state could be driven by out-of-state residents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tennessee was third among 47 reporting areas for the highest percentage of abortions obtained by out-of-state residents with 24.5 percent.

The Guttmacher Institute study states 51-75 percent of women aged 15-44 in Tennessee and Kentucky live in a county where no clinic which provides abortions are available.
The highest abortion rates nationally were in New York, Maryland, the District of Columbia, Delaware and New Jersey. Wyoming, Mississippi, South Dakota, Kentucky and Missouri had the lowest reported rates.