GAINESVILLE - As numbers for both abortions and teen pregnancies decrease nationwide, pregnancy centers across the U.S., including North Georgia's own Choices Pregnancy Center, are still working to help women in all kinds of pregnancy situations.
Ann Gainey with Choices spoke on WDUN's Afternoon News Wrap this week. She said she wasn't surprised an Associated Press survey found that numbers had dropped about three percent for the state from 2010 to 2013.
"I came to Choices in 1993 and for years, we hovered at 350 reported abortions in Hall County," Gainey said, adding that the number reported was by county residents and not necessarily procedures done in the county. "But now, it's down to about 275. So you can see right there, locally, as well as in our state, Hall County is reducing abortions."
Nationally, the numbers have dropped 12 percent in that same time period.
Gainey said she thinks there are a number of factors that contribute to the decline.
"This is the first generation to grow up seeing their ultrasound picture on the refrigerator," Gainey said. "Therefore, from an earlier age, this generation had been learning that life was real inside the womb."
And, Gainey said women who had abortions many years ago were sharing their stories. "In the last five to 10 years, there have been so many women who have come forward - finally - and come out of the secretive mode and say 'I regret my abortion.'"
Gainey said other factors also played integral parts in the numbers decreasing. She mentioned teen pregnancy rates decreasing, the fact that there are more pregnancy centers available to women in the U.S. compared to abortion clinics and that young doctors entering the field are unwilling to enter that field.
Choices Pregnancy Center offers proactive pregnancy-related services for both men and women in the Hall County area.
