The Guttmacher Institute launched a handy new tool today that it describes as a "one-stop resource" for unintended pregnancy facts.
Why should every single American care about unplanned pregnancies? Well, because about half of the 6.7 million pregnancies in the United States each year don't happen on purpose, and unintended births are linked to negative maternal and child health outcomes and tons of social and economic issues, too. Still unconvinced? (Hi, you must be new here.) Federal and state governments pay billions of dollars a year — $11 billion in 2006 —- to deal with all of those.
Now you can click on a map that shows you incidence, outcomes and public costs for each state. Ah, just in time for the holidays those few days a year when you're forced to spend extended periods of time with your conservative relatives.