41 Percent of Pregnancies in New York City Are Aborted

New York City's abortion rate is 41 percent, more than double the national average, according to city health department statistics. The figures spurred a meeting of Christian and Jewish leaders in Manhattan, including the archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, who called for a reduction in the number of aborted pregnancies.

"We gotta do more than shiver over these chilling statistics," Dolan said at a press conference Thursday. "I invite all to come together to make abortion rare."

In 2009, women in New York City terminated 87,273 pregnancies, according to data released last month. Black women had the highest rate of abortion by far, followed by Hispanics, white women and Asians. The national abortion rate is 19 percent.

Joan Malin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City, issued a statement saying unplanned pregnancies are affected by access to information, birth control, sex education and intimate-partner violence.

Though surprisingly high, the 2009 abortion numbers for New York City are actually lower than they were a decade ago. In 2000, there were 94,466 abortions in the city, according to The New York Times. And in 1998, the abortion rate was 46 percent, according to ABC News.

"For the first time in my happy 21 months as a New Yorker, I am embarrassed to be a member of a cherished community I now -- usually with a lot of pride -- call home," Dolan said.

Thursday's press conference was organized by the Chiaroscuro Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose president, Sean Fieler, supports conservative and religious initiatives. Fieler, an investment banker, funds the group himself, according to The New York Times.