SIOUX FALLS - The number of abortions in South Dakota fell last year.

An annual state Health Department report shows that doctors did 748 abortions in 2006, a reduction of 7 percent from the 805 that were done in 2005.

Abortion foes and abortion-rights supporters attribute the drop to efforts to reduce unplanned pregnancies.

Dr. Glenn Ridder, medical director for the Alpha Center crisis pregnancy center in Sioux Falls, said the organization's programs emphasizing abstinence have worked to reduce the abortion rate.

"With more funds directed solely to abstinence programs there has been better education, better evaluation and better results with our youth … more kids are waiting and less are having abortions," Ridder said in a statement.

Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota operates family planning clinics in Rapid City and Sioux Falls.

The Sioux Falls clinic is the only one in the state that performs abortions, but the organization promotes sex education efforts that emphasize contraception and safer sex.

"You can assume that when you see abortion rates drop, that you probably have a correlation in the numbers of unintended pregnancies," said Kate Looby, Planned Parenthood's state director.