In a time when bad news dominates the headlines, it’s thrilling to get a reminder of genuine progress. Early this week, that’s just what we got, with the news that the abortion rate in America has hit its lowest level since 1973, the year that the Roe v. Wade decision offered constitutional protection to abortion.

In the early 1980s, abortion rates peaked at 29.3 abortions per 1,000 women aged fifteen to 44; today, that rate has been cut in half, per the Guttmacher Institute. For pro-lifers who are set to arrive on Capitol Hill next week for the annual “March for Life,” news that abortion is on the decline should be cause for celebration. It should also serve as a reminder for conservatives who now hold the reins of government power to make sure the steps they take in the coming months serve to support, rather than inadvertently reverse, these trends.