Abstract : Context: Legal abortion rates vary widely among countries with nonrestrictive laws. Data on trends in legal induced abortion may provide insight for policymakers into factors that influence rates of legal induced abortion and the levels of abortion that might be achievable in their own countries and in other parts of the world.Methods: Numbers of legal induced abortions were estimated for 54 countries from official statistics or other national data. Abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15-44 were calculated for the years 1975 through 1996.Results: The most striking recent trend is a sharp decline in abortion incidence in Eastern and Central Europe and the successor states to the Soviet Union. For example, rates fell by 28-47% in the four former Soviet states with reasonably complete data (Belarus, Estonia, Kazakhstan and Latvia), and by 18-65% in six states with less-complete reporting. Similar patterns were seen in such nations as Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Republics. Rates have also declined in several other developed countries. Since 1975 the abortion rate in such countries as Denmark, Finland, Italy and Japan has dropped by 40-50%. In only a few developed countries (among them Canada, New Zealand and Scotland)have abortion rates shown an increase over time. In the few developing countries with reliable data, some (China, South Korea, Tunisia and Turkey) have experienced a declining abortion rate. while others (such as Cuba and Vietnam) have seen increases in levels of abortion.Conclusions: In developed countries with high abortion rates, use of abortion is likely to fall rapidly when a range of contraceptive methods become widely available and effectively used. Legalization of abortion and access to abortion services do not lead to increased reliance on abortion for fertility control in the long term; in developed countries with these conditions, the predominant trend in abortion rates has been downward.
Web site : http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/25spa01699.htmlAbstract : This study relied on national official sources on legal abortions to estimate the incidence of induced abortion in 57 countries in 1996. The World Health Organization (WHO) provided data on illegal abortions. The data reflect a variety of sources and degrees of underreporting. Findings indicate that about 46 million abortions were performed worldwide in 1995. About 26 million were legal; 20 million were illegal. The abortion rate was about 35/1000 women aged 15-44 years. Legal abortions appear to have declined since 1987; illegal abortions have increased. WHO estimates that unsafe abortions rose from 3.7 to 5.0 million during 1990-95 in Africa. Most illegal abortions occur in Africa and Central and South America. Most legal abortions are performed in Europe. 64% of legal and 95% of illegal abortions are performed in developing countries. The legal and illegal abortion rate is 39/1000 women aged 15-44 years in developed countries and 34/1000 in developing countries. Abortions per 100 pregnancies are higher in developed countries. Central and Eastern Europe have very high abortion rates. Asia (59% of total abortions) has the largest total number of abortions. North America has only 3% of abortions. The subregion abortion rate is highest in Eastern Europe (90/1000). Countries with high abortion rates include Viet Nam, Romania, and Cuba. Russia and Romania have the highest recorded proportions of pregnancies that end in abortion (63%). 25% of 180 million pregnancies globally are resolved by abortion each year. Mistimed and unwanted pregnancies and contraception deficits are the main causes.
Web site : http://www.agi-usa.org/pubs/journals/25s3099.pdf