Procurable safety contraception leads to reduction of abortion risk
T.
Fait (1,3), J. Kocourkova (2,3), R. Uzel (3)
Dept. of Obstetrics and
Gynecology 1st Faculty of Medicine Charles University Prague (1); Dept. of
Demography and Geodemography, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University
(2); Czech Family Planning Association SPRSV (3), Prague, Czech Republic
Objective: To verify on demography changes influence of contraceptive’s
possibilities on the abortion rate.
Design: Demography study
Results: The
1990s represent a radical transition from the socialist era in the Czech
Republic, when induced abortion was a common method of unwanted pregnancy
additional prevention. Abortion was legalised according the } 68/1957 law many
years before hormonal contraception was widespread. Government tried to reduce
number of induced abortions by so-called abortion boards from 1962 to 1987 and
by abortion fees until 1993. But restriction was not successful. During the
last 10 years the magnificent lowering of the abortion rate by 60% was
connected with the increase of hormone contraception users by 613%. Whereas in
1990 only 17% used medically prescribed contraception, today it is 39% of
childbearing. The rapid decrease of terminated pregnancies total intensity per
woman from 3.67 in 1990 to 1.74 in 2001 is largely due to induced abortion
intensity decrease (57%). Fertility decrease (39%), spontaneous abortion total
number decrease (3%) and ectopic pregnancy and stillbirths decrease (less than
1%) bore a minor role. The sharpest decrease (78%) took place within the
female 20–24 age group. Average age at abortion grew by 2.5 years. There are
still some problems. First order abortion percentage grew merely from 50 to
54%. In 2000, 94% of women who underwent abortion did not use any
contraception. Stable percentage of 7% concerns fourth or further order
abortions. The most important group undergoing induced abortion remains
mothers of two children (38%).
Conclusions: The women’s right to decide
about their pregnancy could be broken by legal restrictions of abortion. The
reduction of the abortion rate is closely connected with the modern
contraception widespread. It is also more successful than any pronatality
political climate. Data from the Czech Republic are the best confirmation of
it.
