Authors go into one extremely important problem for the family, woman, natality and family planning in Bulgaria. Scarcely during the last years it can be observed a slight reduction of the frequency of induced abortions. The average age of women having an abortion is high--about 30, which shows, that induced abortion is still a method of regulation fertility in intergenetic interval. The rate of those who have induced abortion under the age of 19 in Bulgaria is 7.8 to 53.3%, in Czechoslovakia, 6.7%, in DDR--50.0%, Greece--68%, Hungary--8.9%, Sweden--15.8%. The rate of done again induced abortion is higher, that is a result of bad preventing activities during the first abortion. Similar is the tendency of growing number of unmarried women having an induced abortion, as it is in the other countries: from 16.4% in 1980 to 21.7% in 1987. Bulgaria is on the third place in Europe according to the absolute number of dead cases after abortion (maternity death, after Rumania and USSR). It can be mentioned that in Bulgaria women do not use the most modern and safest devices, medicines for interruption of pregnancy.
Current status of abortion legislation in different countries is reviewed. During the period from 1967-1977, a total of 43 countries introduced certain changes in their legislation. Of these 43 countries, 40 liberalized abortion procedures and 3 countries limited the rights of abortion seekers. Liberalization of abortion legislation in France and Italy was associated with women's rights movement and adoption of Human Rights Declaration. Austria, France, East Germany, West Germany, Italy, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have the most liberal abortion policy, while Rumania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Bulgaria have the most restricted legislation. Liberalization of abortion does not necessarily mean availability on demand. High cost in private clinics and hospitals prevents many women from seeking a legal abortion. In Asia, Singapore, China, and India permit abortions, while in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Burma abortions are banned. In Northern and Latin America, abortions are legalized in the US and Cuba; liberalization of abortion legislation is recorded in Guatemala, El Salvador, Uruguay, Chile, and Colombia. In spite of a general liberalization of legislation, abortion policies are still affected by religious and political groups. Ban on legal abortion increases the frequency of criminal abortion, which in turn leads to increase in maternal mortality.
