BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate possible associations between social background, other aspects of childhood environment and induced abortion among young women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Norwegian girls (N = 2,198), comprising a representative sample, were followed up through three data collections from they were in their teens in 1992 till they were young adult women (20 - 27 years) seven years later. A questionnaire was used to collect the data and the analyses were conducted by Cox regression. The response rate for the first data collection was 97%. The cumulative response rate over all three data collections was 69 %. RESULTS: In young adulthood we uncovered a steady reduction of induced abortion rates with increasing educational level. Women who had grown up in Northern Norway had higher rates than other women. There was a lower risk for induced abortion when parents were well educated and had fairly good jobs. Further, there were associations to parental divorce, weak parental monitoring and parental alcohol abuse. INTERPRETATION: A host of socioeconomic factors are associated with abortion risk. We need more thorough knowledge about these factors. We can, however, conclude that preventive efforts in this area should be targeted towards groups with risk factors.
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Comment In: Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2006 Jun 22;126(13):172716794660
The frequency of abortion and contraceptive counseling in the first 3 months of 1975 under the new Swedish abortion law is compared with previous trends in abortion and counseling. The number of abortions in the 1st quarter of 1975 indicates a yearly increase of 8% in the number of abortions performed with relation to 1974. The number of teen-age abortions in the 1st quarter of 1975 was approximately 25% of the total. 90% of the cases were performed by vacuum aspiration, and 85% were performed before the 13th week of pregnancy. Based on the figures for these 3 months, 83,500 government subsidized contraceptive counseling visits took place, compared with 500,000 for the entire year 1974. This rather modest figure for 1975 is a result of a new organization of the counseling system, with large increases in some geographic and decreases in others. Private physicians have been reducing services in this field as a result of the standard government compensation for contraceptive counseling. It is felt that the capacity for increased counseling will be realized during 1975.
