Mental Health Diagnoses 3 Years After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion in the United States

Objectives. We set out to assess the occurrence of new depression and anxiety diagnoses in women 3 years after they sought an abortion.Methods. We conducted semiannual telephone interviews of 956 women who sought abortions from 30 US facilities. Adjusted multivariable discrete-time logistic survival models examined whether the study group (women who obtained abortions just under a facility’s gestational age limit, who were denied abortions and carried to term, who were denied abortions and did not carry to term, and who received first-trimester abortions) predicted depression or anxiety onset during seven 6-month time intervals.Results. The 3-year cumulative probability of professionally diagnosed depression was 9% to 14%; for anxiety it was 10% to 15%, with no study group differences. Women in the first-trimester group and women denied abortions who did not give birth had greater odds of new self-diagnosed anxiety than did women who obtained abortions just under facility gestational limits.Conclusions. Among women seeking abortions near facility gestational limits, those who obtained abortions were at no greater mental health risk than were women who carried an unwanted pregnancy to term.There has been much interest in understanding the effects of abortion, one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures,1,2 on women’s mental health outcomes. Leading reviews on this topic have found no evidence of mental health harm from an abortion,3–6 with the exception of 1 review7 which has been critically refuted.5,8–11 These reviews have called for more research of women seeking abortion beyond the first trimester, longitudinal studies, studies that control for preexisting mental health conditions, and studies that compare women who have had an abortion to women who want an abortion but are unable to get one.3–5Most of the few longitudinal studies available have been conducted outside of the United States. A Danish population-based cohort study assessed the onset of a first psychiatric event before and up to 12 months after a first-trimester abortion and found no increased risk of mental disorders after abortion.12 A Norwegian study followed 120 women for 5 years and compared the psychological response of women who had first-trimester abortions to women who had miscarriages,13 finding no differences in depression or anxiety between the 2 groups.13 Fergusson et al. published a series of articles based on a longitudinal study conducted in New Zealand that suggested that abortion is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems.14,15 These studies, however, have a number of shortcomings that have been discussed elsewhere and may not be generalizable to the US setting.4 One of the few longitudinal US studies is a secondary analysis of the National Comorbidity Survey that compared the mental health outcomes of women who obtained abortions to women who gave birth.16 In this study, the predictive effect of abortion on mental health conditions disappeared when analyses controlled for mental health history.16In this article, we report on the first 3 years of a 5-year longitudinal study, the Turnaway Study, which was specifically designed to examine the psychological consequences of undergoing or being denied an abortion in the United States. Previous findings from the Turnaway Study have demonstrated that most women seeking abortions for financial-, timing-, or partner-related reasons17 commonly express feelings of relief after the abortion and feel that abortion was the right decision.18 The mental health symptom trajectories of women who sought an abortion differed little from those who were denied one; however, both improved over time.19 Our previous analysis19 assessed self-reported mental health symptoms at 5 discrete points in time over 2 years (potentially missing symptoms of anxiety and depression that may have occurred in between interview dates or after 2 years), and it did not assess women’s severity of symptoms or other circumstances that may have led to a clinical diagnosis of depression or anxiety. This study further contributes to the literature by assessing diagnoses of new depression and anxiety disorders that may have occurred in women at any point up to 3 years after having sought an abortion.     

A measured response: Koop on abortion

The available scientific literature on the health effects of abortion on women in the US neither supports nor refutes the premise that abortion contributes to psychological problems. The 250 studies that have considered the psychological aspects of abortion are all flawed methodologically. Needed to resolve this issue is a prospective study of a cohort of US women of childbearing age focused on the psychological effects of failure to conceive, as well as the physical and mental sequelae of pregnancy whether carried to delivery, miscarried, or terminated by abortion. The most desirable such study could be conducted for about US$100 million over a 5-year period; a less expensive yet satisfactory study could be conducted for $10 million over the same time frame. Before such a study can be undertaken, a survey instrument must be designed to eliminate the discrepancy between the number of abortions on record and the number of women who admit to having an abortion on survey. Another issue is that the health effects of abortion cannot easily be separated from the controversial social issues surrounding pregnancy termination.     

Examining the association of abortion history and current mental health: A reanalysis of the National Comorbidity Survey using a common-risk-factors model

Using the US National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), Coleman, Coyle, Shuping, and Rue (2009) published an analysis indicating that compared to women who had never had an abortion, women who had reported an abortion were at an increased risk of several anxiety, mood, and substance use disorders. Here, we show that those results are not replicable. That is, using the same data, sample, and codes as indicated by those authors, it is not possible to replicate the simple bivariate statistics testing the relationship of ever having had an abortion to each mental health disorder when no factors were controlled for in analyses (Table 2 in Coleman et al., 2009). Furthermore, among women with prior pregnancies in the NCS, we investigated whether having zero, one, or multiple abortions (abortion history) was associated with having a mood, anxiety, or substance use disorder at the time of the interview. In doing this, we tested two competing frameworks: the abortion-as-trauma versus the common-risk-factors approach. Our results support the latter framework. In the bivariate context when no other factors were included in models, abortion history was not related to having a mood disorder, but it was related to having an anxiety or substance use disorder. When prior mental health and violence experience were controlled in our models, no significant relation was found between abortion history and anxiety disorders. When these same risk factors and other background factors were controlled, women who had multiple abortions remained at an increased risk of having a substance use disorder compared to women who had no abortions, likely because we were unable to control for other risk factors associated with having an abortion and substance use. Policy, practice, and research should focus on assisting women at greatest risk of having unintended pregnancies and having poor mental health—those with violence in their lives and prior mental health problems.     

An epidemiological analysis of abortion in Georgia.

Examination of abortion experience in Georgia following the passage of an abortion law based on the American Law Institute's Model Penal Code, intended to increase the availability of abortion, suggests that nonhospital abortions are still a black health problem, especially for unmarried blacks. Abortion mortality has declined for unmarried whites, married whites, and married black women. The abortion rate is highest for women under the age of 15 (falling into the rape catagory of the abortion law) and over 34 years (due to maternal physical health conditions). Maternal mental health indications are more restrictively defined in the medical community in Georgia. A comparison with several states liberalizing abortion laws demonstrates that in proportion to live births, markedly fewer hospital abortions have been performed in Georgia than in other states. Only 20 abortions were performed in Georgia each month until 1970 when the number increased to 47 due to publicity over a proposed abortion law. To reduce nonhospital abortion mortality, hospital abortions must be provided equitably to all women in need.     

Exploring pregnancy termination experiences and needs among Malaysian women: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Malaysia has relatively liberal abortion laws in that they permit abortions for both physical and mental health cases. However, abortion remains a taboo subject. The stagnating contraceptive prevalence rate combined with the plunging fertility rate suggests that abortion might be occurring clandestinely. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of women and their needs with regard to abortion. METHODS: Women from diverse backgrounds were purposively selected from an urban family planning clinic in Penang, Malaysia based on inclusion criteria of being aged 21 and above and having experienced an induced abortion. A semi-structured interview guide consisting of open ended questions eliciting women's experiences and needs with regard to abortion were utilized to facilitate the interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. RESULTS: Thirty-one women, with ages ranging from 21--43 years (mean 30.16 +/-6.41), who had induced surgical/medical abortions were recruited from an urban family planning clinic. Ten women reported only to have had one previous abortion while the remaining had multiple abortions ranging from 2--8 times. The findings revealed that although women had abortions, nevertheless they faced problems in seeking for abortion information and services. They also had fears about the consequences and side effects of abortion and wish to receive more information on abortion. Women with post-abortion feelings ranged from no feelings to not wanting to think about the abortion, relief, feeling of sadness and loss. Abortion decisions were primarily theirs but would seek partner/husband's agreement. In terms of the women's needs for abortion, or if they wished for more information on abortion, pre and post abortion counseling and post-abortion follow up. CONCLUSIONS: The existing abortion laws in Malaysia should enable the government to provide abortion services within the law. Unfortunately, the study findings show that this is generally not so, most probably due to social stigma. There is an urgent need for the government to review its responsibility in providing accessible abortion services within the scope of the law and to look into the regulatory requirements for such services in Malaysia. This study also highlighted the need for educational efforts to make women aware of their reproductive rights and also to increase their reproductive knowledge pertaining to abortion. Besides the government, public education on abortion may also be improved by efforts from abortion providers, advocacy groups and related NGOs.     

Unintended pregnancy among American women

This research note presents new estimates of the proportion of American women of reproductive age who experience unintended pregnancies, unintended births and abortions. The data are based on tabulations from the 1982 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the Alan Guttmacher Institute's 1981-1982 national survey of abortion providers. Of 6.1 million women who became pregnant in 1982, 3.7 million gave birth, 1.6 million had abortions and 0.9 million experienced miscarriages. An estimated 37% of all births in the 5 years preceding the 1982 NSFG were unintended. Applying that proportion to 1982 births results in an estimate of 1.3 million unintended births. It can be assumed that all 1.6 million abortions were terminations of unintended pregnancies. Respondents in the 1982 NSFG reported that 40% of the births they had ever had were unintended. 33% of NSFG respondents said that they had had at least 1 unintended birth during their life. Abortions were seriously underreported in the NSFG, as they have been in most other surveys. Only 47% of the abortions that occurred during the period 1977-1981 were reported. The real proportion of women of reproductive age who have ever had an abortion appears to be 21%. 65% of all women aged 40-44 in 1982 had had at least 1 unintended pregnancy, and more than 1/3 of them had had at least 1 abortion. It is probably inappropriate to view these levels as representative of the proportions of today's young women who will ever experience an unintended pregnancy or abortion. Estimates of the proportion of women who will have had abortions by age 45 indicate that 18% of women will have had a 1st abortion by age 20; 41% will have had one by age 30; and 46%, by age 45.     

Risk of ectopic pregnancy and previous induced abortion.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the role of prior history of induced abortion in subsequent ectopic pregnancies. METHODS: Data from two French case-control studies were used to examine the effect of induced abortion on ectopic pregnancy risk. Case patients (n = 570) were women admitted for ectopic pregnancy during the study period; controls (n = 1385) were women who delivered in the same center. RESULTS: The analysis among women with no previous ectopic pregnancy showed that, after control for the main ectopic pregnancy risk factors, prior induced abortion was associated with an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (odds ratio [OR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.0, 2.0); there was a significant trend between number of previous induced abortions and ectopic pregnancy risk (ORs = 1.4 for 1 previous induced abortion and 1.9 for 2 or more). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that induced abortion may be a risk factor for ectopic pregnancy for women with no previous ectopic pregnancy, particularly in the case of women who have had several induced abortions.     

Itineraries and methods of illegal abortion in five Brazilian state capitals

This paper presents the results of the structured interview phase of the National Abortion Survey (PNA-interviews), describing the itineraries, methods and social and demographic profile of women who had at least one illegal abortion. Structured interviews were conducted during the years 2010 and 2011 in five state capitals (Belem, Brasilia, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro and Salvador) with 122 women aged between 18 and 39 who had abortions. It is a non-probabilistic sample controlled by six parameters in accordance with level of education and age to reflect the social and demographic structure found in the PNA ballot-box questionnaire phase. The majority of women interviewed had had only one abortion, but 1 in every 4 had two abortions and 1 in every 17 had a third one. The majority of abortions are among women under 19 years of age who already had children and a higher incidence is found among black women. The most common test for pregnancy is beta-HCG blood test, the pharmacy urine test and ultrassound. The prevailing method for induction is a combination of teas and misoprostol (called Cytotec in Brazil), followed by hospital assistance after induction. Women are usually helped by a relative or their partners and several women reported helping other women to have abortions.     

育龄女性人工流产史与妊娠等待时间的相关性研究

目的:探讨育龄女性人工流产史与妊娠等待时间(TTP)关系。方法:采用回顾性队列研究方法,将2013年1月-2017年12月参加深圳市孕前优生健康检查且符合条件的44672例育龄女性作为研究对象,以20608例既往有人工流产史者为暴露组(其中14762例有1次人工流产史,5846例有≥2次人工流产史),以24064例无人工流产史者为非暴露组。采用Kruskal-walls检验和χ2检验比较不同组间的基线特征,Kaplan-Meier法计算每个月经周期的累计妊娠率,使用Cox模型估计育龄女性人工流产史对TTP的影响。结果:既往无人工流产史的育龄女性12个月经周期的累计妊娠率为(32.6%),低于既往有1次(38.9%)和≥2次人工流产史(34.0%)者。对影响因素进行调整后,与无人工流产史的育龄女性相比,有1次和≥2次人工流产史的女性生育力分别升高19.0%(FOR=1.190,95%CI 1.147~1.234)和21.5%(FOR=1.215,95%CI 1.153~1.280)。结论:有人工流产史的育龄女性生育力较高,TTP未见延长。针对这一生育力较高的特定人群,应做好科学避孕指导工作,避免多次意外妊娠后反复实施人工流产术对其生殖健康产生不良影响。     

Estimating abortion incidence in Burkina Faso using two methodologies

Abortion is illegal in Burkina Faso except in cases of incest, rape, fetal defect, or when the woman's life or physical health is endangered. As a result, abortion procedures are often conducted illegally and unsafely and measuring incidence proves difficult. We estimate incidence of abortion and associated morbidity using two methodologies. The first is the Abortion Incidence Complications Method (AICM), which uses information on women hospitalized for abortion-related complications as well as health professionals' assessments of the proportion of women who seek treatment for complications from unsafe abortions. The second is the Anonymous Third Party Reporting (ATPR) method, which entails surveying women about their confidantes' abortions. We conclude that the AICM yields a more accurate result. We estimate that 87,200 abortion procedures were carried out in 2008, representing 25 for every 1,000 women aged 15-49. More than one in four procedures resulted in complications treated at a health facility. The abortion rate estimated using the ATPR approach was 72 percent of that estimated with the AICM. The ATPR method yields information on the characteristics of the women who have abortions as well as the providers and methods they use.     

Multiple Abortions and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Migrant Women Working in Entertainment Venues in China

We conducted a survey of 358 young migrant women working in entertainment venues in China to explore the prevalence of and factors associated with two indicators of sexual and reproductive health: (1) multiple abortions and (2) the dual risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and abortion history. One quarter (25.4 percent) of the women in this sample had multiple abortions during their lifetime and, of those with any abortion history, 18.3 percent had had an abortion outside of a regulated health clinic. One-third (33.0 percent) of the sample had had an STI during the past year, and approximately one-fourth (23.7 percent) of those women did not receive STI treatment in a public hospital. Approximately one-fourth (23.5 percent) of the sample reported both a history of abortion and an STI during the past year. Women with a history of multiple abortions had significantly lower income levels, were more likely to have sex with clients and with husbands, and tended more to use alcohol before sex. Women who experienced both abortion and STI risks were more likely to report having had unprotected sex, genitourinary tract infections symptoms, anxiety, illicit drug use, and suicidal ideation. Enhanced efforts are needed to improve reproductive and sexual health for female migrants in urban China, particularly those working in entertainment venues.     

Observation: contraceptive method use following an abortion

Researchers comparing 1st and repeat abortion patients directly, have found that the latter were using methods that are only slightly or no more effective than those used by 1st-abortion patients at the time they became pregnant. It is here argued that such direct comparisons are not appropriate because repeat patients are not typical of all women who have ever had an abortion. Most women who use effective methods consistently after a 1st abortion, will never appear in the repeat abortion statistics. Therefore, in terms of contraceptive use, repeat abortion patients overrepresent women who use no method or the least effective method. This point is illustrated using 1981-82 data collected by the Minnesota Department of Health on virtually all the state's residents obtaining abortions in the state during a 2-year period. A total of 22,070 women obtained 1st abortions and 8734 women repeat abortions. The data is collected by method used and shows the monthly contraceptive failure rate per woman, the number of users per failure, the estimated % distribution of women at risk of a 1st abortion, the acutal distribution of those obtaining a 1st abortion, and the estimated distribution of women at risk of a repeat abortion. Comparisons of these statistics show that of the women exposed to the risk of abortion, those acutally obtaining one are disproportionately using no cotraceptives (70%) or the least effective method. The pill and sterilization were the methods used most commonly by the group exposed to the risk of a repeat abortion. By contrast, at the time of the 1st abortion, only 5% of women had been using the pill and less than 1% had depended on sterilization. Only 9% of women at risk of a repeat abortion used no method, compared with 70% before the 1st abortion. Thus although women who have an abortion tend to be relatively poor contraceptive users, after the abortion, they use methods at least as effective as those used by women at risk of a 1st abortion. The data suggest a marked improvement in contraceptive practice subsequent to a 1st abortion. While a number of factors may contribute to this improvement, it is probable that the abortion experience and the contraceptive services offered at the time of the abortion play an important role in improving contraceptive practice.     

Can stories reduce abortion stigma? Findings from a longitudinal cohort study

Women often hide or selectively disclose abortion experiences due to stigma. Secrecy can help women avoid stigma but may also result in isolation and a lack of social support and contribute to broader social silence. This study assesses whether a book-club intervention can support abortion disclosure among book club participants and improve participants’ affective responses towards women who have abortions and abortion providers. A total of 109 women from 13 all-female book clubs located in 9 US states read and discussed a non-fiction book that included stories about pregnancy and abortion, participated in a book club discussion and completed baseline, immediate post-intervention and endline surveys. In 10 out of the 13 book club discussions, at least one member disclosed having had a previous abortion. Overall, 15 of the 19 women who privately reported having a previous abortion self-disclosed one or more abortions during the book club discussion. Following the book club intervention, women reported having more positive feelings toward women who have abortions and abortion providers. Greater improvement and longer lasting effects were seen in groups where there was also an in-person disclosure of abortion experience. Findings suggest that exposure to the stories of women who have had abortions can reduce abortion stigma.     

Exploratory spatial data analysis for the identification of risk factors to birth defects

Background

Nearly 10% of the population of Turkey lives in the Southeast Anatolian Project (SEAP) region. The population growth rate and the rate of unintended pregnancies are high and family planning services are insufficient in this region. Lifetime induced abortion rate is also high in this region. Public health problems of the SEAP region were investigated in the "SEAP Public Health Project" in 2001 and 2002. As it is one of the most important health problems of the women living in this region; induced abortion was also investigated in this project.

Methods

An optimumsample size representing the rural and urban area of the region (n = 1150) was chosen by the State Institute of Statistics by a sampling method proportional to size. 1126 of the area's 1150 houses have been visited and data about induced abortions have been obtained by applying a questionnaire to 1491 ever married women who live in the region.

Results

It has been found that 9.0% of these women who had at least one pregnancy in their life had at least one induced abortion. The lifetime induced abortion per 100 pregnancies was found to be 2.45. The primary reason given for induced abortions was "wanting no more children" (64.6%). Lifetime induced abortions were 5.3 times greater with women using a family planning method than women not using family planning methods. Lifetime induced abortions were 4.1 times greater with unemployed women than working women. Most of the women have used private doctors in order to have an induced abortion. Although 32.29% have not yet begun to use a contraceptive method after their last induced abortion, 43.75% of the women have since started to use an effective contraceptive method. 23.96% of them have begun to use an ineffective contraceptive method.

Conclusions

Induced abortion is still an important problem at the SEAP region. The results of the study remind us that unemployed women and women who have more than four children is our target group in the campaign against induced abortions. Most of the women use private doctors in order to have an induced abortion. Thus, priority must be given to educate private gynecologists with respect to induced abortion. After induced abortions, a qualified family planning consultant can be given to women and they can be secured to use a suitable contraceptive method.     

Ectopic pregnancy and prior induced abortion.

We compared the prior pregnancy histories of 85 multigravid women with an ectopic pregnancy and 498 multigravid delivery comparison subjects. We found a relationship between the number of prior induced abortions and the risk of ectopic pregnancy: the crude relative risk of ectopic pregnancy was 1.6 for women with one prior induced abortion and 4.0 for women with two or more prior induced abortions; however, use of multivariate techniques to control confounding factors reduced the relative risks to 1.3 (95 per cent confidence interval, 0.6-2.7) and 2.6 (95 per cent confidence interval, 0.9-7.4), respectively. The analysis suggests that induced abortion may be one of several risk factors for ectopic pregnancy, particularly for women who have had abortions plus pelvic inflammatory disease or multiple abortions.     

Egon R. Diczfalusy,the discovery of the fetoplacental unit and much more

BackgroundLittle is known about the characteristics of second-trimester abortion patients.Study DesignData come from a national sample of 9493 women obtaining abortions in 2008. Chi-square statistics and logistic regression were used to examine demographic characteristics of women having abortions at 13 or more weeks since last menstrual period (LMP) and women having abortions at 13–15 weeks LMP compared to 16+ weeks LMP.ResultsIn 2008, 10.3% of abortions in the United States were 13 weeks LMP or later, including 4.0% at 16+ weeks. Groups most likely to have abortions at 13 weeks or later included black women, women with less education, those using health insurance to pay for the procedure and those who had experienced three or more disruptive events in the last year. Groups more likely to have an abortion at 16 weeks or later included black women, higher income women and those paying with health insurance.ConclusionsBlack women and those with less education would most benefit from increased availability of first-trimester abortion services.     

Abortion and anxiety: What's the relationship?

Using data from the United States National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), we conducted secondary data analyses to examine the relationship of abortion, including multiple abortions, to anxiety after first pregnancy outcome in two studies. First, when analyzing the NSFG, we found that pre-pregnancy anxiety symptoms, rape history, age at first pregnancy outcome (abortion vs. delivery), race, marital status, income, education, subsequent abortions, and subsequent deliveries accounted for a significant association initially found between first pregnancy outcome and experiencing subsequent anxiety symptoms. We then tested the relationship of abortion to clinically diagnosed generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and social anxiety disorder, using NCS data. Contrary to findings from our analyses of the NSFG, in the NCS analyses we did not find a significant relationship between first pregnancy outcome and subsequent rates of GAD, social anxiety, or PTSD. However, multiple abortions were found to be associated with much higher rates of PTSD and social anxiety; this relationship was largely explained by pre-pregnancy mental health disorders and their association with higher rates of violence. Researchers and clinicians need to learn more about the relations of violence exposure, mental health, and pregnancy outcome to avoid attributing poor mental health solely to pregnancy outcomes.     

Abortion surveillance--United States, 1997.

PROBLEM/CONDITION: In 1969, CDC began abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions, to monitor unintended pregnancy, and to assist efforts to identify and reduce preventable causes of morbidity and mortality associated with abortions. REPORTING PERIOD COVERED: This report summarizes and reviews information reported to CDC regarding legal induced abortions obtained in the United States in 1997. DESCRIPTION OF SYSTEM: For each year since 1969, CDC has compiled abortion data by state where the abortion occurred. The data are received from 52 reporting areas in the United States: 50 states, the District of Columbia, and New York City. RESULTS: In 1997, a total of 1,186,039 legal abortions were reported to CDC, representing a 3% decrease from the number reported for 1996. The abortion ratio was 306 legal induced abortions per 1,000 live births, and since 1995, the abortion rate has remained at 20 per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. The availability of information about characteristics of women who obtained an abortion in 1997 varied by state and by the number of states reporting each characteristic. The total number of legal induced abortions by state is reported by state of residence and state of occurrence; characteristics of women obtaining abortions in 1997 are reported by state of occurrence. Women who were undergoing an abortion were more likely to be young (i.e., aged < 25 years), white, and unmarried; approximately one half were obtaining an abortion for the first time. More than one half of all abortions for which gestational age was reported (55%) were performed at < or = 8 weeks of gestation, and 88% were performed before 13 weeks. Overall, 18% of abortions were performed at the earliest weeks of gestation (< or = 6 weeks), 18% at 7 weeks of gestation, and 20% at 8 weeks of gestation. From 1992 through 1997, increases have occurred in the percentage of abortions performed at the very early weeks of gestation. Few abortions were provided after 15 weeks of gestation--4% of abortions were obtained at 16-20 weeks, and 1.4% were obtained at > or = 21 weeks. A total of 19 reporting areas submitted information regarding abortions performed by medical (nonsurgical) procedures, comprising < 1% of procedures reported by all states. Younger women (i.e., aged < or = 24 years) were more likely to obtain abortions later in pregnancy than were older women. INTERPRETATION: From 1990 through 1995, the number of abortions declined each year; in 1996, the number increased slightly, and in 1997, the number of abortions in the United States declined to it lowest level since 1978. PUBLIC HEALTH ACTIONS: The number and characteristics of women who obtain abortions in the United States should continue to be monitored so that trends in induced abortion can be assessed and efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy can be evaluated.     

Abortion Incidence and Postabortion Care in Rwanda

Abortion is illegal in Rwanda except when necessary to protect a woman's physical health or to save her life. Many women in Rwanda obtain unsafe abortions, and some experience health complications as a result. To estimate the incidence of induced abortion, we conducted a national sample survey of health facilities that provide postabortion care and a purposive sample survey of key informants knowledgeable about abortion conditions. We found that more than 16,700 women received care for complications resulting from induced abortion in Rwanda in 2009, or 7 per 1,000 women aged 15–44. Approximately 40 percent of abortions are estimated to lead to complications requiring treatment, but about a third of those who experienced a complication did not obtain treatment. Nationally, the estimated induced abortion rate is 25 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44, or approximately 60,000 abortions annually. An urgent need exists in Rwanda to address unmet need for contraception, to strengthen family planning services, to broaden access to legal abortion, and to improve postabortion care.