Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to review the first 40 years’ experience of induced abortion in South Australia and to examine its demographic implications. So far South Australia is the only State where induced abortion is legal in Australia.
Information on abortion was obtained from the annual abortion reports presented to the South Australian Parliament.
The average annual number of abortions was 2,451 in 1970-74, reaching a peak of 5,555 in 1995-99 and has since declined to 4,948 in 2005-09. The corresponding abortion rates were 9.8, 17.3 and 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive ages. The increase in abortion rates has affected most age groups – particularly among women under 30 years of age. With the increasing adoption of vacuum aspiration and provision of improved services, complications have been greatly reduced. Concurrent sterilisation has markedly declined from more than 16% in 1970-74 to <1% in 2005-09.
During the first 7-8 years of legalisation of abortion the fertility rates declined substantially. However, since then they have been more or less constant at below replacement levels despite the upward trend in abortion rates. This is probably because of the increasing availability and use of contraception.
Information on abortion was obtained from the annual abortion reports presented to the South Australian Parliament.
The average annual number of abortions was 2,451 in 1970-74, reaching a peak of 5,555 in 1995-99 and has since declined to 4,948 in 2005-09. The corresponding abortion rates were 9.8, 17.3 and 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women of reproductive ages. The increase in abortion rates has affected most age groups – particularly among women under 30 years of age. With the increasing adoption of vacuum aspiration and provision of improved services, complications have been greatly reduced. Concurrent sterilisation has markedly declined from more than 16% in 1970-74 to <1% in 2005-09.
During the first 7-8 years of legalisation of abortion the fertility rates declined substantially. However, since then they have been more or less constant at below replacement levels despite the upward trend in abortion rates. This is probably because of the increasing availability and use of contraception.
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Event ID
17
Paper presenter
34 844
Type of Submissions
Regular session presentation, if not selected I agree to present my paper as a poster
Language of Presentation
English
Initial First Choice
Initial Second Choice
Weight in Programme
26
Status in Programme
1