Fertility, Abortion, and Contraception in Russia: Findings from Russia's Frist National Reproductive Health Survey

Since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation has been characterized by extremely low levels of fertility, very high rates of induced abortion, and a lack of consistent use of effective contraception by Russian couples. These characteristics, particularly fertility rates leading to negative population growth, have been a major cause for concern in Russia. A recently completed national survey has found, however, that fertility has risen substantially while abortion utilization has fallen sharply. In late 2011, the Russia Reproductive Health Survey (RRHS) was carried out, providing Russia with its first nationally representative estimates of a wide range of reproductive health indicators. The RRHS, with a national sample of over 10,000 women, found the total fertility rate for Russia to have increased substantially, while the total abortion rate fell even more dramatically. In this paper we decompose information from the 2011 RHS and earlier data sources to analyze the interplay between fertility, fertility intentions, various aspects of contraceptive use, and other reproductive behaviors and decisions to better understand how such factors have served to increase fertility and reduce induced abortion recently.