Induced abortion frequency in Ankara, Turkey, before and after the legal regulation of induced abortion.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of the 1983 law that legalized induced abortion on the number and place of abortions, and on the use of family planning (FP) methods before and after abortion, and to determine the demographic characteristics and reproductive health features according to the order of abortion.


METHODS
This study included 2455 married, widowed or divorced women presenting at Mother and Child Health-Family Planning Centres in Ankara. A questionnaire was used for data collection.


RESULTS
Nearly three out of 10 (28.7%) of the women had undergone at least one induced abortion. In the age groups 45-54 and 55-64, 49 and 37.3%, respectively, had had one or more terminations of pregnancy (TOPs). The induced abortion rate increased following the enacting of the law. In the 15-24 and in the 55-64 age group, 55.6 and 89%, respectively, of the women had been aborted by a private physician. Before the index pregnancy, 63.1% were not using contraception compared with 37.3% thereafter. The rate of use of FP increased after the law was passed.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the most common reason for having an abortion was unwanted pregnancy in all age groups and nearly 60.0% of the women aged less than 55 reported that they were not using any FP method at the time of the TOP, the proportion of women having undergone at least one of these procedures increased after the law was passed, indicating that abortion is used as a FP method.
Maral
Işil
I
Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
Durukan
Elif
E
Albyrak
Selda
S
Oztimur
Neşe
N
Biri
Aydan
A
Bumin
M Ali
MA
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003076:Coitus Interruptus; D003268:Contraception Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007434:Intrauterine Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007514:Islam; D017533:Marital Status; D008430:Maternal-Child Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D049168:Pregnancy, Unplanned; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted; D017149:Private Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey