How high is the real incidence of induced abortion? Facts and erroneous estimates
Christian, W.; Grillmaier, G.
Fortschritte der Medizin 98(29): 1123-1128
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-8178 PMID: 7450646 Document Number: 163340
The study is an attempt to elucidate the official number of abortions on German women from the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) in the Federal Republic of Germany (BRD). These numbers are derived from the General Medical Council up to mid-1976; after this date, from the FBS; also from registered and nonregistered cases in neighboring countries. There are "hidden numbers" in these data. Fetal deaths are reliably included in the abortion statistics. Abortions performed in Holland and Great Britain are fairly reliably registered. Abortions performed elsewhere (e.g. Austria) are not reliably registered but probably not quantitatively important. Miscarriages, a non-notifiable occurrence, are included insofar as numbers were ascertainable from hospital statistics. Data from the General Medical Council show an increase of 300% in 5 years--from 1970 to 1975. The first year of liberalized legislation, 1977, 54,309 abortions are registered, increasing to 82,788 in 1979 (50%). During those latter years there is a diminishing abortion rate on German women done abroad. Hard-to-estimate figures stem from: 1) legal, but not reported abortions, 2) nonsubstantiated abortions abroad, and 3) illegal abortions. Total number of abortions in 1979 is set at 135,600 which gives the BRD the lowest abortion rate of the European countries. However, the number of illegal abortions is set by independent experts at 75,000-300,000/year. With such divergent numbers it is difficult to accurately quantify the abortion rate. It can only be measured against the number of abortions no longer performed by quacks. The abortion rate (number of abortions/1000 women of childbearing age) and abortion ratio (number of abortions/1000 live births) are compared between various European countries for the year 1977. It shows the BDR with the 2nd lowest rate after the Netherlands and 3rd lowest rate after the Netherlands and Scotland. Hungary has both the highest rate (39.2/1000) and ratio (502/1000) in this table. Time will tell if the number of abortions continues to increase within the BRD and decrease in the neighboring countries. Statistics seem to indicate this trend.