Decisions concerning applications for termination of pregnancy during the period from 1 April 1970 to 31 March 1979
Sele, V.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 142(12): 788-791
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 7368363 Document Number: 167037
An analysis is undertaken of abortions performed between 1970 and 1979 under paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Danish abortion law, i.e. abortions granted by a consultant committee. This period is divided into 18 half-year periods. The increase in abortions performed under paragraph 6 increased 45.9% between 1970 and 1973. This increase was 108% for pregnancies 12 weeks and 39.4% for pregnancies 12 weeks. During this period, the percentage of refusals of applications for abortion decreased from ca. 12% to ca. 4% before the 12th week of pregnancy and from 30-40% to ca. 20% after the 12th week of pregnancy. Of the cases after the 12th week of pregnancy, the greatest increase in the granting of abortions occurred in cases after the 16th week of pregnancy. The revision of the abortion law in 1973, in spite of identical guidelines concerning abortions in the second trimester of pregnancy, caused an increase in the number of abortion applications that were rejected after the 12th week of pregnancy, instead of a decrease.