Contraception among women demanding abortion
Skjeldestad, F.E.; Tuveng, J.; Fosse, A.; Grimstad, H.
Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening Tidsskrift for Praktisk Medicin Ny Raekke 108(3): 207-209
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2001 PMID: 3353912 Document Number: 314060
The contraceptive practice among 873 women demanding first trimester abortion of the gynecological department, Trondheim Univeristy Hospital, was recorded during 1985. Young women, women living alone and women who had never been pregnant before, were more frequently non-users of contraception at the time of conception. Women having two or more children had a higher frequency of contraceptive use than women having only one child. While 61% of the abortion-seeking women had used contraceptives six months earlier only 38% had used contraceptive at the time of conception. Women using oral contraceptives in particular had changed their contraceptive practice during the last six months prior to conception. The study concludes that unplanned pregnancy seems to be the result of not using contraceptives rather than contraceptive failure. Stronger efforts to improve contraceptive practice could reduce the number of induced abortions. However, a side effect may be a further decrease in the number of births.