Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 04.12.1985, Side 160

Women who are denied an abortion can appeal to the supervisory
committee previously mentioned. In 1975-1984, this committee handled
140 cases coming from all over Iceland, out of which 24 were denied an
abortion.
Prior to the late sixties the rate of legal abortions in Iceland was
considerably stable, with between one and two per 1000 women of
reproductive age, obtaining abortion a year. In the seventies the
trend changed. In 1971-1975 the rate was 4.1 per 1000 women, age
15-49, 8.7 in 1976-1980, and 11.7 in 1983. At the same time the
abortion rate in Iceland is still increasing the abortion rates of
other Nordic countries are declining. Despite that development the
abortion rate in Iceland is one of the lowest in the Nordic countries.
At the same time as the abortion rate has increased, the birth rate
has aecreased. The birth rate began falling, like in many other
western countries, in the early sixties. The abortion ratio per 100
live births increased from 4.6 in 1971-1975 to 11.0 in 1976-1980 and
reached 15.7 in 1983.
Most abortions in Iceland today are authorized on social indications
or almost nine out of ten compared with six out of ten in 1976.
Abortions on medical grounds, previously the precondition for
obtaining an abortion , have decreased from 18% of all abortions in
1976 to 6% in 1982. (Higher figures in 1978 (16%) and 1979 (19%)
reflect effects of an epidemic of German Measles in those years). The
share of abortions authorized on both medical and social grounds
dropped from 19% in 1976 to 5% in 1982.
Ninety seven percent. of all abortions are performed within 12 weeks of
pregnancy, the preferable limits set by the law.
In recent years there has been a shift in the age distribution of
women undergoing abortions, from older to younger women. In 1982, half
of the women were under 25 years of age, compared to 38% in 1976. The
rate of abortions per 1000 women has increased in all age groups
except the 35 years or older, where it has dropped. In 1982 the rate
was highest among women, age 15-24, or 14 per 1000. The rate was
lowest among women age 40-49, or 3.3 per 1000.
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