Heilbrigðisskýrslur - 04.12.1985, Side 161

There has also been a change in the marital status of women obtaining
abortion. The proportion of unmarried women has grown while that of
married and previously married, decreased. In 1982 54% were unmarried,
33% married, and 9% previously married. The rate of abortions by
marital status was in 1982, per 1000 women, age 15-49, for previously
married women 20.3, for unmarried women 13.8, and for married women
6.5.
During 1976-1981 half of the women held paid jobs but the other half
was divided between homemakers and students. In recent years the
number of students among the women involved has increased while the
number of homemakers has decreased.
Major shift has taken place in the distribution by parity, of women
obtaining abortion, the proportion of women without prior births
growing from 25% in 1976 to 41% in 1982. At the same time the
proportion of women with four prior deliveries decreased from 23% in
1976 to 9% in 1982.
The survey reveals that during 1976-1981, 312 women had had prior
abortions or 11% of the total. The same proportion accounts for 1982.
Of the 312 women mentioned 17 had obtained abortion previously in the
same year.
Thirty per cent of the women reported contraceptives being used when
becoming pregnant.
Almost half of the women had legal residence in Reykjavik, about third
lived in other towns, but one fifth in rural areas. The abortion rate
per 1000 women (all age groups) during 1976-1981 was 5.4 in Reykjavík,
3.8 in other towns and 3.5 in rural areas.
Three out of every four abortions were performed at Landspitalinn in
Reykjavik, the others mainly at seven other hospitals throughout the
country.
In 96% of the abortions in 1976-1981 two methods were used for the
termination of pregnancy, instrumental evacuation (surgical curettage)
and vacuum aspiration (suction curettage). In 1976 three out of four
abortions were performed with the instrumental evacuation method but
in 1982 suction evacuation had replaced it with four out of five cases.
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