Abortions, 2003, preliminary figures

In 2003, 15 420 petitions were made for abortions. For 13 836 of them the outcome was an induced abortions.

The decreasing trend in teenage abortions continued in 2003. The level was 16.3 teenage abortions per 1000 women 15-19 years of age. This is the lowest level ever observed during the period of 25 years with the actual law of abortion.

The number of abortions up to 10 weeks pregnancy was 11 300. Of these was 39 per cent abortion inducing farmeutical and 46 per cent by surgery.

From the 600 petitions handled in abortion committees, almost 500 resulted in induced abortion. The remaining petitions were rejected or not carried out for other reasons. About 46 per cent of the petitions for abortion granted by a committee were for social reasons. About 38 per cent were made due to serious risk for the health of the foetus.

Tables:

• Table 1 Induced abortions, by woman's age. 1979-2003. (Corrected 13.07.2004)
• Table 2 Induced abortions, by woman's county of residence. 1980- 2003
• Table 3 Induced abortions per 1 000 women 15-49 year, by woman's county of residence. 1980- 2003
• Table 4 Induced abortions among teenagers (-19 years), by woman's county of residence. 1999-2003
• Table 5 Included commitee treats abortions, by paragraph. 1999-2003
• Table 6 Induced abortions, by period of gestation and the womans age. 2003
• Table 7 Induced abortions, by period of gestation and sort of decision. 2003
• Table 8 Abortions, by woman`s cohabitional status and county of residence. 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003
• Table 9 Induced abortions by woman´s county of residence, and part of town in Oslo. 1999- 2003
• Table 10 Induced abortions within 9 weeks and use of medicaments. 2002-2003
• Table 11 Induced abortions as percentage of live births, by woman's county of residence. 1980- 2003