The incidence of induced abortion in a prospective cohort study of 16- to 25-year-old Australian women
Jennifer Walker A K , Kathleen McNamee B C , John K. Kaldor D , Basil Donovan D , Christopher K. Fairley E F , Marie Pirotta G , Catriona S. Bradshaw F H , Marcus Y. Chen E F , Suzanne Garland I J and Jane S. Hocking AA Centre for Women’s Health, Gender and Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
B Family Planning Victoria, Box Hill, Vic. 3128, Australia.
C Monash Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia.
D National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, UNSW, Coogee, NSW 2034, Australia.
E Sexual Health Unit, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
F Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
G Primary Care Research Unit, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
H Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic. 3004, Australia.
I The Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, Vic. 3052, Australia.
J Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne, Vic. 3010, Australia.
K Corresponding author. Email: walker@unimelb.edu.au
Sexual Health 8(3) 439-441 https://doi.org/10.1071/SH11053
Submitted: 28 March 2011 Accepted: 31 March 2011 Published: 17 August 2011
Abstract
In Australia, data for induced abortions (IA) is unreliable, although accurate information is essential for the development of policy and funding for services relating to IA. The rate of induced abortion was an incidental finding from questionnaire data collected for a longitudinal study of chlamydia in young women in Australia. We found a pregnancy rate of 7.2/100 woman years (95% confidence interval (CI): 5.7–9.0) (n = 76) and IA rate of 2.1/100 women years (95% CI: 1.4–3.2) (n = 22). Differences were found between States and Territories, information which might influence the development of services in regions of Australia.
Additional keywords: pregnancy, termination.
References
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