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In 2017, 216 voluntary interruptions of pregnancy (abortion) were performed in France, including 700 with women residing in Metropolitan France, according to (Drees). The recourse rate is 202 abortion per 900 women aged 14,4 to 1 in Metropolitan France and 000 in the overseas departments and regions (DROM). The young women most affected? Those aged 15 to 49, with a rate of 26,1 abortions per 20 women for the whole of France. The total abortion index remained at 24 abortion per woman in 26,7.
The abortion rate remains relatively stable in France
Regional differences persist, with recourse rates ranging from single to double depending on the region. In Metropolitan France, they vary from 10,2 IVG per 1 women in Pays de la Loire to 000 IVG in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. They are often higher in the DROMs and reach 21,4 in Guadeloupe.
48 abortions were performed outside a hospital structure, ie 100% of the total abortions. In hospitals, the proportion of instrumental abortions continues to decrease and stands at 22%, or 41% of the total of abortions.
This rate has remained relatively stable over the past ten years, while France has fairly significant contraceptive coverage and, at the same time, one of the highest birth rates in Europe.
Emergency contraception continues to develop
In addition, emergency contraception continues to develop. During the last 15 years, the level of use of emergency contraception has not increased: 1 million “morning after pills” and “two days later” were sold each year in France (a figure which was even slightly down between 2013 and 2015).
However, there are some upward or downward fluctuations in some years. In 1995, the number of abortions seemed to drop to 180. For Danielle Gaudry, obstetrician-gynecologist, member of the abortion committee of Family Planning, this decrease is not a priori due to a decrease in the number of abortions this year there, but rather the establishment of a new system for recording abortion data. As a reminder, the law of 1975 made it compulsory for practitioners to fill in a pregnancy termination form (BIG). However, since the number of abortions is often underestimated using this method of calculation, other indicators have been put in place. Since 1996, several sources have been used to count the number of abortions: the Annual Statistics of Health Establishments (SAE) and especially the Program for the medicalization of information systems in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and dentistry (PMSI MCO).
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One in three women has an abortion at least once in her life
What about the profile of women who have abortions? Young women aged 20 to 24 remain the first concerned, with a rate of 26,7 abortions per 1 women for the whole of France, indicates Drees. “Fertility is very high at that age, and the sex life is often intense,” explains Danielle Gaudry. But, “these young women are not considering motherhood. They wait until they finish their studies, find a stable job, and have a married life. According to the National Institute for Demographic Studies (INED), one in three women will have an abortion at least once in her life. The average age fell from 000 years in 28,4 to 1990 years in 27,5. Just over half of women who had abortion in 2011 live alone and have a job and one in five is a student. or student.
It should be noted
After a first abortion, the probability of having an abortion again has been on the rise for 20 years. It reached 41% in 2011, against 28% in 2002 and 18% in 1990.
The use of the drug method more and more
In 2012, the share of medical abortions was almost equivalent to the share of surgical abortions, while in 2001, it represented less than half. Even though the law allows an abortion to be performed up to 12 weeks gestation, women are alerting themselves earlier and earlier. They terminate their pregnancy on average at 6,5 weeks gestation. These early abortions can be explained by the spread of the drug method. The protocols are now well known to professionals, city medicine is authorized to perform medical abortions.
Historical review
In France, abortion was authorized by the law of January 17, 1975, known as the “Veil law, renewed in 1979, then definitively legalized on January 1, 1980. A law of July 4, 2001 introduced a modification of the rules for recourse to ‘Abortion, by increasing the maximum authorized period of recourse from ten to twelve weeks of pregnancy. The drug technique has been legal since 1989. A law of July 2001 and its implementing texts of July 2004 also allow women to resort to a medical abortion within the framework of town medicine. Health centers and family planning or education centers (CPEF) have also been authorized to perform medical abortions since 2009.
Since March 31, 2013, abortion has been covered 100% by health insurance.
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