Legalized abortion in South Australia: the first 7 years' experience

Abortion in South Australia, 1971–86: an update

Official statistics on abortion in South Australia for the period 1971–86 are analysed in terms of incidence, age of patients and nuptiality, reasons for abortion, method of termination, period of gestation, previous abortions and concurrent sterilisation. Demographic implications are discussed and recommendations are made for more education and counselling, especially for younger and unmarried women for whom the incidence of abortion seems to be rising.

Trends in legalized abortion in South Australia: 1970–81

Official abortion statistics for South Australia for the years 1977–81 were examined and compared with those for 1970–76 reported earlier. The period 1970–81 represents the first 12 years' experience of legalized abortion in South Australia. A consistent increase in the incidence of abortion was noted, both in absolute numbers and in proportion to the number of live births. South Australia continued to experience lower fertility than other Australian states, although this would have been higher than in other states had it not been for the legalization of abortion. More of the younger and the unmarried women were obtaining abortions, indicating that they were increasingly using abortion as a form of birth control.

Legal abortion in South Australia: a review of the first 30 years

OBJECTIVES

To review the first 30 years' experience of legal abortion in South Australia and its demographic implications.

DATA AND METHODS

Information was obtained from official abortion statistics and demographic publications of the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Standard demographic and statistical techniques of analysis were used.

RESULTS

After an initial rise during the 1970s, abortion rates remained fairly constant for the next decade but have increased since 1990. The Pregnancy Advisory Centre opened in 1992, to reduce waiting times and to cater for late abortions. This resulted in an increase in abortions earlier in pregnancy and also an increase in late abortions. With the adoption of vacuum aspiration techniques and improved services, abortion is now a day-only procedure, performed by specially trained doctors. Morbidity and mortality have been greatly reduced. Concurrent sterilisation has also declined. The increase in abortion has affected all age groups, but particularly women under 30, consistent with the national trend towards the postponement of births. After an initial rapid decline, the total pregnancy rate has risen slightly since 1990, showing changes in patterns of contraceptive use. However, this is not reflected in an increase in the total confinement rate.

CONCLUSION

Overall, contraception has had a greater effect than abortion in reducing births in South Australia. The abortion rate is still lower than in the rest of Australia as calculated from Medicare data, even though this is an underestimate because it includes only fee-paying patients. There remains a need for continuing emphasis on better contraceptive use, including emergency contraception.

Incidence of hysterectomy and tubal ligation in public hospitals in south Australia, 1980-82

This paper presents information on the incidence of hysterectomy and tubal ligation in South Australia in the period 1980–82, and on the age, marital status and ethnicity of women undergoing these procedures in public hospitals during the period. A typical woman undergoing one of these procedures was married or previously married and in her mid-40s for hysterectomy or mid-30s for tubal ligation. South Australian women had a lifetime chance of one in six of undergoing hysterectomy and of one in five of undergoing tubal ligation. The findings are consonant with the suggestion that increasing numbers of women are choosing forms of sterilization as means of contraception.