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[Requested abortions in Oslo 2000-2003].
Linda Björk Helgadóttir1, Erik Qvigstad, Elbjørg Melseth
1Kvinnesenteret, Kvinne-barn-divisjonen, Ullevål universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo. lindabjork.helgadottir@uus.no
Summary
Non-Western women are over-represented in Oslo for late induced abortions, requesting them at a later gestational age compared to Western women. This over-representation persists beyond the first trimester of pregnancy.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Reproductive Health
- Sociology
Background:
- Non-Western women are over-represented in induced abortions before 12 weeks in Oslo.
- This study investigates if this trend continues for abortions requested after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if non-Western women are over-represented among those requesting induced abortions after 12 weeks gestation in Oslo.
- To compare gestational age at request and abortion acceptance rates between Western and non-Western women.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 378 women requesting induced abortion after 12 weeks at Ullevål University Hospital (2000-2003).
- Comparison with Oslo population data on fertile women by ethnic background.
- Data collected from patient records and municipal statistics.
Main Results:
- Non-Western women constituted 23% of late induced abortion requests, higher than their proportion in the general fertile population (15.5%).
- Mean gestational age at request was higher for non-Western women (16.4 weeks) than Western women (15.6 weeks).
- A non-significant trend suggested a higher rejection risk for non-Western women (aOR 1.6).
Conclusions:
- Non-Western women are significantly over-represented among those seeking induced abortions after 12 weeks gestation in Oslo.
- This over-representation aligns with previous findings for early pregnancy terminations.
- Findings highlight potential disparities in accessing timely reproductive healthcare services.