Abstract
The patterns of legal abortion rates (per 1000 women) and abortion ratios (per 1000 births or pregnancies) vary widely among countries. The rapid rise in the number of abortions reported in all countries after a liberalization of their abortion laws reflects in part a replacement of unwanted births by abortions.
In the year 1957 in Finland there were 88000 births and 4550 abortions. The birth rate was 18.5 (per 1000 inhabitants) and abortion ratio 54.5. Only the medical reasons were accepted for abortion. After the liberalized law the number of induced abortions rose very rapidly to 23000 and abortion ratio to 408. The number of births fell to 57000. The most part of the reasons for abortion (90 - 95%) were social. During few years the development has been more advantageous. In the year 1977 abortion ratio was 270. During the same period the adoption was rare. Only 120 - 220 couples per year had a possibility to adopt the baby.
The results are presented in diagrams.
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Raili, P., Tuomas, P. Number of births, social abortions and adoptions in the years 1957–1977 in Finland. Pediatr Res 14, 1424 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198012000-00098
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198012000-00098
