Tidsskrift for den Norske Laegeforening
Volume 122, Issue 14, 2002, Pages 1355-1357

Induced abortion among non-Western immigrant women in Oslo, Norway [Provosert abort blant kvinner med fremmedkulturell bakgrunn i Oslo] (Article)

Eskild A.* , Helgadottir L.B. , Jerve F. , Qvigstad E. , Stray-Pedersen S. , Løset Å.
  • a Kvinnesenteret, Ullevål Universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway
  • b Kvinnesenteret, Ullevål Universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway
  • c Kvinnesenteret, Ullevål Universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway
  • d Kvinnesenteret, Ullevål Universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway
  • e Kvinnesenteret, Ullevål Universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway
  • f Kvinnesenteret, Ullevål Universitetssykehus, 0407 Oslo, Norway

Abstract

Background. A large proportion of women requesting induced abortion in Oslo, Norway are of non-Western origin. The aim of this study was to investigate whether non-Western immigrant women are over-represented among women requesting induced abortion. For comparative purposes the proportion of non-Western women with deliveries was also assessed. Material and methods. Included in the study were all women 16-50 years of age, living in Oslo in 1999. Age specific data on the number of female residents and the number of women with deliveries according to immigrant status were obtained from the City of Oslo's Statistical Office. Information on the number of induced abortions according to age and immigrant status was obtained from the medical records of all women requesting induced abortion in Oslo during a four-months period. Results. 25% of all women requesting induced abortion (262/1 069) and 15.5% (20,637/132,843) of the general population were non-Western (ratio between proportions = 1.6, p < 0.05 chi square test). Non-Western women were over-represented in all age groups of women requesting induced abortion; this was most pronounced in the age groups > 35 years. Non-Western women were also over-represented in all age groups of women who had delivery. Half of all deliveries in women < 25 years were among non-Western women. Interpretation. Non-Western immigrant women seem to represent a risk group for induced abortion.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

cultural anthropology induced abortion Abortion, Induced immigrant Norway psychological aspect human middle aged statistics controlled study comparative study ethnology groups by age Abortion Applicants Humans Adolescent female medical record pregnancy cultural factor therapeutic abortion Article Abortion, Legal major clinical study adult migration government abortion Emigration and Immigration Cultural Characteristics
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0037198310&partnerID=40&md5=bb063ea17698d9872c57b1883d61bd89
ISSN: 00292001
Cited by: 17
Original Language: Norwegian