Induced Abortion in Xian City, China

Induced abortion is widely practiced in the People's Republic of China, yet little information on its incidence is available. A household survey of married women under 50 years of age in Xian City, Shaanxi Province, reveals that nearly half of women there have had at least one induced abortion. Because of their longer exposure to the risk of pregnancy, women in their 30s and those who have been married for 5-19 years have had more abortions, on average, than others. However, it is the youngest women, and those married most recently, who are most likely to terminate a pregnancy by abortion. For the middle three five-year age-groups (women 25-39), the average number of pregnancies declined 22 percent between 1971 and 1981, and the use of induced abortion rose steeply-the average number of abortions obtained by women in the same age-groups was 74 percent higher in 1981 than in 1971. Among women with no children, relatively few abortions are performed: An average of eight percent of pregnancies ending in abortion between 1977 and 1981. However, once a woman has had a child, her likelihood of having an abortion becomes very high; among such women, the proportion of pregnancies ending in abortion rose from 39 percent in 1977 to 88 percent in 1981. Of women with two or more children who became pregnant in 1981, 96 percent had an abortion. At the rates prevailing in 1981, women in Xian City can expect to average 3.6 pregnancies in their reproductive lives-1.5 births and 2.0 abortions. Induced abortion has become a very important fertility control method in China, which is trying to encourage couples to have only one child. By 1981, the number of abortions in Xian City had exceeded the number of births. Overall fertility in Xian City appears to be below replacement level, a sign that the government's policies are having some success there, and the wide use of induced abortion has certainly contributed to this success. However, improved contraceptive use is desirable as an alternative to continued high levels of reliance on induced abortion, both for health reasons and to relieve pressure on needed medical facilities.