Preventing unplanned pregnancies.

In order to reduce the high rate of abortions among its workers the textile industry in the USSRs Iwanovo district has begun a program to reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies. In many areas of the USSR including Iwanovo abortion remains the leading method of regulating child birth. In Iwanovo the textile industry employs the majority of the women in the district. 83% of all textile women workers are of fertile age. Usually these women begin their sexual lives at an early age. 75-80% of all female workers under 18 years of age are already sexually active. 3/4 of the women workers suffer from gynecological pathology with colpitis and cervical erosion being the most common. A woman worker in Iwanovo has an average 3.9 pregnancies. But only 1.5 of the babies are delivered; 2.2 pregnancies are interrupted by abortion. In order to address the high rate of morbidity and abortions among the women the textile enterprise has established the Womens Consulting Clinic which is staffed by obstetrician-gynecologists. The clinic provides examinations and consultations on contraceptive use family planning consultations for married couples and treatment for gynecological diseases. The clinic also monitors the contraceptive use of the workers and provides a constant flow of information on family planning through a newsletter. In its promotion of family planning the clinic generally recommends the use of IUDs and oral contraceptives. The creation of the clinic has led to a 42% decrease in the number of abortions between 1986-90. At 850 abortions/1000 live births in 1986 the abortion rate has dropped to 500/1000 in 1990.