Legal Abortion Levels and Trends By Woman’s Age at Termination
CONTEXT: Assessments of abortion levels and trends by women’s
age at termination can be used to monitor trends in unintended
pregnancy by age and can inform relevant programs and policies.
METHODS: Legal abortion incidence data were compiled from
national statistical offices and nationally representative
surveys of more than 40 countries where legal abortion is
generally available. Age-specific abortion rates and percentage
distributions of abortions by age were computed, and trends
since 1996 and 2003 were examined. Subregional and regional
estimates were developed for geographic areas where the majority
of the population was represented by the data. RESULTS: The
median year for the most recent estimates of abortions by
woman’s age was 2009. Adolescents accounted for a smaller share
of abortions than their share of the population in the majority
of eligible countries with data. In most countries, the highest
age-specific abortion rates and propor