Carolina Ribas Barrera

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    Reasons that motivate requesting induced abortion and the options that women choose facing a restrictive abortion law in Spain

    ACAI Clinics1, Carolina Ribas Barrera2 1ACAI associated Clinics, from all regions, Spain, 2Clínica El Sur, Sevilla/Andalucía, Spain - alberto.ginecenter@gmail.com

    Objectives: After the 2010 law on abortion came into force, the objective of the study was to find out what are the motivations to have an abortion and what changes should take place in the women’s situation to make them continue their pregnancies. After presentation of the abortion Bill December 2013, it was important to know, what women think they will do in the future, if the law is restrictive. Method: In 2 different periods (2012 and 2014) 5100 and 6045 women had abortions in 15 ACAI clinics . Besides sociological and medical data, they were asked about the pregnancy (originally not wanted/wanted) and the conditions that should change (socioeconomic, partnership etc.) to make them reject their decision to terminate the pregnancy. In the second period another question was added, what they would do in the future, if the new law does not allow them to perform the abortion. Results: Data for both periods were statistically analyzed. Results for both periods are similar. The variables are: age, nationality (34% and 29 % foreigners), educational level, job (35% and 36.5% jobless), contraceptive method (nothing 36.8% and 47.9%), abortion method (medical 5% and 4.7%), pregnancy condition (wanted/not wanted from the beginning) and circumstances that should change to reject abortion (none 48% and 41%, economic situation 21% and 23%). In case of a restrictive law, 29% would continue the pregnancy, 31% would go abroad and 30% would try an illegal abortion. Conclusions: 95 % of pregnancies that actually end as a legal abortion are unwanted from the beginning. Modern contraception is not widely used by the women. In 60% no changes in the women’s situation could make them take another decision. If the announced law comes into force, more than 99% of 120,000 women asking for abortion in 2012 couldn’t perform it under legal conditions.