Induced Abortion in Tehran, Iran: Estimated Rates and Correlates

CONTEXT: Abortion is severely restricted in Iran, and many women with an unwanted pregnancy resort to clandestine, unsafe abortions. Accurate information on abortion incidence is needed to assess the extent to which women experience unwanted pregnancies and to allocate resources for contraceptive services. METHODS: Data for analysis came from 2,934 married women aged 15-49 who completed the 2009 Tehran Survey of Fertility. Estimated abortion rates and proportions of known pregnancies that end in abortion were calculated for all women and for demographic and socioeconomic subgroups, and descriptive data were used to examine women's contraceptive use and reasons for having an abortion. RESULTS: Annually, married women in Tehran have about 11,500 abortions. In the year before the survey, the estimated total abortion rate was 0.16 abortions per woman, and the annual general abortion rate was 5.5 abortions per 1,000 women; the general abortion rate peaked at 11.7 abortions among those aged 30-34. An estimated 8.7 of every 100 known pregnancies ended in abortion. The abortion rate was elevated among women who were employed or had high levels of income or education, as well as among those who reported a low level of religiosity, had two children or wanted no more. Fertility-related and socioeconomic reasons were cited by seven in 10 women who obtained an abortion. More than two-thirds of pregnancies that were terminated resulted from method failures among women who had used withdrawal, the pill or a condom. CONCLUSIONS: Estimated abortion rates and their correlates can help policymakers and program planners identify subgroups of women who are in particular need of services and counseling to prevent unwanted pregnancy. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2011, 37(3):134-142,doi:10.1363/3713411