[Induced abortion among women with foreign cultural background in Oslo]

Abstract

Background: A large proportion of women requesting induced abortion in Oslo, Norway are of non-Western origin. The aim of this study was to investigate whether non-Western immigrant women are over-represented among women requesting induced abortion. For comparative purposes the proportion of non-Western women with deliveries was also assessed.

Material and methods: Included in the study were all women 16-50 years of age, living in Oslo in 1999. Age specific data on the number of female residents and the number of women with deliveries according to immigrant status were obtained from the City of Oslo's Statistical Office. Information on the number of induced abortions according to age and immigrant status was obtained from the medical records of all women requesting induced abortion in Oslo during a four-months period.

Results: 25% of all women requesting induced abortion (262/1,069) and 15.5% (20,637/132,843) of the general population were non-Western (ratio between proportions = 1.6, p < 0.05 chi square test). Non-Western women were over-represented in all age groups of women requesting induced abortion; this was most pronounced in the age groups > 35 years. Non-Western women were also over-represented in all age groups of women who had delivery. Half of all deliveries in women < 25 years were among non-Western women.

Interpretation: Non-Western immigrant women seem to represent a risk group for induced abortion.