Changes in the Prevalence of Induced Abortion in the Floating Population in Major Cities of China 2007–2014

Xing Wang, Junqing Wu, Yuyan Li, Ying Zhou, Yiran Li, Rui Zhao, Qi Tong and Mingzhong Luo
Additional contact information
Xing Wang: NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Public Health School, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Junqing Wu: NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Yuyan Li: NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Ying Zhou: NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Yiran Li: NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Rui Zhao: NHC Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation (Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Qi Tong: Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Reseach Institute, Chongqing 400000, China
Mingzhong Luo: Shanxi Reproductive Health Technology Service Center, Taiyuan 030012, China

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-12

Abstract: Objective: Our aim was to assess the changes in induced abortion in different migrant groups in China between 2007 and 2014 and the contraceptive methods used prior to induced abortion. Methods: The studies of two population-based cross sections were conducted in urban China, involving 9146 sexually active migrant women. Within the selected sociodemographic subgroups, the changes in the percentage of women who had induced abortions, the proportion of pregnancies ending in induced abortions, the causes of induced abortions, and the methods of contraception were identified. A chi-squared test was used to calculate the differences in induced abortion in the subgroups. Results: Between 2007 and 2014, in the study groups from the major cities of China, the percentage of sexually active migrant women who had induced abortions increased 10.1%, from 21.8% to 24.0%. The proportion of pregnancies ending in induced abortions increased 23.7%, from 21.5% to 26.6%. Both of the aforementioned statistics increased significantly within most of the selected sociodemographic subgroups, especially in the 18–19 and 45–49 age groups. Over 50% of pregnancies were aborted in the cohabiting group, although this figure declined by 12.3% over the course of the seven-year study period. Contraceptive failure was the primary cause of induced abortion, although its contribution to induced abortion declined from 51.3% to 42.4%. The proportion of women not using contraception prior to induced abortion increased from 30.9% to 41.2%. Conclusion: The prevalence of induced abortion is high and continues to increase among sexually active migrant women in China. An increasing trend is forecasted over the next few decades. Special attention should be paid to the younger cohort of migrant women, especially 18–19-year-olds, and unmarried cohabitants, who are increasingly seeking induced abortions.

Keywords: induced abortion; abortion trends; migrants; contraception (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/18/3305/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/16/18/3305/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:18:p:3305-:d:265392

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().