Prague, Oct 11 (CTK) – The number of the Czech women who underwent induced abortion decreased from 32,528 in 2001 to 20,403 last year, which was 37 percent less, daily Pravo writes yesterday, reacting to the anti-abortion legislation that may be passed in the neighbouring Poland.
In connection with Polish women’s struggle against the stricter legislation, frightening photos of abortions along with awe-inspiring figures and commentaries have also appeared in the Czech Republic, Pravo writes.
Even the companies manufacturing contraceptives have produced advertisements warning of the number of abortions every year.
However, the figures are certainly not high. In addition, they have been falling in recent years, Pravo writes.
Out of the total number of 32,528 induced abortions, 21,775 were performed without a health reason in 2001, Pravo writes, referring to the data from the Institute of Health Information and Statistics of the Czech Republic (UZIS) and the National Register of Abortions (NRPOT), it adds.
By 2005, the total figure fell to 26,453, by 2010 to 24,000 and down to 20,403 last year, it adds.
Of them, more than 4,000 cases had a health reason, Pravo writes.
The number of the women who underwent had vacuum aspiration is also important. Last year, almost 14,500 cases of the termination of pregnancy before its eighth week were registered, Pravo writes.
The UZIS also keeps a record of spontaneous abortions. There were more than 14,000 of them last year. Their number has been increasing since 2001, when there were more than 11,000.
“In their approach to pregnancy, Czech women are quite rational, using various contraceptive techniques and planning well their conception,” Roman Chmel, an expert in gynaecology, is quoted as saying.
“This is a very probable explanation of the diminishing number of induced abortions,” he adds.
“On the other hand, the higher number of spontaneous abortions may be caused by a higher age of women at the time of conception,” Chmel said.
Out of the total roughly 20,000 women on whom abortion was performed, almost 2,000 were foreigners, Pravo writes.
However, their interest in abortion has been also constantly falling.
Still, the Czech Republic is a country of destination for some women from the countries in which law does not allow a free decision on their pregnancy, such as Poland, it adds.
Under the Communist regime, the number of abortions was extremely high, ranging between 80,000 and 100,000 annually.
They started rapidly decreasing after the Communist regime was toppled in 1989. Experts say this was due to available contraceptives and sexual education, Pravo writes.
