Induced abortion in the Caucasus republics: a detailed analysis

Howard Goldberg, Global Health Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Florina I. Serbanescu, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Most countries formerly under the influence of the USSR have relied heavily on induced abortion as a means of fertility control. While most of these countries have recently shown substantial reductions in abortion, a major exception has been the Caucasus republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. There rates of induced abortion have remained very high (total abortion rates: Armenia-2.6; Azerbaijan-3.2; Georgia-3.7). Meanwhile contraceptive prevalence, especially for modern methods, has remained low (percentage using modern contraception: Armenia-22; Azerbaijan-12; Georgia-20). Data from large national surveys are used to examine various aspects of abortion in the Caucasus. Among the topics examined are: trends and levels in abortion and contraceptive use in the Caucasus and throughout the region; decomposition of abortion rates to determine contributions from non-use of contraception, method failure (traditional and modern) and other factors; medical aspects of abortion (complications, anaesthesia, infertility, etc.), and evidence of sex-selective abortion.