Recourse to abortion is decreasing, but repeat abortions are more frequent

Magali Mazuy, Laurent Toulemon, Elodie Baril

Population and Societies

n° 518, January 2015

Subscribe to the e-alert

Download

Forty years ago, on 17 January 1975, the Veil Law was passed, authorizing abortion in France. It was made permanent in 1979 and subsequent amendments have made access to abortion easier: reimbursement by the health insurance system in 1982, less restrictive conditions of access and a lengthening of the legal deadline for abortion in 2001. The notifications completed by physicians for each abortion provide a means to analyse changes in behaviour over time.

In 2011, there were nearly 210,000 abortions in France, corresponding to 0.53 per woman during her lifetime. After falling between 1975 and 1995, numbers of abortions rose again slightly and have levelled out since around 2010. Average age at abortion remains stable, at 27.5 years. The proportion of repeat abortions is increasing steadily. One-third of women have at least one abortion during their lives, of whom 10% have two and 4% three or more. As the proportion of medical abortions rises, average gestational age at abortion is falling. It stood at 6.4 weeks in 2011, down from 7.1 in 2002.

Receive the e-alert

Same author

Recent Demographic Trends in France. The Disruptive Impact of COVID -19 on French Population Dynamics: Fewer Births and Marriages, a Downturn in Migration, More Deaths…

Didier Breton, Nicolas Belliot, Magali Barbieri, et al.

Recourse to abortion is decreasing, but repeat abortions are more frequent

Population and Societies

Receive the e-alert

Same author

Is the French population on a path to decline

Abortion in France 50 years after the Veil Act: Rates and methods that vary across the country

Is France still a demographic outlier in Europe?

Recent Demographic Trends in France 2022.

Continued population ageing in France over the next half century

Recent Demographic Trends in France. The Disruptive Impact of COVID -19 on French Population Dynamics: Fewer Births and Marriages, a Downturn in Migration, More Deaths…

Recent demographic trends in France: situations and behaviour of minors

Recent demographic trends of France:a singularity in Europe?

Recent Demographic Developments in France: Seasonal Patterns of Births, Deaths, Unions, and Migration

Beneficial effect of adjusted sentences on recidivism in France: investigating the hidden role of the judge

Recent Demographic Developments in France: Marked Diff erences between Départements

The Virage survey, first results

Recent Demographic Developments in France: A Decline in Fertility, an Increase in Mortality

Rape and sexual assaults in France:first VIRAGE results

The number of deaths in France will increase over the coming years

The Demographic Situation in France: Recent Developments and Trends over the Last 70 Years

Demografía

Recent Demographic Trends in France: The Number of Marriages Continues to Decrease

A Steady Number of Induced Abortions,but Fewer Women Concerned

Childlessness: a life choice that goes against the norm

On the same topic

Is the French population on a path to decline

Abortion in France 50 years after the Veil Act: Rates and methods that vary across the country

Histoire du Japon - L’économie et la population

Sexual and reproductive rights 30 years after the Cairo Conference on Population and Development

Politique d’immigration, statut légal et fécondité des migrantes : le cas de Mayotte

United Nations comparative fertility survey programs: balancing national challenges and international objectives

Stillbirths in France: Over half of women go on to have another child

Is France still a demographic outlier in Europe?